Bowen brothers reunite with Eli Bowen's signing

As National Signing Day slowly comes to a close for the Sooners’ staff, the spotlight shifts to a unique connection between future teammates that is deeper than any friendship.

While former Denton Guyer five-star recruit Peyton Bowen commanded attention on the recruiting trail last season, the focus now turns to his younger brother, Eli Bowen. The four-star defensive back from Denton, Texas had always been on the radar of the Sooners’ staff, despite whatever the outcome was of his older brother's recruiting process last December. The 5-foot-9 standout was a top priority for Jay Valai’s secondary. During today's press conference, Brent Venables shared a pair of conversations he had with the pair last year.

“I'll be honest, and I told Peyton (Bowen) this a year ago: 'If you don't come, I'm still recruiting your brother,’” Venables recalled. “I told Eli, 'Even if we don't get your brother, I'm still coming after you.'"

Despite being somewhat undersized at 5-foot-9, Eli ranked as the No. 44 cornerback in the nation and the No. 59 player in the state of Texas. During his time at Denton Guyer High School, he showed elite coverage and ball skills versus some of the best competition in the nation. Venables did not hesitate to call Eli "one of the best players in America," and he highlighted a trait that made him stand out to the staff: his exceptional ball-hawking ability.

"He has probably had as many ball disruption plays in the last few years as any defensive back that I've seen,” Venables remarked. “Just a great, great player."

The Bowen brothers’ reunification on the field adds an extra layer of sentiment to this class. The Sooners are very excited to get Eli in Norman this January, and Venables is already enamored with the thought of the two brothers in the secondary together.

"It'll be really cool to have him along with his brother here in the secondary,” Venables said of Eli.

As we now look past National Signing Day and towards the offseason, it will be exciting to see where Eli Bowen fits into the picture as the team heads to the SEC in 2024.

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