Brent Venables doesn’t wax poetic about a true freshman very often.

But at his weekly coach’s show on Monday night, he couldn’t help but let his excitement bleed through regarding freshman cornerback Eli Bowen.

After sitting out the season’s first two games due to a nagging shoulder injury, Bowen made his debut in Week 3 against Tulane, playing 19 snaps in the Sooners’ victory. He built on that performance with 14 strong snaps against Tennessee, and his PFF grade of 80.0 was tops among all Oklahoma defensive backs.

And as he reflected on on the young corner’s performance, Venables gave the younger of the two Bowen brothers a massive vote of confidence.

“We trust Eli,” the Sooners’ head ball coach remarked. “And as soon as he came out there, that big 6-4 [or] 6-5 receiver, he goes, ‘Hey, look! I got the little fella out here!’ And they had the formation into the boundary, so there’s all this space and there’s one receiver out here by himself. Same structure [with which] they scored the 70-yard post or whatever that was. And I was like, ‘Oh, this ain’t him.’ All I thought was, ‘He thinks he’s that guy.’ I’m like, this ain’t the guy. I think Eli Bowen, even though he’s a little smaller in stature, he plays like he’s 6-2, 210 pounds.

“They end up trying him down the field a couple of times, and he’s in perfect phase. Never panicked. And then they tried to throw the quick hitch in front of him, like the little guy can’t tackle. And he was like a water moccasin on him. And somebody else came in late, but he didn’t need him. So I’m affirming what you saw, and affirming him, and what he’s going to be and who he is right now. He’s a super confident guy. He’s always ready. He’s got fabulous fundamentals, and he doesn’t play with any fear.”

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, Eli has never really commanded headlines, as he’s the younger brother of Oklahoma sophomore safety Peyton Bowen. Peyton, a former five-star prospect whose recruitment ranks among the most memorable of the 21st century, is a couple inches taller and a year older. When Eli committed, many Oklahoma fans took a look his listed size and dismissed his addition as a sort of sidecar to the Sooners’ acquisition of Peyton.

But anyone who takes time to watch the tape knows that Eli is an outstanding football player in his own right, a scrappy and technically sound cornerback who set a single-season record at Denton Guyer High School with 10 interceptions… as a sophomore.

And ever since he stepped on campus at Oklahoma, he’s demonstrated the same fearless style of play that made him a devastating matchup for any wide receiver in the Lone Star State prep ranks. It doesn’t matter that he’s only a freshman; he’s determined to force his way onto the field.

“He’s a young buck, but he prepares like a senior each and every day,” said veteran Oklahoma defensive back Woodi Washington. “He does all the extra stuff that he needs to do.”

If there’s one member of the Oklahoma secondary that knows what it takes to be truly special, it’s Billy Bowman, who earned preseason All-America honors prior to the 2024 campaign. He didn’t hold back when asked for his opinion of Bowen.

“He's that guy,” declared Bowman. “Eli, ever since he got here, he's been great fundamentally with his footwork, with his eyes, everything. You know, he might be small in size, but he don't play like it. He has no fear. And he'll go out there. And if you want to test him, try it. But it might not work out.”

Granted, Bowen has just two collegiate games under his belt, so it’s a bit early to project that he can become a cornerstone contributor for Oklahoma’s defense in 2024. But with Gentry Williams out indefinitely and Jacobe Johnson now repping at wide receiver, the Sooners’ depth at cornerback has ebbed a bit. Behind Washington, Dez Malone and Kani Walker, Bowen is seemingly next in line for reps, and there’s a decent chance he could actually supplant one or more members of that trio if he continues to prove his worth to cornerbacks coach Jay Valai and defensive coordinator Zac Alley.

“I think he’s a heck of a player, man,” said Alley. “I think he’s going to have a bigger role as the season goes on, as guys get tired and hurt and banged up. He’s going to have to be a guy who steps up and plays.

“But man, talk about a ballplayer. He don’t panic. He’s ready for his moment. He gets in there, and he [plays] great.”