Editor's note: With fall camp just a few weeks away, OUInsider will give an overview of each position group and where things stand. The 10th installment focuses on the safeties.
Despite losing two of their three top snap getters from a year ago, things feel pretty solid for OU's safeties heading into the fall.
The Sooners lost Key Lawrence and Reggie Pearson Jr, who combined for over 800 snaps in 2023, but there's not a ton of question marks. Billy Bowman returns for his senior season after a six-interception campaign last year, which tied for the second most in the country, and brings significant stability and a veteran presence to the Sooners' defense in their first year in the SEC. But Bowman isn't the only option — Robert Spears-Jennings and Peyton Bowen played significant roles in 2023, and there is real optimism that both of them can make another leap this fall. In addition to that trio, the Sooners have some intriguing young players in the fold.
With fall camp officially underway, here's an overview on where things stand with the safeties:
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
QUESTIONS
1. Is this the breakout seasons for Robert Spears-Jennings and Peyton Bowen?
Last season was a nice step forward for Spears-Jennings. After playing nine games and 75 snaps (per Pro Football Focus) as a freshman, the Broken Arrow native saw a decent role as a reserve last season. He logged 240 snaps and appeared in all 12 games, recording 38 tackles — eighth most on the team.
But he was still behind Lawrence and Pearson on the depth chart. He also played fewer snaps than Bowen. But with Lawrence and Pearson gone, the path is clear for Spears-Jennings to step into a very significant role. He fits seamlessly as a free safety next to Bowman, but he's also seen some time at cheetah. He's shown an ability to help in both coverage and run support, recording the sixth-highest rush defense grade (75.0) according to PFF.
He's also entering his junior season, making him a rare veteran in the safety room.
"He’s definitely grown a lot," Bowman said. "He was the guy who went into last season, his sophomore season, thinking like, ‘I might not play too much.’ We have Key Lawrence. We just got a transfer in Reggie Pearson. They all played the same position, so it’s like, ‘What can I do?’ Halfway through the season, towards the end of the season, he got his opportunity and I told him, ‘You gotta run with it. This is your time.’ And that’s exactly what he did.
"Robert Spears-Jennings, he’ll be all over the field this year for us."
That versatility and leadership could give the Sooners some options. While Bowen has excelled at strong safety, he's shown he can play anywhere on the field. And frankly, he'll likely deserve to play more than the 363 snaps he played last season. As long as he stays healthy, it's almost a guarantee.
But the Sooners may not necessarily have to choose between Bowen and Spears-Jennings. They can both play at the cheetah spot, and there could be some alignments next season where the Bowman/Bowen/Spears-Jennings trio is on the field at the same time.
If both Bowen and Spears-Jennings can take another step forward, that could make OU's secondary a formidable group in the SEC.
2. Who emerges from the underclassmen group?
Even if that trio is the backbone of the safety group, the Sooners will need some other options. Most of those other options are true freshmen.
But there's reason to be optimistic that they have some SEC-ready players in that group. The Sooners added four 2024 four-star prospects in Michael Boganowski, Mykel Patterson-McDonald, Reggie Powers and Jaydan Hardy, and all of those guys were early enrollees who went through spring practices.
Out of those four, Boganowski and Powers were arguably the early standouts. Boganowski benefited from Bowman's nagging injuries in the spring and saw a ton of reps with the first-team defense, and he offers a ton of size at 6-foot-2. Powers saw first-team reps, too, and the coaching staff moved him all over the field. He saw time at cornerback, safety and even some time at cheetah.
But make no mistake. All four of those guys will be battling for playing time as reserves, and there's a lot of ways this could go. Plus, the Sooners are incredibly likely to need them. The Sooners had five true safeties log at least 240 snaps last season, meaning there could be an opportunity for at least two of those freshman to see the field.
It's inherently risky to need to rely on freshmen, especially in the Sooners' SEC debut. But all four of them have sky-high potential, and they've got to be ready to produce right now.
OUINSIDER POSITION GROUP SERIES
1. Running back
3. Tight end
7. Quarterback
8. Cornerbacks
10. Safeties
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