(Editor's note: With the 2024 season in the books, OUInsider will review the performance of every position group this season. The series will include individual stats, snap counts and performance grades via Pro Football Focus and analysis. This installment focuses on the cornerbacks).

Oklahoma's cornerbacks room saw a ton of change in 2024.

Gentry Williams missed almost the entire season with a shoulder injury, prompting the Sooners to lean on Dez Malone and Kani Walker early in the year. Then true freshman Eli Bowen suddenly emerged as one of the team's best defenders and one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC.

There was some inconsistency at that cornerback spot. While the defense as a whole saw improvement, the secondary had some weaknesses. Overall, the Sooners allowed 203 passing yards per game, which ranked 43rd nationally. The issue was big plays. The Sooners gave up 42 passes of 20 yards or more, which ranked 91st nationally. They allowed 12.5 yards per completion against FBS teams, which also ranked 91st nationally.

Here's an overview of how the cornerbacks performed in 2024:

Eli Bowen — 510 (80.6)

* Kani Walker — 424 (58.7)

** Dez Malone — 371 (73.7)

** Woodi Washington — 356 (55.7)

Jacobe Johnson — 237 (50.3)

Devon Jordan — 42 (67.6)

* entered the NCAA transfer portal

** exhausted eligibility

Eli Bowen — 30 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 4 pass breakups

Dez Malone — 27 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 3 pass breakups

Kani Walker — 24 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 6 pass breakups

Woodi Washington — 21 tackles, 1 INT

Jacobe Johnson — 18 tackles, 0.5 TFL

Devon Jordan — 1 tackle

Jeremiah Newcombe — 1 tackle

— Eli Bowen is the undisputed story of the cornerback room, and arguably the entire defense. The true freshman quickly moved from a player in the shadow of his brother and teammate, Peyton, to a no-brainer cornerstone and foundational piece of the defense moving forward.

Bowen went from not playing in the first two games to finishing fifth on the team in total snaps. He averaged over 56 snaps per game over the final eight weeks of the season. Per PFF metrics, Bowen had the highest overall defensive grade (80.6), the highest coverage grade (78.1) and the fifth-highest run-defense grade (85.4).

Of course, it wasn't all great for Bowen. He got burned a couple of times late in the season, particularly against LSU and Missouri. Theo Wease's late fourth-quarter touchdown in Columbia came despite picture-perfect coverage from Bowen. The difference was Wease had a six-inch height advantage over Bowen. That's going to be the thing to watch with Bowen moving forward. His 5-foot-10 frame gives him natural limitations, particularly against SEC wide receivers.

But it's not like that's a huge issue. Per PFF, Bowen allowed just 22 receptions on 40 targets for 235 yards (10.7 yards per receptions). Those are great numbers for any SEC corner, let alone a true freshman.

And his height didn't seem to be an issue against Alabama, when he played all 63 snaps, shut down Ryan Williams and came away with a third-quarter interception.

In a secondary that featured Billy Bowman, Robert Spears-Jennings, Woodi Washington and Peyton Bowen, Eli was arguably the most impactful and consistent player. That should make fans incredibly excited about his future.

— It's disappointing that Bowen was never able to share the field with Gentry Williams.

It was unfortunately a lost season for Williams, who played all of 17 snaps before missing the rest of the season with a nagging shoulder injury that just won't go away. Williams is a starter and important part of the defense when he's healthy. His absence was felt the entire season, even with Bowen's emergence.

If he can get healthy — and that's a big if — the Sooners can feel really good about Bowen and Williams leading the cornerbacks.

— The other cornerback that'll be featured here is Jacobe Johnson, who was not included in the wide receiver article.

What a weird year for Johnson. The Sooners made a big deal about incorporating Johnson into the offense, and he logged all of seven snaps on offense. Seven.

Essentially, he stayed at cornerback, where his snaps were inconsistent. He played nine or fewer snaps in six games. He played at least 23 snaps in the other seven contests. That inconsistency, both in his playing time and his move-but-not-really-a-move to offense, makes it a little difficult to evaluate his season.

According to PFF, Johnson allowed 14 receptions and 16.9 yards per catch on 17 targets. He posted a 77.8 tackling grade and a 74.4 run-defense grade, both solid marks. There were some natural up and downs for a player in his second season, particularly with the circumstances. Not everybody can be Eli Bowen.

But with Washington, Malone and Walker gone, Johnson has an excellent opportunity to solidify a bigger, more consistent role. The next few months are going to pivotal.

— Outside of Bowen and Johnson, the next young guys to watch are Devon Jordan and Jeremiah Newcombe. Both of them saw sporadic snaps throughout the year, and both redshirted. For Jordan, 15 of his 42 snaps came against South Carolina, which allowed him to put something on tape against a conference opponent.

The reality is that the Sooners don't really have anyone else to provide depth outside of the true freshmen coming in, unless the coaching staff adds someone in the transfer portal this spring. The Sooners are going to need Jordan and Newcombe to develop quickly.

— It a weird year for Washington. He played 889 and 851 snaps, respectively, in 2022 and 2023. He played 356 this year. The film wasn't always kind to Washington this season, who just never seemed truly comfortable on the field.

It's still a good story for Washington, who spent all six years in Norman. He saw a ton of change and stayed through it all. He wasn't the most consistent player, but there were certainly good moments. The Sooners should be able to replace his production, but losing a six-year veteran is never an easy thing.

— Dez Malone was fine in his one year in Norman. Kani Walker is gone after three weird seasons in Norman. Neither of them provided spectacular production, but they both played a ton of snaps. The Sooners are basically losing three of their top four cornerbacks, and that'll be something to watch in the spring.

OVERALL GRADE: C+

Defensive ends

Tight ends

Defensive tackles

Running backs

Linebackers/Cheetah

Wide receiver

Cornerbacks

Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!

Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!

Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!