Courtland Guillory arrived at Oklahoma as a freshman and wasted no time making himself part of the conversation in the Sooners’ secondary. Now, after a season that put him on the field from the jump, the cornerback says he’s taken another step.
Guillory started 11 of Oklahoma’s 13 games in 2025 and finished with 41 total tackles, 28 solo tackles, seven pass breakups and a tackle for loss. That kind of production usually comes with growing pains, but Guillory came out of his first college season feeling like the offseason had only sharpened him.
“In every aspect, I feel like I elevated my game,” Guillory said. “I felt like I can improve my game in every aspect, whether it comes to tackling, covering, all around communicating with my teammates.”
The Sooners also gave him a new voice in the defensive backs room. Jay Valai coached Oklahoma’s corners during Guillory’s first year, then left for the same job with the Buffalo Bills. In January, Oklahoma brought in LaMar Morgan, who had been Michigan’s cornerbacks coach, to fill the opening.
That change has already mattered to Guillory. He said he and Morgan have spent time working through the details together.
“Me and coach Morgan spent some time, one on one, conversing about how coverage is, different types of calls, and I think we think alike,” Guillory said. “It’s great, and we’re going to do some things.”
Guillory has also leaned on Eli Bowen, another key piece in Oklahoma’s secondary. Bowen is heading into his junior season after starting 17 games over his first two years and earning All-SEC Third Team honors in 2025.
“Personally, Eli is a guy that I look up to, so it's been great going through this training camp with him and learning things from him and putting them into my game,” Guillory said.
Even with only one year of college football behind him, Guillory is already one of the more established players on Oklahoma’s defense. That came with a different kind of responsibility this offseason. He said he understood that his role had changed.
“I felt like because I’m not the puppy in the group anymore, it was time to be more vocal,” Guillory said.
The challenge waiting for him in 2026 is brutal. Oklahoma’s schedule includes some of the best receivers in the country, starting with Texas’ Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V, along with former Auburn star Cam Coleman, who joined the Longhorns from the transfer portal.
Texas A&M brings back Mario Craver and added former Alabama standout Isaiah Horton from the portal. Florida’s Eric Singleton Jr., Mississippi State’s Anthony Evans III and Ole Miss’ Darrell Gill Jr. are also among the wideouts Guillory and the Sooners will have to deal with.
The Auburn game last season gave him a preview of what that can look like. Oklahoma won 24-17, but Coleman had a big day with Guillory matched up against him for most of the game. Guillory said that outing stuck with him.
“That Auburn game, I learned a lot I would say,” Guillory said. “And ever since that game, I just had a mindset to go out there and give it my all.”
That lesson, plus a full offseason of development, has Guillory feeling ready for what comes next.
“That’s why we play in the SEC, (it’s) the best of the best,” Guillory said. “I want to show that I’m the best, so that’s what I'm here to do - to play the best receivers every week and showcase my talents.”
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Danny Saili and Tae Davis are currently ineligible under the stay, since their fifth year of eligibility depended solely on the Colorado order. BJ Edwards and Duke Brennan, meanwhile, remain eligible because they are covered by separate state court protections, a reminder that these cases are being sorted out on different tracks and with different outcomes. For Oklahoma, the result is a reminder that the eligibility landscape is still very much in flux, with the next chapter now tied to the NCAAs appeal. [Read more 🡒]
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For a fan base that knows what a big-time freshman back can look like, the comparisons are easy to understand. Hatton arrives with the high school production to back up the hype, and his profile naturally invites the kind of conversation Oklahoma has had before about Adrian Peterson and Marcus Dupree. The real question now is how quickly that promise turns into an actual role on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Got Reassuring News At A Crucial Spot Up Front
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For the moment, the Sooners are getting by with other players handling the middle of the line, but Maikkulas expected return matters because he was a key starter last season and was projected to anchor that spot again. With upcoming games on the horizon, Oklahoma appears to have avoided a long-term problem at a position it cannot afford to lose for long. [Read more 🡒]