Fall camp is nearly here at Oklahoma, and the Sooners’ cornerback room looks like one of the more settled parts of the defense heading into Year 5 under Brent Venables.
The biggest offseason change came on the coaching side. Jay Valai is out after leaving for a job with the Buffalo Bills, and Venables replaced him with LaMar Morgan, who most recently worked at Michigan. Morgan steps into a group that already has its top two corners back in place, giving Oklahoma a stable starting point as it tries to push back toward the College Football Playoff.
Eli Bowen and Courtland Guillory both return as starters. Bowen, a junior, earned All-SEC honors last season, while Guillory, a sophomore, was named SEC All-Freshman. That pairing gives the Sooners proven production at a position that matters every week, especially with a defense trying to build on what it did in 2025.
Oklahoma also brings back senior Jacobe Johnson, and there are several new faces in the mix as well. The offseason additions include Dakota Fields, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Oregon; Prince Ijioma, a junior transfer from Mississippi Valley State; and two freshmen in Derrick Johnson II, a four-star prospect, and Lebron Bauer, a three-star recruit.
There’s reason for optimism in this group because the 2025 numbers were already solid. Oklahoma finished 32nd nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 195.2, tied for 19th in yards allowed per pass attempt at 6.2, 31st in completion percentage allowed at 59.0%, 22nd in defensive pass efficiency at 115.85 and tied for sixth in touchdown passes allowed with 11.
So while the coaching staff changed, the foundation didn’t. The Sooners enter camp with experience, recognition and depth at cornerback, and that gives Morgan a room with something a lot of teams want this time of year: a clear place to start.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Got A Huge New Roster Question This Offseason
A federal judges latest ruling could create an unexpected layer of uncertainty around Oklahomas offseason roster, opening the door for some players to pursue a fifth college season even after exhausting four years of eligibility. The decision applies to athletes from the 2022 recruiting class and arrives despite the NCAAs planned five-in-five rule, which was not supposed to take effect until the 2027 recruiting class, giving programs across the country another potential round of roster movement to monitor.
For the Sooners, the issue is especially notable because several players on the 2025 roster could fall into that window and suddenly have a choice to make after the 2026 NFL Draft. If any of those players decide college is still the better move, Oklahoma could be dealing with a fresh wave of roster decisions well after the usual offseason business is supposed to be settled. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Enters Camp With One Huge Question Up Front
Fall camp is about to open for Oklahoma, and with Brent Venables heading into his fifth year, the Sooners still have a familiar source of intrigue up front. The defensive tackle room has been reshaped by NFL departures, graduation and transfers, but Jayden Jackson and David Stone are back as the anchors, giving Todd Bates at least a proven starting point in a unit that was among the better-regarded parts of the defense a year ago.
What comes next is the real test, because the Sooners need that group to hold up after losing so much experience. Oklahoma has blended in transfers and freshmen to help fill the gaps, and the early weeks of camp will go a long way toward showing whether the new-look interior line can match the standard the program expects, or whether this becomes the kind of spot that takes time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas 2026 Offense Hinges On One Long Awaited Change
Fall camp has arrived in Norman, and with it comes a familiar offseason priority for the Sooners: making the run game and offensive line sturdier before the 2026 season gets underway. Oklahoma has spent the buildup adding experience on both fronts, bringing in offensive lineman EMarion Harris and running backs coach Deland McCullough as part of a broader push to add physicality and depth. The goal is clear enough, even if the work is just getting started, with the opener against UTEP serving as the first chance to see whether the changes are showing up where they matter most.
For Oklahoma, this is about more than just shoring up one phase of the offense. The Sooners have returning players mixed with new additions, and the challenge now is turning that blend into a line and backfield that can hold up over a full season. The identity they are chasing is a more dependable, more physical attack, and fall camp will reveal how close they are to getting it before the spotlight tightens in September. [Read more 🡒]