NORMAN - Oklahoma safety Omarion Robinson is staring at a much bigger 2026, and he sounds like a player who’s already settled into that reality.
As a freshman in 2025, Robinson got into nine games and did most of his work on special teams. He totaled 79 snaps there across kick coverage, kick returns and punt returns, then added 36 defensive snaps over five games at safety.
That background matters because the Sooners need him. Peyton Bowen and Michael Boganowski are the two safeties OU trusts in starting roles, but the depth behind them is thinner than the staff would like. With Robert Spears-Jennings gone after his final college game on Dec. 19 - a 34-24 loss to Alabama in the College Football Playoff - and Jaydan Hardy having entered the transfer portal before landing at Colorado, Robinson’s path to a larger role opened quickly.
Robinson says the early signs in camp are encouraging.
“Everything is coming together,” Robinson said. “Camp is going well, just getting a groove and everything.”
Bowen is the veteran of the room, and his résumé is hard to miss: 39 games played over three seasons, with 20 starts. Robinson expects to be the primary backup behind Bowen at strong safety, and he said Bowen has been a major help in the mental part of the position.
“He’s like a real leader to not just me, but the whole safety group,” Robinson said. “What I’ve learned from him is, whatever I need help on, I can ask him anything and don’t be scared to mess up.
When you mess up, you can always learn from it. It’s not the end of the world.”
At free safety, Boganowski looks set to move into the first-team spot after serving as a backup last season. He played in 13 games and finished with 31 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Robinson said Boganowski has been just as valuable as a sounding board.
“Whatever questions we have, we can ask him, and he's gonna give us an answer,” Robinson said. “He's just a dog. Like, he isn’t scared of anything.”
Even though Robinson is still a sophomore, Bowen says he’s not carrying himself like one anymore. The growth has shown up in how he works.
“He’s shown a lot of growth,” Bowen said. “The way he approaches practice and the way he approaches meetings is completely different from freshman year.
I think this year he really knows he’s going to be utilized a lot. I think he’s taken that next step.”
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