Oklahoma’s secondary has the look of a group that can keep the airspace tight again, and the Sooners are set up to lean on a familiar trio to make it happen.
Courtland Guillory, Peyton Bowen and Eli Bowen are expected to be the names driving the back end of the defense, with new cornerbacks coach LaMar Morgan and safeties coach Brandon Hall helping steer the group. Morgan arrives after the last two seasons at Michigan, while Hall has been on staff since 2022.
The Sooners’ pass defense already took a step forward in their first season in the Southeastern Conference, finishing fourth in the league in passing yards allowed per game after placing seventh out of 16 the year before. Now the challenge is holding that line, and the personnel suggests they have a real shot.
One of the biggest pieces is Guillory, who looks ready to fill the void left by former Sooner Billy Bowman Jr., now with the Atlanta Falcons after being drafted in 2025. The Houston native earned that trust the hard way as a freshman, matching up with some of the league’s toughest receivers and coming out better for it.
"He didn't waver," Peyton Bowen said ahead of OU’s 2025 matchup with Tennessee. "His moment got called again.
(He had) those plays that were iffy in the Auburn game, but he was still there (and) in a position to make it. He was panicked.
It’s what freshmen do, and so the way he bounced back now … just shows how good of a player he's going to be."
Guillory’s toughest early test came in OU’s win over Auburn on Sept. 20, when he lined up against 6-foot-3-inch wide receiver Cam Coleman, now a Texas Longhorn. Coleman finished that day with three catches for 88 yards and a touchdown, but Guillory settled in after that. By season’s end, he had deflected the most passes on the team, finishing tied for first on the roster in 2025 and 13th in the SEC.
Peyton Bowen brings the most experience to the group as he heads into his senior year. He has played in every game, has posted at least 33 tackles in each of the last three seasons, and added seven pass breakups along with two interceptions in 2025. That kind of steady production gives Oklahoma a proven anchor in the secondary.
His younger brother, Eli Bowen, has also built a strong case to be part of the leadership core. The junior defensive back put up 24 tackles, three pass deflections and two interceptions in nine starts in 2025, and he has recorded at least three pass breakups and an interception in both of his seasons. With that kind of track record, he enters the year as another key voice in the back end.
“I’m not usually talkative, and I'm not a big leadership guy with words. I'm more by action,” Eli Bowen said on April 13. “(Being an upperclassman) called me to be more talkative and help other guys to get their process in getting help with connecting the playbook with each call.”
Junior defensive back Reggie Powers III is another name to watch as the Sooners reshape the group. With Kendal Daniels gone to the NFL, Powers is in line for a larger role in 2026 after seeing time at the hybrid “Cheetah” spot in 2025. He’s a leading candidate to move into the starting job, and that means handling duties that stretch beyond a traditional defensive back role and into linebacker work as well.
With Guillory and the Bowen brothers now a year deeper into playing together, Oklahoma’s secondary has more chemistry, more experience and a clear foundation heading into another season against some of the nation’s top receivers.
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Oklahoma Just Got A Huge New Roster Question This Offseason
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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
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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
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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 🡒]