Peyton Bowen’s breakout start to the 2025 season has now earned him a major national spotlight.
The Oklahoma senior safety is a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes each year to college football’s most outstanding defensive back. Bowen, a native of Corinth, Texas, has been a steady presence for the Sooners throughout his career and has not missed a game in four seasons in Norman.
This fall, he has been everywhere for Oklahoma’s defense. Bowen has started all seven games of 2026 and already piled up 36 total tackles, 20 solo tackles, five pass breakups, two interceptions, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
One of those interceptions turned into a pick-six in Oklahoma’s 27-24 win over No. 1 Texas on Oct.
- Then, two weeks later, he came through again with a key fourth-quarter interception in the Sooners’ 23-15 victory over Mississippi State.
After that win in Starkville, Brent Venables had plenty of praise for his senior safety.
“He’s playing his best football,” Venables said. “That’s what you want from a guy in his last year.
He’s been ultra-consistent, tough and physical, and he’s made a ton of game-changing plays. He’s the guy we recruited, hoping he’d become."
Bowen’s numbers back up the praise. Pro Football Focus lists him as Oklahoma’s top-graded defensive player this season, and his 86.7 defensive grade ranks sixth among all safeties in Division I college football.
His impact has been building for years. Over his first three seasons, Bowen totaled 117 tackles, 60 solo tackles, seven pass breakups, two interceptions and a tackle for loss. Last season, the SEC’s coaches voted him to the All-Conference second team after he posted 47 tackles, a team-high seven pass breakups, two interceptions and a tackle for loss in 13 starts.
Bowen is one of three SEC defensive backs on the Thorpe semifinalist list, joined by Georgia’s KJ Bolden and Kentucky’s Jordan Castell.
He’ll get another chance to add to his case this week against South Carolina. The Gamecocks may be unranked, but they’ve been rolling lately after upsetting No.
16 Tennessee on Saturday and beating No. 17 Florida by 19 points on the road two weeks earlier.
Oklahoma and South Carolina are set for a 3:15 p.m. kickoff Saturday on SEC Network.
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Oklahoma Faces Another Injury Crunch Before South Carolina Test
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Oklahoma Finally Gets A Sean Hutton Update Fans Will Love
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Brent Venables and several teammates have already made clear how much the news means inside the building, where the focus has shifted from concern to gratitude. For a team trying to move forward, Huttons return to the facility is the kind of development that can steady everyone around it, even as the full road back remains something to watch. [Read more 🡒]