Peyton Bowen’s résumé keeps getting harder to ignore.
The Oklahoma strong safety has already been the Sooners’ most disruptive defensive playmaker this season, and now the national recognition is starting to match what he’s been doing on Saturdays. On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association named Bowen one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given each year to the top defensive back in college football.
It’s only the first checkpoint in the process, but Bowen has put himself in the thick of the race. If he finishes the job, he would become the fourth Sooner to win the award, joining safety Rickey Dixon (1987), safety Roy Williams (2001), and cornerback Derrick Strait (2003).
The case is built on production that jumps off the page. Through seven games this season, Bowen has posted 36 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He hasn’t just been piling up numbers, either - his biggest plays have landed at exactly the right time.
His defining moment came against No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry.
Bowen intercepted Arch Manning and raced 42 yards for a touchdown, giving Oklahoma a 24-17 lead with 10:07 left in what became a 27-24 upset. He also finished with seven tackles, good for second on the team.
That performance earned him Thorpe Award National DB of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Bowen followed that up with another strong showing against Mississippi State. He again made seven tackles, then delivered a fourth-quarter interception in the end zone to stop a Bulldogs drive and returned it 24 yards. Parker Puckett was the quarterback on the play.
The timing matters just as much as the numbers. All three of Bowen’s forced turnovers this season have turned into points for Oklahoma, a huge boost with the Sooners’ offense struggling to consistently score on its own.
And while this season has pushed Bowen into the spotlight, it’s not a one-year burst. He will make his 22nd straight start on Saturday, after starting every game last season as well. In all, he has played in 46 games with 27 starts.
For his career, Bowen has collected 153 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, 17 pass breakups, and three quarterback hurries. He earned Second-Team All-SEC honors last season and should move up to first team when this year is over.
The award race may still have more steps to go, but Bowen’s place among the sport’s top defensive backs is no longer up for debate.
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Sooners Injury Report Leaves Two Major Concerns Hanging Over Saturday
Ryan Fodje will miss his second straight week for Oklahoma, leaving the Sooners without another piece of their offensive line heading into Saturdays matchup with South Carolina. The latest injury report also leaves several other names in limbo, including Peyton Bowen and Jake Maikkula, as Oklahoma works through availability questions that could affect both the lineup and the way the staff pieces together its depth.
For a team trying to stay sharp in a tough conference stretch, the uncertainty is almost as important as the absences themselves. The full report includes players from both sides, but the Sooners are the ones watching closest, waiting to see how much they can count on the rest of the roster before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces Another Injury Crunch Before South Carolina Test
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Several players have already been ruled out, including Eddy Pierre-Louis and Ryan Fodje, leaving the Sooners to sort through more lineup adjustments before a game that could test their depth early and often. However the final availability shakes out, this is the kind of week where Oklahoma's margin for error gets a little smaller and every healthy body matters a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Finally Gets A Sean Hutton Update Fans Will Love
Oklahoma finally has a reassuring update on sophomore offensive lineman Sean Hutton, who collapsed during a practice and spent several days in the hospital after a rare medical event. Since then, Hutton has been released and is back at the team facility, a welcome turn for a program that had been holding its breath while he recovered.
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 🡒]