The Football Brainiacs

Player Profile

Position: Defensive Back

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 200

Class: Sophomore

Seasons at OU: 1

Hometown: Corinth, Texas

Previous School: Guyer HS

The Path to Norman

As a recruit, Peyton Bowen was one of the most sought-after prospects of his class. Bowen committed to Notre Dame at the start of 2022. During the spring and summer, OU started to emerge as a big factor, with Bowen visiting frequently. As signing day approached, Oregon also became a threat. On signing day itself, Bowen flipped from the Irish to the Ducks. However, the tale didn’t end there, as Bowen never sent in his NLI. The very next day, Bowen flipped to and signed with the Sooners.

Respect my Decision just want peace for me and my family
Boomer Sooner ⭕️U!! pic.twitter.com/ERfET7lIyG

— Peyton Bowen (@PeytonBowen10) December 22, 2022

Per 247, Bowen ranked as the 14th highest-rated recruit to ever sign with OU at the time, joining two other 2023 recruits (Jackson Arnold and Adepoju Adebawore) inside the top 14.

https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/Sport/Football/AllTimeRecruits/

Career so Far

Bowen was a standout right away as a freshman. He played in all 13 games, starting in two, and made his presence felt every time he was on the field. Bowen showed huge potential at safety in his snaps and also logged two blocked punts on the year.

Stats

Year: 2023

Games Played: 13

Tackles: 36

TFL: 1

Sacks: 1

FF: 1

PBU: 5

Stats via Soonersports.com

Highlights

Oklahoma true freshman composite 5⭐️ S Peyton Bowen with the blocked punt vs. SMU 🏈pic.twitter.com/v5ZGjk3Grg

— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 9, 2023

True freshman DB Peyton Bowen with the blocked punt that leads to a safety for Oklahoma 🏈

That's the 2nd blocked punt this season for the composite 5⭐️ recruit ✍️pic.twitter.com/aGYkop8zUY

— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 1, 2023

Kani’s face is all of us 😱@PeytonBowen10 | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/D9CBbf4lqJ

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) August 2, 2024

This Season

The OU safety room has Sooner fans ecstatic, with three NFL-level players in Billy Bowman, Robert Spears-Jennings, and Peyton Bowen. Offseason reviews of Bowen have been off the charts, with sources mentioning him as one of the best guys on defense. Bowman will start at one safety spot; the assumption throughout most of the offseason has been that RSJ would start opposite him. However, Bowen seems to have taken it up a notch during fall camp and he may be on track to earn the starting spot. With the talent in the safety room, all three guys will get a lot of run. Bowen has also continued to work at punt return. In only his sophomore season, the expectations for Bowen are sky high.