Courtland Guillory’s Confidence Can Fuel Oklahoma’s Secondary Through Tough 2026 Slate

NORMAN — To become the first true freshman to start at cornerback for Oklahoma since 2015, you need a certain kind of attitude. At a position where attention usually means trouble, confidence is a must.

Courtland Guillory isn’t lacking in confidence. The young corner has already made a habit of making plays. Even when he's had near-nightmare sequences against some of the SECs best, he's rebounded to make even more plays.

How does a player begin to be wired like that? Perhaps one of the secret ingredients is creating a healthy dislike for your teammates during fierce competition.

"Me and (Jer'Michael Carter) compete like we’ve been knowing each other for years and we hate each other," Guillory said on Monday. "That’s my guy, but we're gonna compete. Off the field, we’re best bros, but when we get on the field, we’re gonna compete."

Oklahoma Sooners, Jonathan Hatton Jr., Courtland Guillory — Oklahoma running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. tries to evade cornerback Courtland Guillory at practice. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Considering Oklahoma’s schedule and the depth of skill talent they’ll face, Guillory using every spring practice and even his own teammates as a reason to push himself even harder is the perfect crucible for growth.

With Eli Bowen patrolling one side of the field, Guillory effectively became his partner following Gentry Williams' injury at midseason. The freshman also earned early playing time due to Bowen's late-start due to his recovery from an offseason injury. As a result, he started all but two games in 2025.

It would be easy for anyone to think that their job is secure if they made the most of early playing time well enough to start. Again, Guillory isn't wired that way.

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"I want to go out here every day and I want to compete to the best of my ability," he said. "I don’t take it as if I can slack now because I’m a starter. I feel like if I don’t keep that progression going, then somebody else is going to take my spot. So I feel like it adds more fuel that I’m starting now."

Last season, Guillory logged 41 tackles and batted away seven passes. He's yet to nab an interception and really only had one realistic shot at one on the first drive against Tennessee.

Per Pro Football Focus, Guillory averaged out to a 74.4 coverage grade — good enough for third on the team behind Peyton Bowen and Kendal Daniels.

It was more than a solid foundational start for a young corner. It provided him the confidence that he not only belongs, but that he was good enough to influence plays and team success.

Oklahoma Sooners, Courtland Guillory — Oklahoma defensive back Courtland Guillory celebrates against Alabama in the CFP. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

"I just put more pressure on myself to play harder. I love competing, I’m a competitor, I don’t care who’s going to step in front of me, we’re gonna compete. And they understand that and when it’s time to line it up, they know what it is," he said.

That pressure could forge something close to diamonds for the Sooners’ secondary.

With the Bowens’ exceptional playmaking ability and Guillory’s self‑driven pursuit of greatness, Oklahoma may have the antidote to its conference opponents — many of whom spent the offseason stockpiling talent specifically to attack his side of the field.

"At the end of the day, I still got to play my game regardless of the hype that is there or not. It’s the same thing regardless, it’s football. Ain’t nothing going to change. As long as I do my job and the rest of our guys do what we got to do, we will be alright," Guillory said.