Finally Healthy, Peyton Bowen Emerged as a Difference-Maker at Safety for Oklahoma in 2025

The Sooners on SI report card series continued with OU's safeties on Tuesday.

Oklahoma safety Peyton Bowen returns an interception against Tennessee. | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

With Oklahoma’s 2025 season fully in the rearview, Sooners on SI is handing out position-by-position grades for every area of the team, continuing today with the safeties.

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Finally healthy, Peyton Bowen starred in his junior season at safety, playing alongside Robert Spears-Jennings. 

Bowen had to step into Billy Bowman Jr.’s shoes in 2025, while Spears-Jennings took over as one of the vocal leaders on the back end, forming a steady duo. 

Pair the contributions of Spears-Jennings and Bowen with the emergence of second-year safeties Michael Boganowski, Jaydan Hardy and Reggie Powers III (who rotated in with Kendal Daniels at cheetah), and Brandon Hall’s group delivered a high level of play in 2025. 

Spears-Jennings finished third on the team with 59 total tackles, adding 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and two passbreakups. 

Bowen finished sixth with 47 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and seven passes defended, including the game-sealing fourth down stop in Tuscaloosa. 

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Read More OU 2025 Report Cards

• Offensive Line
• Defensive Ends
• Wide Receivers
• Defensive Tackles
• Tight Ends
• Linebackers
• Running Backs
• Cornerbacks
• Quarterbacks

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Occasionally, moments of poor tackling popped up. 

Spears-Jennings especially took the loss to Texas hard, wearing a heap of the blame after the contest, but he bounced back to enjoy a nice second half of the season. 

And Boganowski, Hardy and Powers were excellent when used. 

Boganowki and Powers both added 31 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack apiece, while Hardy finished with 11 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in the regular season matchup with Alabama. 

Bowen finished as the Sooners’ fourth-highest rated defender amongst players who saw regular playing time, per Pro Football Focus. Boganowski finished with an overall grade of 70.8 and Powers finished with a 67.4 grade.

The Sooners have a strong foundation to build on in 2026, too. 

Bowen can return for one more year, and Boganowski, Powers and Hardy all have multiple years of eligibility remaining as Oklahoma looks to replace the production lost by Spears-Jennings. 

Boganowski will fit in nicely as the heavy-hitter in the OU secondary, and Hardy’s ball skills have been evident since he stepped onto campus as a true freshman, while Powers will be able to continue his high level of play at cheetah.

Every piece of Oklahoma’s defense contributed to the unit’s excellent showing in 2025, and Hall’s safeties were no different.