How Jackson Arnold and Peyton Bowen are Adjusting to Life at Oklahoma

NORMAN — Peyton Bowen’s recruitment wasn’t short on drama.

From the moment his teammate Jackson Arnold committed to Oklahoma in Jan. 24, 2022, the speculation on if Arnold could get Bowen to Norman began.

Arnold’s recruiting efforts were already in full swing back in March, Bowen told AllSooners.

“He’s like, ‘Bro, we can watch movies. Just chill in our dorm room. We can dorm together,’” Bowen said.

Bowen kept Arnold and the Sooners waiting all the way through a visible early signing period flip, but Arnold and Bowen finally arrived in Norman together as early enrollees this winter.

And even though the duo are close, rooming together has added a new dimension to their friendship.

“It’s been really good just having someone I know,” Bowen said on Thursday. “… We always check in with each other like, ‘Hey, what time do we have this? Alright, cool.’

“… And we didn’t like, hang out a lot back home so it’s literally like kind of new for us to be with each other all the time. So it’s really cool. And we’re not like, annoying each other yet.”

Arnold echoed Bowen, agreeing that the arrangement has been good, but Bowen did take Arnold by surprise in one aspect.

“That kid plays a lot of PlayStation,” Arnold said with a smile on Thursday. “He’s in his room playing FIFA, playing Madden like all day. But no, it’s been good. He doesn’t disturb me or he’s not an annoying roommate by any means, so it’s been good.”

Bowen said he only fires up the gaming console when he gets bored, but the coaching staff has ensured Arnold has enough work to always stay occupied.

“They told me before I came here it’s going to be a lot,” Arnold said. “It’s going to be front-heavy but man, if you just grind and study every night it’s going to come easy to you. And so far it has.

“… (The coaches) have me in a bunch of meetings. So whether it’s I meet with the quarterbacks or I meet with Coach (Jeff) Lebby myself or I’m going to receiver meetings and I’m just watching or seeing how Coach (Emmett) Jones talks to his receivers, teaching the installs that way. … Like, I was in almost four hours of meetings the other day just learning stuff.”

There’s been plenty for Bowen to do as well.

Though there have been no full practices (those won’t start until spring football truly gets rolling on March 22), Bowen has already made an impression on his head coach.

“A guy like Peyton Bowen, I think is a guy that he's beyond his years in regards to, football’s easy for him,” Brent Venables said on Thursday. “You know, the schemes are easy for him. He comes from a very good program where he's been coached incredibly well, with both terminology, systems, diversity within their schemes — they just play one call.

“And so he understands ball and he finds the football. He's got a tremendous skill set.”

Not only has he been hard at work trying to pick up the playbook, but he’s already grown to appreciate the plan Venables and the defensive staff have laid out to utilize his versatility.

“It makes me feel wanted and that (Venables) has a vision for me,” Bowen said. “It’s not just like, ‘Yeah we want you to come up here like we’ll try you out.’ But at the end fo the day he’s really wanting me to come make an impact early.”

Finally home in Norman, Bowen is now focused on working with the other talented freshmen to help jumpstart the progress on defense in 2023, as he has full faith in Venables’ defensive mind to get that unit back on track this season.

“History repeats itself,” Bowen said. “And his defense has been great throughout college football for multiple years. And that’s what I’m really just trusting and hoping that I get while I’m here, just to be in a great defense and a great environment.

“Especially with how many sellouts OU has. Like, the culture here is really good with how they love football.”

Arnold is ready to finally get rolling as well, as the countdown until Oklahoma’s first padded practice this spring is on.

“I’m super excited to get this whole playbook down and kind of just put it to action,” Arnold said. “Get out on the field and getting physical reps.”

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