Now an Upperclassman, Oklahoma CB Eli Bowen Primed for his Best Season in 2026

NORMAN — As Eli Bowen enters fall camp for the third time, he still feels like the new guy.

Bowen, a cornerback from Corinth, TX, is now a junior. Now an upperclassman, Bowen knew he’d have to take on a bigger leadership role in 2026 — and that was somewhat uncomfortable for him early into the offseason.

“At first, it was a little weird,” Bowen said. “I haven’t been in that full leader role in my two years.”

In addition to simply being someone with two years of experience under his belt, Bowen is the type of player that OU’s underclassmen should want to emulate.

Bowen was an immediate contributor as a true freshman in 2024, registering 30 tackles, four pass breakups, two tackles for loss and an interception to earn ESPN Freshman All-American honors. Despite missing four games with an injury in 2025, Bowen was similarly productive, as he logged 24 tackles, four pass breakups, two interceptions and a pick-six in his nine appearances.

While the thought of becoming a vocal leader made Bowen uncomfortable at first, he eventually embraced his new role — and the cornerback believes he has benefitted from doing so.

“I feel like it’s just making me better as a player and as a person,” Bowen said.

While Bowen is now an upperclassman, he isn’t the oldest player in the cornerback room; that would be Jacobe Johnson.

Bowen describes Johnson, a senior, as one of his best friends on the team. Johnson will likely be the Sooners’ No. 1 backup cornerback in 2026, and he appeared in 37 games over his first three seasons in Norman.

Johnson has mentored Bowen since he arrived on campus, and the elder cornerback’s leadership helped Bowen as he stepped into his new role.

“(He taught me) it’s just focusing on details, not letting plays get you too down on yourself that you lose confidence,” Bowen said.

During the spring and the summer, Bowen made it a priority to set an example for Courtland Guillory, who is entering his sophomore year.

Guillory was a breakout during his freshman season in 2025. He notched 41 tackles, a team-high seven pass breakups and a tackle for loss.

Like Bowen was in 2024, Guillory was an immediate star in 2025. And Bowen has seen plenty of growth from his younger teammate throughout the offseason.

“Really just the maturity aspect, trusting his game, trusting his technique because he’s always been confident,” Bowen said. “(He’s) just dominating even more.”

Between Johnson, Bowen and Guillory, OU’s cornerback room has a strong mix of youth and experience. The Sooners also picked up two cornerbacks — Prince Ijioma and Dakoda Fields — from the transfer portal in addition to their 2026 signees, Derrick Johnson II and Lebron Bauer.

Bowen and Guillory are widely expected to be the starting cornerbacks, while Johnson is primed to get most of the reps from the backup group. Behind them, Ijioma, Fields and redshirt freshman Trystan Haynes will likely be part of the rotation.

Regardless of who is on the field, the cornerbacks must be at the top of their game.

OU’s 2026 slate is loaded with star wide receivers, including Texas’ Cam Coleman, Texas A&M’s Mario Craver and Florida’s Eric Singleton Jr. Week in and week out, the Sooners’ secondary will be forced to play at a high level.

Bowen’s message to his teammates? Don’t be intimidated.

“You want to go against the best people, you want to go against the best receivers and really test your skills and where you’re at,” Bowen said. “It’s just a love for competing and a love for the game.”

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