Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Discusses Peyton Bowen's Unique Experience

Recruiting decisions are "never an easy thing," the Sooners' head coach said, but he's proud of OU's newest 5-star recruit for enduring "quite a journey."

ORLANDO — Maybe Brent Venables has seen it before. Or maybe he hasn’t.

But when asked Wednesday about new signee Peyton Bowen’s unique recruiting experience last week, Venables sounded empathetic about Bowen’s situation.

“I am really proud of Peyton and his family,” Venables said at the Rosen Plaza during the head coaches press conference ahead of Thursday’s Cheez-It Bowl. “As you all know covering student-athletes and watching their journey, these life-changing decisions are never necessarily an easy thing, and quite a journey for Peyton and his family. I am incredibly proud that he chose the Sooners, and they just wonderful people.”

Bowen, a 5-star safety from Denton Guyer, verbally committed to Notre Dame last January, but he continued to visit OU unofficially, as well as Texas A&M. Late in his recruitment, he became interested in Oregon.

But at National Signing Day, Bowen brought a Notre Dame hat and an Oregon hat. He put on the Notre Dame hat, took it off and put on the Oregon hat and verbally committed to the Ducks. He didn’t even have an OU hat or any other Sooner accessories.

Then the next day, without officially having signed his National Letter of Intent, Bowen announced via social media he was flipping to OU and would sign with the Sooners.

Venables went to Twitter and posted a tweet that referenced a bible verse (Galatians 6:9 — “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”) and a red and white OU poker chip.

“From a symbolic standpoint, we have our poker chips we hand out to guys,” Venables said. “… Recruiting, it can be a very strenuous, long process, and it literally is a race. You want to run the race to win. Winning is what it is about, but you have to run those races with endurance. That is nothing more, nothing less.”

As for Bowen the football player, OU released a statement last Thursday, but this week was the first time Venables could comment to questions about his new recruit.

“Peyton brings a tremendous skill set, dynamics, instincts, speed, just great, great instincts, natural feel for the game,” Venables said. “He is a winner. Comes from one of the best high school programs in the country, Denton Guyer. He is going to bring a wealth of experience playing at a very high level from a competition standpoint. He is a humble, hardworking guy.

“Just really excited to add another dynamic piece to what we are trying to build on both sides of the ball, but obviously Peyton in the return game and on defense in particular.”