Oklahoma DB Billy Bowman is a 'Polished' Young Player who Could Have an Immediate Impact in 2021

One of the most exciting young players on Oklahoma’s current roster is freshman defensive back Billy Bowman who is set to begin his first season in the crimson and cream later this fall.

A 4-star recruit out of Ryan High School in Denton, TX, Bowman was rated the No. 2 athlete in the country in the 2021 recruiting class by 247Sports’ composite rankings as a guy with the ability to play as either a wide receiver or as a defensive back at a high level.

Offensively, Bowman caught 86 passes for 1,207 yards and 15 touchdowns his senior year to help lead Ryan to a 15-0 record and a state title. Despite that, it is his defense that won out in Norman.

While putting up the video game numbers on the offensive side of the ball, he managed to record 32 tackles with four interceptions, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles on the defensive side of things last season. His supreme athleticism made him a perfect fit in Alex Grinch's defense.

Bowman was an early enrollee at Oklahoma joining the team this spring and impressed Lincoln Riley and the coaching staff right away with his sharp play at such an early stage in his football career.

“Billy is one for being a really talented player coming in,” Riley said at Big 12 Media Days. “He’s pretty polished for a young guy. Now, he’s still got a long, long, long ways to go but he’s impressive for a young guy.”

While Riley does note he still has a lot of development left to reach his full potential, he didn’t rule out the possibility that Bowman could be an important player for the Sooners right away in 2021.

“No question, I think he’s going to have the opportunity to have an impact,” Riley said.

It seems mostly unrealistic to expect Bowman to step right in and see a high volume of snaps in his first year with Oklahoma, but Riley spoke highly of the young playmaker. If he can be a quality player immediately in 2021, the depth of the Sooners secondary would see a significant uptick.

Riley and Grinch have been enamored with Bowman for some time now, speaking extremely highly of him back on National Signing Day last December.

“I don’t know that I’ve seen a more dynamic athlete in the country this year than Billy,” Riley said. “A guy that does as many things well as any high school player I’ve seen in a long time.”

Grinch expressed a strong desire at the time to have Bowman focus on defense, eventually getting his wish. Now, it sounds like he has the chance to be a key piece to the secondary even quicker than some would have thought.