Oklahoma DB Michael Boganowski 'More Comfortable' Entering Sophomore Year

NORMAN — Michael Boganowski’s first year in Norman consisted of learning — and lots of it.

Boganowski, a true freshman in 2024, played linebacker in high school in Junction City, KS. When he got to OU, he moved to the secondary.

He finished the 2024 campaign with eight tackles. Boganowski primarily played on special teams but also saw game action as a reserve at safety.

Now a sophomore, Boganowski feels like he’s in a rhythm.

“(As a) freshman, you kind of learn everything,” Boganowski said. “But this camp, I know everything. So it's kind of just taking that next step and playing the game within the game.”

Boganowski admitted that playing safety isn’t “completely foreign” to him. But he’s still a linebacker by trade.

Because of that, the converted defensive back acted as a student to safety Billy Bowman Jr., who was a senior in 2024 and now plays for the Atlanta Falcons.

“Kind of my first year was just learning the ropes,” Boganowski said. “Really just taking everything he had to say and learning from him. Really just taking what he taught me and using that in the next year, for sure.”

Per Boganowski, his biggest improvement throughout the 2025 season has come in the form of his footwork and “transitional stuff.”

He has also worked on carrying more of his linebacker knowledge over to his current role at safety.

“Being able to see formations and knowing what you're getting out of those formations, it definitely helps playing in the back end, for sure,” Boganowski said.

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Peyton Bowen is expected to be OU’s Week 1 starter at strong safety. According to him, Boganowski’s comfortability at the safety position is night and day from where it was entering 2024.

“It was just see ball, get ball for him in high school,” Bowen said. “His progression has really taken a big step in my opinion and he's going to be good on every single facet. Special teams, defense, whenever we need him he's going to come in and make plays and be physical.”

Other safeties on the Sooners’ roster include Robert Spears-Jennings, Jaydan Hardy and Bowen. OU also has a handful of players that play the cheetah position, which is a hybrid between linebacker and defensive back.

Safety is one of several positions on OU’s defense loaded with experience, skill and athleticism.

“If there's no limit to how good (the defense) can be, it's all up to us how good we're going to be,” Boganowski said.

Boganowski will likely be the second-string free safety behind Spears-Jennings, who logged 66 tackles, five tackles for loss and four forced fumbles in 2024.

Even though Boganowski likely won’t start in Week 1, OU coach Brent Venables believes he’ll consistently be a high-level player for the Sooners, thanks to the offseason program that he worked.

“Wherever he was a year ago, he's in another solar system,” Venables said. “He's always played wide open, really fast, he's always been an elite effort guy, super physical, but man, now he has a process.

“And that’s the challenge, man. You can’t just have elite effort. You can’t just be excited to play. You have to have a process.”