Why Oklahoma DB Eli Bowen is ‘Confident’ Ahead of Matchup With Alabama

NORMAN — Eli Bowen became a household name for Sooner fans in last year’s game against Alabama.

Bowen, then a true freshman cornerback, logged his first-career interception in Oklahoma’s 24-3 win over the No. 7 Crimson Tide. He also recorded four tackles, three solo stops and a pass breakup in the Sooners’ dominant win.

This year, Bowen will look to be similarly productive in a high-stakes game against the Crimson Tide on the road.

“We've gotta come ready to play,” Bowen said. “We've gotta give them our best shot.”

Bowen finished last year’s contest against Alabama with a 75.2 Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade and a 71.9 coverage grade.

For most of that game, Bowen was tasked with guarding star wide receiver Ryan Williams, who was also a freshman in 2024. The cornerback allowed only one reception out of the six times that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw it Bowen’s way.

That gives Bowen confidence ahead of this year’s matchup against the Crimson Tide. But he also realizes that he and his teammates in the secondary will have to play their best football to neutralize Williams and the rest of Alabama’s explosive wideouts.

“We take every week seriously, so we've gotta emphasize the technique and size, eyes and what not and coverage plays and just be confident in how we play,” Bowen said.

Bowen’s stellar performance in OU’s upset was the highlight of his freshman season, but it was one of many strong outings from the defensive back. Bowen finished his freshman campaign with 30 tackles, four pass breakups and two tackles for loss to earn ESPN Freshman All-American honors.

READ MORE OKLAHOMA SOONERS

After his excellent first season in Norman, Bowen suffered a foot injury during spring ball. That forced him to miss the entirety of fall camp and the first four games of OU’s 2025 season.

Bowen made his 2025 debut against Kent State on Oct. 4. The rust showed during Bowen’s first three games, as he posted PFF defensive grades of 53, 61.6 and 51.9 in games against Kent State, Texas and South Carolina, respectively.

More recently, though, Bowen has come closer to the production that he brought in 2024.

Even though Oklahoma fell to Ole Miss on Oct. 25, Bowen registered a pass breakup and a 78.5 coverage grade, allowing only 12 receiving yards. In the Sooners’ 33-27 win over Tennessee, Bowen made three solo tackles.

“Seeing what he does every single play, you know you can depend on Eli,” redshirt junior defensive back Gentry Williams said. “He's so smart, he's so intelligent, he's so technically sound. So everything he does, it's always on point.”

At 7-2, Oklahoma is well within reach of a College Football Playoff berth. The Sooners are No. 11 in the latest CFP rankings and would climb higher if they pulled off a win against the Crimson Tide.

Alabama, meanwhile, has been one of the nation’s best teams. The Crimson Tide have won eight games in a row after dropping their season opener to Florida State, picking up wins against Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt and Missouri in the process.

Bowen knows that beating a stout Alabama team in Tuscaloosa won’t be easy. But the second-year defensive back believes his team has a chance to pull off the upset if the defense performs at its best.

“They're very good at not turning the ball over, taking care of the ball,” Bowen said. “So we've gotta be on our Ps and Qs, gotta get our eyes in the right place. Gotta be able to communicate all over because we're playing away, so it's gonna be loud."