Why Oklahoma’s Cornerback Room has ‘a lot to Prove’ in Fall Camp

NORMAN — Only three of the Sooners’ cornerbacks have significant experience at OU.

Eli Bowen and Courtland Guillory took most of the starting reps at the position, while Jacobe Johnson — a junior in 2025 — took a notable role behind those two. Other backups like Devon Jordan and Gentry Williams transferred out after the 2025 season, leaving the Sooners with a few spots to fill in the cornerback room.

Oklahoma signed two cornerbacks, Prince Ijioma and Dakoda Fields, from the transfer portal. The Sooners also added Derrick Johnson II and Lebron Bauer to the roster as part of their 2026 recruiting class.

Bowen and Guillory are once again expected to be the starters in 2026 with Johnson serving as the top backup. As for the rest of the cornerbacks, fall camp is sort of a tryout period to see which of them can realistically be key contributors, per assistant secondary coach Xavier Brewer.

“All those guys have a lot to prove,” Brewer said. “They should have a chip on their shoulder if they want to be able to have that opportunity.”

In recent years, several OU cornerbacks have seen the field early into their college careers.

Last year, it was Guillory who logged 41 tackles and seven pass breakups en route to earning Freshman All-SEC honors. Bowen was a true freshman in 2024 and was an ESPN Freshman All-American. And in 2022, Williams played in 12 of OU’s 13 games.

Though the top of the depth chart is all but solidified, some of OU’s younger defensive backs like Bauer and Derrick Johnson II have the same chance to earn valuable roles in 2026.

“It’s a place where you put in the work, you put in the time and you’re consistent, you’re going to have a chance to play right away and get on the field,” Brewer said. “So I would say all of them need to have a chip on their shoulder right now.”

As for Ijioma and Fields, both of them spent the offseason learning OU’s defense. Ijioma was a starter at FCS Mississippi Valley State in 2025, while Fields appeared in three games for Oregon in a backup role.

So far, those two have done the right things as they look to earn playing time, according to Brewer.

“They’re way more comfortable from when they got here to where they’re at now,” Brewer said. “We expect them to make another huge leap after fall camp and be ready to help produce for us on the field.”

Guillory and Bowen don’t have as much to prove. Both of them have established themselves as high-level cornerbacks, and both carry high expectations into the 2026 season.

But the two of them also play a role in helping the less-proven cornerbacks reach their potential.

“Two different personalities when it comes to who they are, but same mindset with how they go about the game,” Brewer said.

Specifically, Brewer said Bowen has taken a large step forward as a vocal leader during the offseason. Bowen is now a junior, and the cornerback has used his words and his play to set an example for the others in the position group.

“He’s not a rah-rah guy, but in his own way, he can manage that room,” Brewer said. “Those guys respect him — everybody listens. He’s speaking up way more than he ever has. He’s a great kid, great person and an easy person to admire and look up to.”

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