Newcomer Profile: Why Safety Michael Boganowski Chose Oklahoma's 'Vision of the Program'

The Sooners' 4-star prospect was nationally ranked both as a safety and as an outside linebacker out of Junction City High School.

Michael Boganowski, Brent Venables / Michael Boganowski via Twitter/X

Oklahoma freshman defensive back Michael Boganowski came to Norman to, in his own words “just play football.”

The Sooners' 6-foot-2, 205-pound freshman will play safety — for now — but was a stellar linebacker at Junction City High School (KS).

As a senior at Junction City last fall, Boganowski registered 83 tackles, seven PBUs, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries along with five receiving touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. The year before, he tallied 123 tackles, four interceptions, two rushing touchdowns, a forced fumble and a passing touchdown. He was a Kansas 6A All-State pick both years.

Asked if he could move into a linebacker position in the future, Boganowski said, “Maybe. Who knows?”

“I guess the coaches might discuss [a position change],” Boganowski said, “but us as a player, they just. ...”

Go where they tell you to go?

“Yep. That’s it. Play football,” Boganowski said.

He earned a reputation as a recruit for his versatility and his punishing physicality during U.S. Army Bowl week in December.

“Michael is a hitter. He can hit. He thinks he hits harder than me but I don’t think so,” Sooners head coach Brent Venables said in March. “Having all us and those tools, we’re going to be a good safety group.”

Ranked as Rivals’ No. 22 safety and ESPN’s No. 33 outside linebacker in the class of 2024, Boganowski arrived in Norman in January as an early enrollee. He picked OU over Florida State, Kansas State and Kansas. His deciding factors: “Scheme, vision of the program, relationship with the coaches, academics and just the overall feel in Oklahoma.”

WATCH: DB Michael Boganowski Spring Media Day Interview

Boganowski credits his parents, Mike and Calissia, for their support in his decision to play at Oklahoma, and it’s no wonder Michael developed such a dynamic skill set; Mike played defensive end at New Mexico State from 1997-2001 (and was even an All-State tight end in high school). 

“They’ve put in so much in my upbringing, so just being able to perform [is] just kind of like repaying them for all they’ve done throughout my childhood,” Boganowski said. “And then my little brothers [Cameron, 14 and Marcus, 9], just setting the foundation for them so that they can be better. ... I remember whenever I was younger playing baseball, I’d be playing somewhere and then my other brother would be playing somewhere and [my parents] would always make it work.”

Boganowski wants to nail the playbook down in his first year and build chemistry within safeties coach Brandon Hall’s position room. 

“Just so that, whenever the opportunity comes for them to play me, I know what I’m doing and I produce on the field,” Boganowski said.

The Sooners left Signing Day 2024 with a haul on defensive backs. The class also included 4-star safeties Jaydan Hardy and Reggie Powers III and 3-star cornerback Eli Bowen, brother of Sooners sophomore Peyton Bowen. Boganowski is impressed by his contemporaries’ “knowledge, versatility and great leadership, even though they’re young, great leadership.”

“I love the secondary,” Venables said on National Signing Day. “We've got a group of seven in the back end that has tremendous versatility, physical stature and great, great instincts. Just good football players, whether it's the top player out of Kansas in Michael Boganowski or Eli Bowen, who's one of the best football players in America. Jaydan Hardy, he played everything for his team there at The Lew [Lewisville High]. It's one of the best programs in the state of Texas. He can do it all on both sides of the ball.”

Boganowski admitted to what OU fans already know: Jerry Schmidt’s weight room is a furnace, especially for newcomers. By his own standards, he met his limit during his first workout.

“All in all, it’s making me a better athlete,” Boganowski said. “[No horror stories] yet, just work. It’s just, like, whenever you get tired, it’s a little break, and then more and more and more and more so it’s just a lot of work, a lot of work, but it’s making you a better athlete, so it’s all good. I was like, ‘Man, I’m tired,’ but then they blow the whistle. You’ve just got to go. Then afterwards you’re like ‘That wasn’t too bad.’”

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QB Casey Thompson

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DL Jayden Jackson

OL Geirean Hatchett

WR Deion Burks

TE Jake Roberts

DB Dez Malone

LB James Nesta

DE Nigel Smith

RB Xavier Robinson

TE Bauer Sharp

DB Jaydan Hardy

DE Danny Okoye

WR Ivan Carreon

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OL Spencer Brown

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