How Oklahoma is Building 'Top to Bottom' Depth at Cornerback During Fall Camp

OU coach Brent Venables is pleased with the development of two familiar faces at cornerback throughout the early stages of fall camp.

Oklahoma's Jacobe Johnson runs through a drill during the University of Oklahoma (OU) spring football practice at the Everest Training Center in Norman, Okla., Wednesday, March 27, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — Brent Venables is excited about Oklahoma’s secondary. 

The No. 16-ranked Sooners look set at safety, with Billy Bowman, Peyton Bowen and Robert Spears-Jennings leading the charge on the front line. 

OU returns ball hawk Gentry Williams, who was only slowed down by injury a year ago, as well as a steady hand in Woodi Washington at cornerback and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai added a long, fluid athlete in San Diego State transfer Dez Malone to beef up his room. 

But the continued development by a pair of returning faces, Kani Walker and Jacobe Johnson, is what gives Venabels confidence that the back end of Oklahoma’s defense can take a real step forward in 2024. 

“Top to bottom, we’re better at corner than at any time that we’ve been here the last two and a half years,” Venables said after the Sooners concluded practice on Tuesday. 

Walker’s ascension at Oklahoma has been slow, but steady. 

He transferred to Norman from Louisville as Venables’ staff was still moving into the Switzer Center ahead of the 2022 season. Walker failed to truly crack the rotation with the Cardinals, meaning the 6-foot-2 cornerback was still a relatively blank slate that Valai could mold. 

Walker played 65 defensive snaps in 2022 per Pro Football Focus, but earned 428 snaps a year ago as he enjoyed a productive second season at OU. 

His lone interception of the year came against Arizona and he was credited with a pass breakup against West Virginia as Walker closed the year on a high note. 

Venables said he’s managed to carry that momentum through the spring and into fall camp. 

“Kani Walker, he may have been our most consistent so far at corner,” Venables said. “… Kani has really picked up where he left off late in the year last year, he’s playing really well, had a great spring. He’s had his best eight months since he’s been here.”

The coaching staff aren’t the only ones noticing Walker’s high level of play on the practice field, either. 

“Kani Walker, you guys should definitely be looking out for him,” OU receiver J.J. Hester said on Tuesday. “He's definitely going to be a good corner.”

Johnson, a local product from Mustang, has strung together a series of strong practice showings throughout the first few weeks of training camp as well. 

The 6-2, 200-pound defensive back is a twitchy athlete who is harassing his instincts and honing his technique under Valai. 

“Jacobe Johnson is having a really good camp,” Venables said. “We know Jacobe’s really long and aggressive. Was a fantastic special teams player a year ago, and that really helped his confidence as he’s learning how to be a corner and he’s making improvement daily there.”

Johnson logged 79 defensive snaps last year per PFF, and he got a bit more run during the Sooners’ final two home contests. 

He played 12 snaps against West Virginia, where he hauled in an interception in OU’s 59-20 rout of the Mountaineers, while also earning 15 snaps in the regular season finale against the TCU Horned Frogs. 

Malone has been impressed with Johnson’s steady rise since the San Diego State transfer first hit the practice field with Oklahoma in the spring. 

“[He’s a] guy with all the athletic ability in the world,” Malone said on Tuesday. “Another guy that is developing really good. I think he’s going to be great.”

OU’s defense took major steps forward in 2023, and shoring up the secondary would go a long way to ensuring there’s more growth in 2024. 

Though the Sooners are happy with their starters, Venables knows his team will need plenty of depth top-to-bottom as Oklahoma endures this year’s tough SEC schedule.

“Guys can’t go out there and play 95 percent of the reps,” Venables said. “… Every team’s that way. But we’re in a better position from that standpoint.”