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Oklahoma 2022 Report Card: Safety

Oklahoma's safety room had a unique mix of experience this fall, and with veterans moving on, talented youngsters will need to fill bigger roles.

Ross Lovelace

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Oklahoma’s group of safeties showed promising flashes in 2022. Headlined by talented youngsters and experienced veterans, the back end of the defense also experienced plenty of inconsistencies in season one under Brent Venables.

The Sooners’ lack of depth seemed to be a glaring issue in Brandon Hall's unit, as the secondary dropped off significantly when sophomore safety Billy Bowman missed time with an injury.

2022 OU Report Cards:

Bowman went down during Oklahoma’s disastrous 55-24 loss to TCU, and proceeded to miss the blowout loss against Texas and a narrow win over Kansas where the team allowed 42 points. It’s clear that there were communication miscues all over the field, resulting in busted coverages.

After the nightmare stretch, though, the safeties helped weather the storm. Both Bowman and junior Key Lawrence are highly regarded in the talent department, and with consistency, could be two of the best players on the team.

Bowman tallied 61 total tackles and 37 solo takedowns over the course of his ultra-productive sophomore campaign. The Denton, TX, product added both a forced fumble plus a recovery and three interceptions.

Lawrence’s production was up from a season ago, but he struggled to stay consistent at times. The junior recorded 57 total tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception. He was dealing with nagging injuries throughout the season and a full spring should give Lawrence time to get healthy. 

Outside of those two, the Sooners had plenty of experience. Between the safety and nickel spot, Oklahoma used veterans Justin Broiles and Trey Morrison. Broiles, a fifth year senior, had a productive final season in Norman, amassing a career-high 71 total tackles and three tackles for loss. He'd been a veteran in the Sooners' secondary since 2018. 

Morrison transferred to Oklahoma from North Carolina, and added 34 tackles during his lone season as a Sooner.

Robert Spears-Jennings worked his way up the depth chart and onto the field this fall, earning playing time as a true freshman. He totaled 15 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss, displaying plenty of speed and potential.

Overall, the position had potential, but never seemed to take the next step. The defense’s inconsistencies were certainly evident in the safety room.

Grading the safeties:

  • Hoover: C
  • Chapman: C+
  • Callaway: C
  • Lovelace: C+

Both Broiles and Morrison graduated and declared for the NFL Draft, leaving the Sooners with plenty of promising young talent in 2023. Bowman and Lawrence should be back to lead the group, and Spears-Jennings could be tough to keep off the field.

One of the prized possessions of Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class also just so happens to be a safety. Peyton Bowen, a 5-star prospect, signed with the Sooners after plenty of signing day drama, and he seems likely to compete for playing time right away next fall.

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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Experience Ross is a young, up-and-coming sports reporter who has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners over the past six years. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and has helped out with the All Sooners podcast whenever he gets the chance. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross worked for self-starter blogs and latched onto Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and was hired by All Sooners. Ross landed an internship with Sports Illustrated's Inside the Thunder and has since become a full-time contributor. One day, Ross hopes to work in the NBA. Work History Education Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Personal Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC, OK. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross is engaged to be married at the end of the year. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.

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