Oklahoma Position Preview: Safety/Nickel
There’s plenty of versatility in the Oklahoma secondary heading into the 2022 season — and that’s a very good thing for first-year safeties coach Brandon Hall and first-year nickelback coach Jay Valai. .
The Sooners looked to be on the track of improvement under former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, but seemed to take a big step in the wrong direction last season. Oklahoma had an inconsistent year on the defensive side of the ball, including a major dip in secondary production.
- OU ranked No. 109 in passing yards allowed, giving up 261.8 per game.
- OU ranked No. 56 in third-down defense, often giving up big chunks of yards.
- OU ranked No. 100 in team passing efficiency defense.
With a defensive-minded motivator in Brent Venables, plus a retooled coaching staff, the Sooners could be in a much better spot this summer. Th defensive back group in particular has the potential to be a make-or-break unit on the field.
The need is immediate for replacement in the in Hall's safety room with Delarrin Turner-Yell and co-captain Pat Fields moving on. Turner-Yell was drafted by the Denver Broncos in fifth round of the NFL Draft and Fields transferred to Stanford. Both were three-year starters at Oklahoma, but the Sooners look to be in good shape heading into the preseason.
Spearheading the hard-hitting group is junior Key Lawrence, who could be one of OU’s best all-around players. Lawrence was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection after logging 47 tackles and three forced fumbles in his first season in Norman. His emergence towards the end of the season, paired with a strong spring, has his expectations sky high.
Sliding in next to Lawrence at the free safety spot looks to be talented sophomore Billy Bowman. Bowman has been noticeably blessed by the addition of new strength coach Jerry Schmidt, as he has clearly bulked up over the past few months.
The Denton, TX, product is an ultra-athletic utility player who seems to have found a permanent home in the secondary after tinkering at nickel and cornerback last year. His speed and intangibles, plus the added strength, will help him make a big impact.
Providing depth behind Lawrence and Bowman will be key, as the Sooners will need to be able to rotate in fresh bodies from the sidelines.
Senior Justin Broiles has been a vocal leader in the secondary for multiple years now and even took over the starting nickel job from Bowman midway through last year. He has the versatility and experience to move to safety or continue at nickel.
Sophomore Jordan Mukes and freshman Robert Spears-Jennings are two names to watch that could pick up early playing time. Sophomores Bryson Washington and Damond Harmon also are poised to work their way onto the field. Washington made a handful of plays last season, while Harmon and Mukes got valuable playing time. The Sooners should feel confident having solid options at both positions.
True freshman Jayden Rowe will start out his college career as a cornerback, but has a chance to earn playing time at safety because of his imposing size and athleticism at 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds. He’s an incredible athlete that could push the rest of the room for playing time wherever there’s an opening.
“I’m telling you, one day they’ll wake up and it’ll be like they’ve done it their whole lives,” Hall said in the spring. “And when that happens, I think that the group is a really good group of guys and the one thing they lack is the one thing that they’re going to build and that’s experience in the system.”
There is much less certainty at the nickel position, coached by Valai, but many expect North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison to have a leg up on the competition. After playing against Venables in the ACC, the fifth year defensive back brings plenty of starting experience (four years as a starter at UNC) and an honorable mention All-ACC selection.
"My freshman year at UNC, I played nickel," Morrison said. "Sophomore year, corner and the past two years I’ve played safety. Just being all over the field, you see football from all different angles. So it really helped me to understand the game of football way more."
An injury to Morrison might necessitate Broiles returning to nickel, but if the Sooners are just trying to build depth, look for Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon to get some time there, or Kendall Dennis, who has been a safety but got work at corner last spring and could be in line for duty at nickel or just about anywhere.
That versatility will serve players who pay attention and are ready to play.
"One thing we're pushing for all guys on our entire defense," said Valai, "is understand the big picture of the defense in general, and then your job and responsibility. So you're part of the defense here whether you're a corner, whether you're a nickel, what we call a cheetah, whether you're a linebacker, safety, a d-end. Understand your fit. Because one thing you got to have is trust in his defense or you're not going to play."
