Oklahoma Sooners secondary looks to be set up to carry the defense in 2024 as fall camp kicks off

We know when Brent Venables replaced Lincoln Riley as the Oklahoma Sooners head coach, the team started to shift more towards a defensive mindset and culture than the offensive ways of the past they had been for so long. And, they still kept some of that offensive stuff when Jeff Lebby was the offensive coordinator, which is why he is now a head coach in the SEC at Mississippi State.

Being a defensive-minded team in the SEC won't be easy, because there are so many explosive offensive teams. You have teams like Georgia, who, even though they constantly put out NFL talent on defense, can put up numbers in a hurry. Of course, Alabama will be Alabama, and Steve Sarkisian in Texas will always have his team playing offense. And, that's not even mentioning Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels.

So, it won't be easy for the Crimson team in Norman. Luckily for them, the team is set up to defend explosive offenses well. Their secondary is one that is set up to carry the load on defense in 2024. They are easily the most experienced unit on the team and may have the best overall player on defense in Billy Bowman.

So, let's get into a preview of what this unit can look like going into the 2024 season as fall camp kicks off.

Oklahoma Sooners Secondary Fall Camp Preview

Projected Starting Secondary

• Billy Bowman, SS
• Gentry Williams, LCB
• Woodi Washington, RCB
• Robert Spears-Jennings, FS

Every starter on this team in the secondary is either a junior or a senior. And then some of the depth pieces have great experience, too, like Kendal Dolby and Dez Malone in the cornerback room, who are both seniors.

This unit starts with Billy Bowman, as we all know. This is a guy who could have been drafted last season in a draft that showed some much worse safeties than him getting drafted pretty high.

He had six interceptions last year but wanted to bet on himself and the team for his senior season. Bowman is a guy who will get drafted next year, so having what is basically an NFL-caliber player in the backend of the defense is certainly an advantage.

As for the other guys, they have all played in the secondary at a high level. Sure, they haven't had to play yet against SEC wide receivers or tight ends, etc, but I'm confident this unit can get the job done that they need to in order to make a push for the playoffs.

Related: Oklahoma Sooners wide receivers could be key to 2024 college football success as fall camp kicks off