How undersized freshman Eli Bowen has become a cornerstone for Oklahoma’s defense

It was on August 5 when Oklahoma’s quarterback Jackson Arnold was already asked about “Peyton Bowens little brother.”

Bowen, a second-year safety, played in every game for the Sooners as a freshman and started two. Now, his younger brother, Eli Bowenhas been a key contributor to OU’s defense at cornerback in his first college season. Not only does Arnold regularly compete against them in practice, but he also played with both Bowen brothers at Denton Guyer High School (TX).

“I love Eli,” Arnold said during fall camp. “He’s just a technical baseball player. Coach (Brent Venables) talks about effort with technique, and he has it all. He has all the technology he needs. …

“Just a technical baseball player. He will be in the right place at the right time. He can make all the plays he needs to.”

However, expectations were not as high for Eli as for his brother. Eli is considered undersized, standing at 6-foot-4. At 6 feet tall, Peyton is five inches taller. That could have been the difference in Peyton getting 5 stars from every major recruiting service except 247Sports, which gave him 4 stars. Eli, meanwhile, was a four-star product according to ESPN and Rivals, while 247Sports and On3 scouted him as a three-star recruit.

Those subpar expectations didn’t continue until Eli took the field for an SEC program. Venables shared a story after the Tennessee game about a 6-foot-4 receiver who realized his match and yelled, “Hey, look! I got the little guy!” However, Eli never hesitated.

“I don’t think my respect is as high as everyone else’s, so I’ll definitely be talked down to, I’ll definitely get an extra push after the whistle and all that,” Eli said. “…I feel like I’ve always been like that, because I’m a smaller corner. They will always try to bully me and what not. They think I’m overhyped or something. In everything I do, I have always been prepared.”

Eli proved itBut if anything, he might have been underhyped. He made his first career start in Week 7 against Texas, making the Bowens the first pair of brothers to start together in a game for OU since 1987. Eli was also the first freshman Sooner defenseman to make his first start in the Red River Rivalry since Aaron Colvin in 2010. Eli led the Sooners with eight tackles in the loss.

Almost as if it is part of his DNA, it didn’t take long for Eli to adapt to this level of football. The freshman has since become a cornerstone of OU’s defense. In seven games played, Eli has recorded 18 tackles, two TFLs and three quarterback hurries. But despite proving to be a ballhawk while throwing in 16 interceptions during his three prep seasons, Eli is still in the hunt for his top pick in college.

However, Eli’s stats don’t tell the whole story of how useful he has been for OU this season. His Pro Football Focus season grade of 82 is the 35th best among all qualified cornerbacks in the FBS and tops OU’s defense.

“It’s great,” Eli said after practice Tuesday night. “I am grateful for the opportunity I was given. I am blessed. But it’s great for me because I can contribute to the seniors and other people on the team and help them win, help them do good. …

“I feel like my confidence has gotten higher and higher just because of the experience level that comes with playing a lot.”