Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: DB Billy Bowman to return for Sooners’ 2024 SEC debut season

By Chip Rouse

Nov 27, 2021; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman (5) battles for a pass against Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Jaden Bray (85) during the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. Oklahoma State won 37-33. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman (5) battles for a pass against Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Jaden Bray (85) during the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. Oklahoma State won 37-33. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Friday was a good news/bad news day for Oklahoma football, a sign of the times at this time of the year in college football transfer portal comings and goings and recruiting class signings take over the headlines.

Less than a week after Dillon Gabriel made it public that he was not declaring for the NFL Draft and instead wad entering the transfer portal for his final season of college eligibility, he announced that he would be playing football next season for the Oregon Ducks. Also within the past week, star linebacker Danny Stutsman, another Sooner who played a major role in Oklahoma’s success this season, announced he was leaving to take his game to the next.

But the news this week isn’t all about players leaving. Sooner fans got some very good news on Friday when junior defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. made it known that he was returning in 2024 for his senior season.

That is huge news for an Oklahoma defense that showed marked improvement over the Sooners’ disappointing 2022 season but needs to keep getting better in order to make a successful transition into the highly competitive SEC.

Bowman has been a stalwart in the back end of the OU defense this season, and his returning experience will be an important element in a secondary that is full of elite but young talent.

The Sooners will be without redshirt-senior Reggie Pearson, who is out of eligibility, and senior Key Lawrence, who has entered the transfer portal, at the safety position next season.

The 5-foot, 10-inch, 192-pound safety recorded a team second-best 62 tackles and three tackles for loss this season, but more notably ranked second in the nation with six interceptions, three of which ended in touchdowns, and a nation-best 238 interception return yards.

Bowman was named to the CBS Sports/247Sports All-America First Team and was also an All-Big 12 First-Team selection this season.

Since Monday, Dec. 4, nine Sooners have announced that they are leaving the team, and 13 Sooners overall since the end of the regular season.

Out: QB Dillon Gabriel (transfer to Oregon), LB Danny Stutsman (NFL Draft), DL Kelvin Gilliam (transfer), RB Daylan Smothers (transfer), RB Marcus Major (transfer), DB Key Lawrence (transfer), DB Reggie Grimes (out of eligibility), OL Savion Byrd (transfer), OL Nate Anderson (transfer), RB Tawee Walker, TE Jason Llewellyn (transfer), WR D.J. Graham (transfer), DL/OL Marcus Hicks (transfer).

In: DB Billy Bowan (returning), DL Spencer Brown (transfer from Michigan State).

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