football career, there was a sense of finality for Bowman Jr. along with players like fellow defensive leader Danny Stutsman as they trekked into the locker room following the loss.
After the conclusion of the Sooners’ last regular season game, ESPN updated its predictions, sending OU to the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida, or the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana. Bowman Jr. and Stutsman will soon enter the NFL Draft and both stated postgame that they are unsure if they will play in the post-season matchup.
However, whether they participate in the bowl game or not, their personal transformations and dedication to the program through coaching and conference changes have provided them with a portfolio of work to utilize in whatever comes next.
“I remember coming in as a scrawny three-star, just trying to eat the table scraps to get onto the field,” Stutsman said, thinking about his time at OU. “From where I am today, it has been a lot of hard work. I couldn’t do it without my teammates, the strength staff that built me into the man I am today and Coach Venables, the character he has instilled in me.”
“I am happy to be a Sooner, it is one of the proudest things I could ever say and I am just proud of this university and proud of everything it has given me.”
Junior defensive lineman Damonic Williams, redshirt junior offensive lineman Troy Everett and senior linebacker Danny Stutsman before the game against LSU on Nov. 30.
Despite OU’s lackluster performance against LSU, which could potentially mark the conclusion of Bowman Jr. and Stutsman’s collegiate careers and the end of an era for Oklahoma’s defense, it is understood that there is life for the unit after the two defensive leaders decide to depart.
“We’re Oklahoma, and we’re not going to take a backseat to anybody,” Bowman Jr. said of what is next for the defense. “We brought the right guys in the building transfer-wise, freshman-wise and I expect them to do that again.”
There have been positive signs throughout OU’s difficult season, as players like redshirt sophomore linebacker Kip Lewis became a pass coverage threat, recording two pick-sixes, or as junior defensive lineman R Mason Thomas overcame injuries he sustained in 2023 and collected a career-high nine sacks.
It even showed as junior defensive lineman Gracen Halton forced fumbles and freshman defensive back Eli Bowen rose through the ranks, gradually earning playing time throughout the season.
On Saturday, fittingly, Stutsman, who is ranked ninth in Oklahoma history with 377 total tackles, led the team 10, but it was Bowman Jr., Halton and Lewis who followed behind him with seven. Halton also made a crucial play in the first quarter, sacking LSU’s quarterback Garrett Nussmeier on the Tigers’ own nine-yard line and forcing a fumble. This allowed Thomas to scoop and score and tie the game 7-7.
part will carry over for next year, so I am excited for that.”
Oklahoma’s defense still has a long way to go after allowing LSU to score 37 points — the most OU has given up this season — and allowing the Tigers to generate 395 total yards of offense on Saturday.
Now, more than ever, as veterans are preparing to leave, there are big gaps to fill and improvements to make for players returning.
However, for leaders like Bowman Jr., there was an understanding that as he walked away from Death Valley on Saturday night — and potentially his collegiate career — letting it go and leaving it behind for someone else was a part of the reason he came back.
“It is the end of a story,” Bowman Jr. said. “But it continues to go on.”