Sooners solidify secondary as elite Oklahoma defensive back announces his return for 2025 season
The Oklahoma Sooners keep stacking wins with players returning for next season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive tackle Damonic Williams announced his return for 2025 yesterday. This came on the heels of linebacker Kip Lewis announcing he isn’t going anywhere either.
Now, the Sooners get even more good news, as safety Robert Spears-Jennings announced Tuesday afternoon he was returning for one last season with Oklahoma.
The veteran safety finished second on the team in tackles and forced the most fumbles of any defender. Spears-Jennings was a terrific blitzer and run defender for the Sooners and was an integral part of the run fits that helped Oklahoma finish as an elite run defense last year.
His leadership will be a key part of next year’s team as Oklahoma calls upon younger players to take on bigger roles to fill in the voids left behind by the departures of Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman, Ethan Downs, and Lewis Carter.
Spears-Jennings’ return for 2025 is integral to keeping the Sooners’ promising secondary intact as they look to keep the defense elite for two years in a row.
Projecting what Oklahoma’s secondary looks like gets plenty easier with RSJ’s return. The Sooners’ starting group should look something like this next year:
CB: Eli Bowen
NB/Cheetah: Kendal Dolby
S: Robert Spears-Jennings
S: Peyton Bowen
CB: Gentry Williams/Jacobe Johnson
Oklahoma also has a slew of talented young safeties behind Spears-Jennings and Bowen who are ready to come in and play soon. Jaydan Hardy, Michael Boganowski, and Reggie Powers III will be key depth players next year, and all will benefit from another year behind Spears-Jennings.
Spears-Jennings’ return for next season keeps Oklahoma’s projection for their defense high. He’s another talented cog for the defense to build on. As he grows as a player, their ceiling gets that much better. I’m excited to see what he can do in his second season as a full-time starter.
