We’re taking a look at each position group as Oklahoma prepares to open spring practice on March 11. The eighth of a 10-part series looks at the cornerbacks.

Oklahoma’s defense took a step forward in its second year under Brent Venables, and that included at cornerback, as the Sooners’ pass efficiency defense improved to a top-20 unit in college football.

That was despite Oklahoma lacking some experience and dealing with a slew of injuries that created a bit of a revolving door at one of the two cornerback spots. Veteran Woodi Washington provided a steadying presence, locking down one cornerback spot while leading the defense in total snaps (851), while Gentry Williams emerged as the No. 2 cornerback despite missing three games and being affected by a lingering shoulder injury — all after enduring a health scare last spring.

Williams’ struggles with the shoulder injury, which were addressed after the season in the form of a labrum procedure, led to opportunities for others in the secondary. Kani Walker blossomed into a key contributor, playing 428 snaps and starting three games while limiting opponents to a 51.5% completion rate in coverage. A trio of freshmen also got their feet wet, with Jacobe Johnson, Jasiah Wagoner and Makari Vickers all entering the fray throughout the season.

In all, 2023 was a step in the right direction for Oklahoma’s cornerbacks and a foundation upon which the group can build this offseason as the Sooners prepare to embark on their first year in the SEC.

Outlook: Like the linebacker room, Oklahoma returns every key contributor from its cornerback rotation a year ago—and adds some fresh faces into the mix this spring. It’s a promising spot for Jay Valai’s group to be in, providing the back end of the Sooners’ defense with a healthy amount of continuity during a pivotal offseason for the program.

Part of that is due to the return of Woodi Washington, who opted to forgo the NFL Draft waters and play a sixth season at Oklahoma. Washington has started 36 games at cornerback, including all 26 the last two seasons. He led the defense with seven pass breakups last year and will once again bolster the position for Oklahoma in 2024 while looking to take another step forward as a top cover corner for the defense.

Opposite him, Gentry Williams has the chance to build off a sophomore campaign that saw him finish second on the team with four interceptions while logging 30 tackles, including four for a loss despite being limited to just 372 snaps across 10 games. Williams will have to wait until the fall, though, as he’s expected to miss spring practices while recovering from the offseason procedure he had to repair the labrum injury that limited him in 2023.

That means the No. 2 cornerback spot will be up for grabs, at least during spring practices, with no shortage of compelling candidates to fill that void. Chief among them should be Kani Walker, the redshirt junior who emerged as Oklahoma’s second-most used cornerback last season, when he started three games late in the year and allowed just one touchdown on 33 targets across 227 plays in coverage. There’s also the trio of rising sophomores who worked their way into the mix last season: Jacobe Johnson (79 snaps, one interception and one 5-yard reception allowed), Jasiah Wagoner (76 snaps, two pass breakups and three receptions allowed on seven targets) and Makari Vickers (61 snaps, one pass breakup and two receptions — one touchdown — allowed on four targets). Their continued development will be key to monitor this spring, as Oklahoma aims to work toward a deeper rotation at cornerback after last season’s personnel limitations.

Then there’s the new additions to the room that should help with those prior depth concerns. Oklahoma added a pair of transfers at corner during the first portal window, picking up San Diego State transfer Dezjhon Malone and Utah transfer Jocelyn Malaska, who joined the program as a preferred walk-on. Malaska doesn’t offer much in terms of experience, rarely seeing the field during his run with the Utes, but he has been a standout during winter workouts and among the Sooners’ top testers in various drills (vertical jump, 40-yard dash, etc.). Malone, meanwhile, adds experience to a room that is somewhat short on it. He started every game for SDSU last season and limited opposing quarterbacks to a 49.1% completion rate while allowing just one touchdown on 53 targets across 402 snaps in coverage. He’s someone who very well could push for a starting job opposite Washington but will, at the very least, afford the Sooners with another experience rotation piece.

It’ll be on Valai to figure out the best combination at cornerback, where Oklahoma also welcomes true freshman Eli Bowen this spring. Even with Williams sidelined during spring practices, Oklahoma should feel good about the group it has at corner—so long as it can avoid another string of injuries in the room.