NORMAN - Safety Omarion Robinsonwill likely take on a larger role in 2026, and he feels ready for it.
Robinson, a sophomore, appeared in nine contests as a freshman in 2025. The majority of his playing time came on special teams, as he logged 79 snaps between kick coverage, kick returns and punt returns. Robinson played in five games at safety and ended the year with 36 defensive snaps played.
The Sooners have two safeties that they feel confident will excel in their starting roles - Peyton Bowenand Michael Boganowski. But behind those two, the position is somewhat thin.
That makes it imperative for Robinson to become a key contributor in 2026. And the second-year safety is up for the challenge.
"Everything is coming together," Robinson said. "Camp is going well, just getting a groove and everything."
After the 2025 season, the Sooners graduated Robert Spears-Jennings, who played his final college football game on Dec. 19, when the Sooners lost 34-24 to Alabama in the College Football Playoff. OU also saw safety Jaydan Hardy- a notable backup - enter the transfer portal and eventually land at Colorado.
Bowen is the true veteran in the safety room. He has played in 39 games across three seasons, and he started in 20 of those contests.
More than likely, Robinson will be the top backup behind Bowen at the strong safety spot. Robinson said that Bowen's instruction on the mental side of the game has been crucial to his development.
"He's like a real leader to not just me, but the whole safety group," Robinson said. "What I've learned from him is, whatever I need help on, I can ask him anything and don't be scared to mess up. When you mess up, you can always learn from it. It's not the end of the world."
With Spears-Jennings out of the picture, Boganowski will almost certainly take the first-team reps at the free safety spot. Boganowski appeared in 13 games as a backup last year and finished the season with 31 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Though Boganowski doesn't have as much starting experience as Bowen, Robinson has learned plenty from the free safety.
"Whatever questions we have, we can ask him, and he's gonna give us an answer," Robinson said. "He's just a dog. Like, he isn't scared of anything."
As a sophomore, Robinson is still an underclassman.
But according to Bowen, he hasn't acted like it. And that makes him believe that his younger teammate will take a large step forward in the fall.
"He's shown a lot of growth," Bowen said. "The way he approaches practice and the way he approaches meetings is completely different from freshman year. I think this year he really knows he's going to be utilized a lot. I think he's taken that next step."
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Why Everything is 'Coming Together' for Oklahoma Safety Omarion Robinson .
