NORMAN — OU’s core of seniors — in particular Billy Bowman, Ethan Downs, Jalil Farooq, Danny Stutsman, and Woodi Washington — have been through plenty of transition during their time with the Sooners.
They started under Lincoln Riley in the Big 12 before spending the last three seasons under Brent Venables with this season in the SEC.
“They’ve just been fantastic,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said. “Completely bought-in. They’ve been the example when it comes to the work, the investment, the love for their opportunity and their teammates, the locker room. They’ve enriched it in every way.”
They and the rest of OU’s seniors played their last home game Saturday against Alabama.
A win in that game or in the season finale against LSU would give the Sooners bowl eligibility for a 26th consecutive season.
Here’s a look at each of OU’s seniors:
Billy Bowman Jr., safety
Bowman has started 39 games during his four-year career, including all 10 this season. He has scored four defensive touchdowns since the start of last season, tied for the most nationally, and leads OU with two interceptions and two fumble recoveries this season.
Spencer Brown, offensive tackle
Brown transferred to OU after four seasons at Michigan State. He’s started the last two games at right tackle and has played in every game so far.
Ethan Downs, defensive end
The Weatherford product is OU’s active leader in sacks with 12.5 and has 103 career tackles in 47 games (34 starts). He has an interception, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles during his career to go with 18 quarterback hurries.
Luke Elzinga, punter
Elzinga began his career at Central Michigan before transferring to OU before last season. Elzinga has been excellent since taking over as the Sooners’ primary punter midway through last season, averaging 45.4 yards per punt. This season, Elzinga is averaging 45.7 yards per punt with 18 punts inside the 20 and 16 of 50 or more yards.
Trace Ford, defensive end
After spending four seasons at Oklahoma State, Ford transferred to OU and the other side of Bedlam. In two seasons in Norman, the Edmond Santa Fe product has played in 23 games with one start, with 36 tackles, 7.5 for loss. Ford has forced two fumbles this season.
J.J. Hester, wide receiver
The Tulsa Booker T. Washington product struggled with injuries through his first two seasons at OU after transferring from Missouri. This season, he has 13 catches for 265 yards and a touchdown. Hester had a 90-yard touchdown reception, the longest in Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium history, on Nov. 2 against Maine.
Branson Hickman, center
After four years at SMU, Hickman transferred to OU in the offseason after the spring injury to Troy Everett. Hickman started four games at center, including wins over Temple and Auburn.
Tyler Keltner, kicker
The highlight of Keltner’s season at OU came in the opener when he went 3 for 3 on field goals and 6 of 6 on PATs to earn SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. For the season, he is 7 of 9 on field goals and has made 12 of 13 extra points. He spent the first four seasons of his career at East Tennessee State before transferring to Florida State last season and OU this season.
Ethan Lane, long snapper
The Dallas native appeared in two games during the 2023 season and graduated from OU in May with a degree in mechanical engineering and is pursuing a master of business administration degree.
Dez Malone, cornerback
After spending his first four seasons at San Diego State, the Fresno, California, native transferred to OU and has played nine games with four starts. He has 19 tackles and has broken up two passes this season.
Major Melson, wide receiver
Melson, a walk-on, has played in three games during his five-year OU career, including appearing in the Maine game this season. His father, Chris, played for the Sooners from 1987-91.
Josh Plaster, punter/kicker
Plaster spent the last four seasons at OU after two seasons at Arizona State. He has served as the Sooners’ holder for the last two seasons. He was OU’s punter for the first six games in 2023, averaging 40.3 yards per punt.
Jake Roberts, tight end
After playing for Seth Littrell at North Texas from 2020-22 and spending last season at Baylor, the Norman native transferred to his hometown school for his final season. Roberts has started four games and has nine catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Zach Schmit, kicker
After two seasons as the Sooners’ placekicker, Schmit lost his job to transfer Tyler Keltner in the offseason. But against Auburn, Schmit stepped in for Keltner due to an illness and made two field goals. A couple weeks later, the McGuinness product regained the job and is 7 for 7 on field goals and 12 for 12 on extra points this season.
Davon Sears, defensive tackle
The Michigan native has appeared in six games over the last two seasons with OU, with five tackles and 1.5 sacks. He spent the previous two seasons at Texas State after beginning his college career at Ellsworth Community College.
Danny Stutsman, linebacker
Stutsman has had one of the best careers for an OU linebacker, with 363 career tackles — 10th in program history. He needed just two tackles against the Crimson Tide to tie Rick Bryan for ninth-most. He has 96 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and a sack this season.
Michael Tarquin, offensive tackle
The Ocala, Florida, product is in his sixth collegiate season after spending his first four seasons at Florida and last season at USC. Tarquin has started seven games this season, but hasn’t played since the loss to Ole Miss after suffering an injury.
Da’Jon Terry, nose tackle
In two seasons at OU, Terry has 35 tackles with seven for loss and a fumble recovery in 23 games (five starts). Terry transferred to OU after spending two seasons at Kansas and two at Tennessee.
Casey Thompson, quarterback
After stints at Texas, Nebraska and Florida Atlantic over the last six seasons, the former Newcastle and Southmoore star opted to use his final season of eligibility to play at OU. Through he has yet to appear in a game with the Sooners, Thompson has 5,338 passing yards and 52 touchdowns during his career. He is the son of former OU quarterback Charles Thompson.
Woodi Washington, defensive back
The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native is the only sixth-year Sooner on the roster. He’s OU’s active leader with 19 pass breakups and is second with five career interceptions. He’s played in every spot in the secondary during his time with the Sooners. Washington has played in nine games this season with four starts.
Caiden Woullard, defensive end
After playing his first three seasons at Miami (Ohio), Woullard transferred to OU this season. He’s played in all 10 games, making one start, with 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass break-up for the Sooners.
Andrel Anthony, wide receiver
Anthony’s two seasons in Norman have been beset by injuries but before being injured in 2023, he had 27 catches for 429 yards and a touchdown to lead the Sooners in receiving at the time. Anthony had one catch for 4 yards in this season’s opener but hasn’t played since.
Kendel Dolby, defensive back
Dolby emerged as one of the Sooners’ top defenders over the past two seasons before suffering a season-ending injury against Tennessee on Sept. 21. Dolby has 59 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions in two seasons after transferring from NEO.
Jalil Farooq, wide receiver
The Lanham, Maryland, product has 89 catches for 1,287 yards and seven touchdowns in his career. His best season was in 2023, when he had 45 catches for 694 yards and two touchdowns. Farooq was injured in this season’s opener and missed the next eight games before returning against Missouri. He has the option of taking this season as a redshirt year and returning.
Geirean Hatchett, guard
Hatchett spent the last four seasons at Washington before transferring to OU in the offseason. He earned the starting job at left guard heading into the season but suffered a season-ending injury in the opener. Hatchett is a redshirt senior but could apply for a medical redshirt to receiver another year.