Watch the Sooners train for the fall season in this highlight reel of practice footage from August 10, 2021.
Filmed by Collin McDaniel and Justin Jayne
Edited by Collin McDaniel
D.J. Graham thought he was on top of the world.
The then-freshman cornerback had just returned to the locker room after OU’s 27-14 win over Baylor last season. Late in the game’s third quarter, Graham recorded his first career interception when Bears quarterback Charlie Brewer rolled to his left and fired toward his receiver near Oklahoma’s sideline. The ball never made it as Graham leaped to snatch it in midair.
On the sideline, players and coaches alike corralled Graham before OU’s offense retook the field. After the win, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said Graham was just “starting to scratch the surface” of his potential.
Get 🆙, @djgraham_‼️📺 FOX | https://t.co/kkYzTBtE6o pic.twitter.com/Ftlw7A9eh3
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 6, 2020
It was just Graham’s fourth game for the Sooners, and after its conclusion, he reflected on his journey there. Graham came to Oklahoma to play wide receiver but was converted to cornerback. To start the 2020 season, the Fort Worth native found himself toward the bottom of the Sooners’ defensive rotation. However, one year and a few key performances later, Graham is vying to become a regular starter.
“I’m completely bought in here,” Graham said. “I do miss (playing receiver), but it’s OK. … When I got that pick, that really boosted my confidence. And I tried to carry that on to the next game and the next game.”
The 6-foot Keller Central High School alumnus was previously a four-star prospect by ESPN and a three-star by Rivals and 247Sports. Playing both receiver and linebacker for the Chargers, he tallied 17 touchdowns and over 2,000 receiving yards in his high school career, and held offers from Georgia, LSU and Ohio State. Graham eventually chose Oklahoma for the chance to play in head coach Lincoln Riley’s offense.
But a loaded receiving corps made Riley and company steer Graham toward defense. Graham said the transition was difficult at first, but an in-depth conversation with Grinch and cornerbacks coach Roy Manning changed his mind.
Graham said the coaches told him his receiver knowledge would be valuable to the Sooners’ defense. That in mind, Graham applied everything he knew to playing cornerback.
His first action came in OU’s 62-28 win over Texas Tech, and he appeared in Oklahoma’s next seven games. Filling in for an NFL-departed Tre Brown, Graham made his first start in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl against Florida, where he posted three tackles and a pass deflection en route to OU’s 55-20 victory.
“He’s a matchup nightmare for so many receivers,” junior wide receiver Theo Wease said. “He’s a long, (lengthy) guy who used to play receiver. He definitely knows some of our tricks. … I’m definitely one of his biggest fans.”
Graham’s lone interception was one of 16 OU tallied last season, which is nine more than the Sooners had in 2019. Graham believes that’s a direct result of Grinch’s “turnovers equal victory” mentality, and said it’s a statistic he hopes to improve. His receiver experience should only help that come to fruition.
“The little receiver in the back of my head (says), ‘See ball, get ball,” Graham said. “Attack the ball at its highest point. Find the easiest route to the ball. Really, don’t mind the receiver. When the ball’s in the air, you literally just lock onto the ball. … I just try to have no fear. I want to trust my technique and be physical.”
Though he’s projected to start, Graham said the team’s cornerback room is full of competition. He models his game after two teammates — sophomore Woodi Washington and redshirt junior Ryan Peoples.
The Sooners also return junior Jaden Davis and sophomore Joshua Eaton to the room this season, and they’ve added former four-star prospect Latrell McCutchin and four-star junior college transfer Justin Harrington to the mix.
“We all are getting each other better, not just D.J. Graham.” redshirt sophomore receiver Jadon Haselwood said of competition with cornerbacks. “Jaden Davis, Justin Harrington, Woodi (Washington). ... Every day we’re going up against each other. It’s not like, ‘Oh, we beat them every rep’ or ‘They beat us every rep.’
“It’s just iron sharpening iron.”
