Steve Curtis July 13th, 2026
Sooner fans are all too familiar with the offensive struggles of the last two seasons, and many of those issues were decided where SEC football is won and lost: the line of scrimmage.
Whether in run blocking or pass protection, Oklahoma’s offensive line has fallen short of the standard the program established over the last quarter century.
Since joining the SEC, three issues have consistently plagued the position group: inexperience, injuries and a lack of competitive depth.
In 2024, the Sooners were ravaged by injuries up front. With little experienced depth behind the starters, younger players were forced into action before they were ready.
Oklahoma fielded eight different starting offensive line combinations through its first nine games, helping produce just 1,351 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.
The pass protection numbers were even more concerning. Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins Jr. faced a combined 200 pressures and 52 sacks in 13 games.
Health improved in 2025, but continuity remained elusive. Oklahoma still struggled to identify its best five through the first two-thirds of the season.
That finally changed in Week 10 against Tennessee.
From left to right, the Sooners settled on true freshman Michael Fasusi, redshirt freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis, Stanford transfer Jake Maikkula, redshirt senior Febechi Nwaiwu and true freshman Ryan Fodje. Nwaiwu was the lone starter from the injury-plagued 2024 season.
The improvement in pass protection was noticeable. Oklahoma surrendered 147 pressures and 31 sacks over 13 games after playing three different quarterbacks: John Mateer, Michael Hawkins Jr. and Whitt Newbauer.
The traditional run game, however, regressed. Six different running backs combined for just 1,024 rushing yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry.
Those numbers made one thing clear: Oklahoma still had work to do.
Following the Sooners’ first-round exit in College Football Playoff loss to Alabama, Brent Venables made it clear that rebuilding the run game was his top offseason priority. That process begins with the offensive line.
So who will Oklahoma rely on to protect Mateer and reestablish the line of scrimmage?
Returning at left tackle will be Michael Fasusi. The former 5-star from Lewisville, Texas, started 11 of Oklahoma’s 13 games as a true freshman while navigating one of the toughest schedules any offensive tackle could face.
As the season progressed, so did Fasusi. His run and pass-blocking grades steadily improved, earning him Freshman All-American honors.
He continued that upward trajectory throughout the offseason, holding his own during spring practices against one of the nation’s deepest defensive end rooms. Another significant jump should be expected in his second year.
The starting left guard will likely be Eddy Pierre-Louis, the redshirt sophomore from Tampa, Fla.
Redshirting in 2024 proved invaluable, as Pierre-Louis started the final six games of the 2025 season, excelling in pass protection and finishing with a 79.2 pass-blocking grade.
During that stretch, Pierre-Louis earned a reputation as one of the most violent blockers on the roster, routinely plowing through defensive linemen at the point of attack. That physicality is one of his greatest strengths, but it can also become a detriment, as it did against Alabama in the College Football Playoff when he was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the first quarter.
Penalties like that will need to disappear in 2026.
Returning at center is Jake Maikkula, who began the 2025 season as the backup before a knee injury forced Troy Everett out of the lineup leading up to the matchup against Michigan.
Many questioned the Stanford transfer entering last season, with his size and experience drawing the most scrutiny.
Maikkula answered those questions by starting in ten consecutive games all while posting an impressive 81.1 pass-blocking grade. Like much of Oklahoma’s offensive line, however, his run blocking remains an area for improvement after finishing with a 61.1 grade.
The biggest concern entering 2026 is his health.
Before the regular-season finale against LSU, Maikkula contracted an infection that required hospitalization. He reportedly lost between 30 and 40 pounds and was noticeably weakened upon his release.
By spring practice, however, Maikkula appeared fully recovered. He practiced without limitation and looked to have added the weight back and then some, checking in at well over 300 pounds.
The coaching staff’s confidence in him is unwavering. During the Sooner Caravan in May, general manager Jim Nagy put it simply:
“This guy’s gonna be one of the best centers in the country.”
Sliding inside to right guard is Ryan Fodje, who started the second half of the 2025 season at right tackle as a true freshman after Western Carolina transfer Derek Simmons suffered a concussion.
Fodje certainly took his licks during his first season, particularly in the run game, where the SEC’s defensive fronts exposed his youth and inexperience. He finished with an overall offensive grade of 58.2 across his five starts.
As a former blue-chip interior offensive line prospect, Fodje has all the physical tools to succeed. Despite his struggles as a run blocker, his pass protection consistently flashed the upside that made him one of the nation’s top recruits at the position.
With the departure of Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma now has an opening at right guard, the position Fodje was originally recruited to play.
Armed with a full season of SEC experience and a move back to his natural position, expect Fodje to take a significant step forward in 2026.
With Fodje sliding inside, who replaces him at right tackle?
The answer is E’Marion Harris, the redshirt senior transfer from Arkansas.
At 6-foot-6, 312 pounds, Harris possesses the ideal frame for an SEC offensive tackle, but his greatest asset is experience.
The former Razorback arrives in Norman with 25 SEC starts under his belt.
Some Sooner fans may scoff at the fact that Harris comes from an Arkansas program that struggled to stack wins, but the Razorbacks’ offense was rarely the problem.
Quarterback Taylen Green threw for more than 2,700 yards while adding nearly 800 rushing yards of his own. Arkansas also produced a 1,000-yard rusher in Mike Washington Jr.
On top of that, five of the Razorbacks’ losses, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and LSU, were all one score games.
Offensive production like that doesn’t happen without quality offensive line play, and Harris played a key role in making it possible.
Adding that level of SEC experience should prove invaluable for a starting unit that remains relatively young.
Keep an eye on No. 76 this fall. Don’t be surprised if he puts a few defenders on their backs.
The coaching staff feels confident about its starting five. But as the Sooners know all too well, injuries in the trenches are rarely a matter of if, but when.
That makes depth one of the biggest questions entering 2026.
First up is Heath Ozaeta, the redshirt junior who started the first half of the 2025 season at left guard before Pierre-Louis claimed the job.
Ozaeta has experience at both guard spots and even some at tackle, making him an ideal swing lineman capable of filling multiple roles when needed.
Behind him are true freshmen Noah Best and Deacon Schmitt. Both entered college as interior offensive line prospects, with Best projecting primarily at center and Schmitt appearing best suited for either guard position.
This coaching staff has shown zero hesitation when it comes to playing young guys. If you’ve done the work and proven you’re the best option, you’ll play. Age is irrelevant.
Joining the freshmen is redshirt junior transfer Caleb Nitta from Western Kentucky. He projects primarily as a versatile depth piece capable of playing all three positions on the interior.
Beyond that, proven depth begins to thin out. The remainder of the room consists of transfers Fred Hinton from Eastern Kentucky and Peyton Joseph from Georgia Tech, along with younger in-house players Owen Hollenbeck, Darius Afalava and Sean Hutton.
Overall, while the Oklahoma staff feels excellent about its starting five and confident in its sixth man, offensive line depth remains the biggest question mark entering the 2026 season.
For this unit to reach its ceiling, three things must happen.
First, the starters must continue the development they showed late last season. Oklahoma’s struggles in every phase of blocking limited the offense’s overall production in 2025. Technique, footwork, pad level, hand placement, communication and overall cohesion all need to take a massive step forward.
Second, the starters have to stay healthy. Continuity is critical along the offensive line, and Oklahoma cannot afford another season defined by constant shuffling.
Third, Bill Bedenbaugh must develop the next wave. The Sooners need reserves capable of stepping into meaningful snaps without a significant drop-off in production.
If those three things happen, Oklahoma’s offensive line has all the pieces necessary to become one of the SEC’s best units in 2026.
