Oklahoma’s offensive line is getting a timely boost as the Sooners prepare for Michigan, with center Jake Maikkula back at full speed in practice and trending toward a major role in Saturday’s matchup.
That matters because the picture on the edges is still cloudy. Per a Sooners On SI source, Michael Fasusi did not fully participate in Monday’s practice after playing just 17 snaps against UTEP. His availability against Michigan remains uncertain, and it does not sound like he is ready to return yet.
But Oklahoma does have a positive development on the other side of the line. Ryan Fodje has returned to practice and would likely be the Sooners’ second option at left tackle if Fasusi can’t go. Even bigger for Oklahoma, though, is Maikkula’s return to full-speed work in practice.
“You can't put a value on what Jake Maikkula means to this football team,” Ben Arbuckle said on Tuesday. “What he means to the offense, what he means to the confidence of Bill Bedenbaugh, what he means to the confidence of his teammates that line up next to him.”
Maikkula’s presence changes the interior picture for Oklahoma heading into its first major test of 2026. Noah Best, who filled in during Maikkula’s absence, is expected to slide back to right guard. Alongside Heath Ozaeta, Best gives the Sooners some stability inside while the line gets re-set for Michigan.
It also puts Oklahoma’s assignment captain back in place as the Sooners try to hand the Wolverines their first loss of the season in front of 115,000 fans.
“I don’t think you can put a value on it, just the teammate he is, the person he is and the player that he is. Jake Maikkula’s awesome," Arbuckle said.
Arbuckle also described how Maikkula’s return has been building for some time. Even while limited, he stayed locked in, and over a week ago he started ramping up into full-speed work.
“This was about a week and a half ago," Arbuckle said. "It was actually fun during special teams periods, he’s over there trying to get some full speed stuff.
"I was getting under center snaps with (Maikkula), trying to work different cadences on him, just trying to get him to mess up. And he was so laser locked-in, and he’s firing it back there and coming off the ball and hitting the pad, and it made me excited," he added.
Arbuckle pointed to Maikkula’s mindset through the recovery process, and the timing could hardly be better with Fasusi’s status still unsettled. If Maikkula and Fodje are both in the mix, Oklahoma suddenly looks a lot more settled up front heading into Ann Arbor.
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Oklahoma Gets O-Line Boost But One Worry Looms At Michigan
Oklahoma is trending toward getting some needed help up front just in time for a marquee trip to Michigan, with injured starters Jake Maikkula and Ryan Fodje both taking full reps in practice. For a team still trying to settle in along the offensive line, that kind of reinforcement matters, especially with a nonconference test that will demand cleaner protection and more stability than the Sooners have had at times early.
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Nagy said the evaluation went beyond talent, with cultural fit part of the equation and the roster construction done with intent rather than impulse. The bigger question now is how quickly, or even whether, those newcomers will be pushed into action once they settle in with the Sooners. For a team that has been willing to be patient with its approach, the next step is seeing which of these late additions becomes more than just a name on the summer board. [Read more 🡒]