Noah Best didn’t come to Oklahoma with the kind of spotlight that followed Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje a year ago. He wasn’t the headline grabber. He wasn’t the name everybody circled before camp opened.
But by the time preseason work wrapped up, Best had done enough to put himself right in the middle of the conversation. As the Sooners get ready for Friday’s season-opener against UTEP at 7 p.m. on SEC Network Plus, the freshman is listed as a co-starter at right guard with Heath Ozaeta.
That alone says plenty. So do the injuries to Jake Maikkula and Fodje, which could force Oklahoma to turn to Best sooner than expected.
What has stood out most to offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is the way Best has handled every test without flinching.
“The most impressive thing about is is that … he never blinked,” Arbuckle said. “It didn’t matter what situation we put him in.
It didn’t matter if we put him in a one-on-one against our top guy, it didn’t matter if he was running with the threes in the spring. Every situation was the same and I think that says a lot about an 18-year-old.”
That same attitude has caught the attention of defensive tackle David Stone, who has seen enough in camp and practice to seek Best out for more work.
“I love him, man,” Stone said. “I go against Noah a lot now, because during camp it was like.
‘OK, this guy is doing a lot in the pass-rush, and he’s making a lot of noise.’ I’m like, all right, let me go against him.
There’s some good reps going against him. He’s good competition.
I’ve been seeing him out there dominate at all levels of the game, the run game too.”
For Bill Bedenbaugh, a freshman cracking the lineup up front is no small thing. In 13 seasons in Norman, Oklahoma’s offensive line coach has only had five other true freshmen start for him. If Best gets the nod, he’d be the sixth, joining Dru Samia, Jacob Sexton, Cayden Green, Fasusi and Fodje.
Fodje’s own view of Best lines up with what the staff has seen.
“He’s doing an amazing job,” Fodje said. “I feel like last year at this time compared to him right now, I feel like he is ahead of me.”
Oklahoma doesn’t need Best to be flawless. It does, though, have a run of strong defenses ahead after the opener, and that makes his growth more than a nice camp story. The Sooners may need him to hold up and contribute right away.
Stone believes the freshman is already wired for that challenge, even if the reps still come with the usual rookie mistakes.
“He’s a young kid, so he has a couple mistakes that are young-player mistakes here and there, but man, he has a lot of talent,” Stone said. “He’s very hard on himself.
He wants to be the best, so any time I go against him - I whoop his butt sometimes - but I’m trying to coach him, like, ‘Hey, this is what it is. Make sure you anchor a little bit more, try to get my hands down, knock me down.’
It’s good competition. … He’s going to be a special player for our team.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma Fans Need To See OUs Friday Game Day Traffic Plan
With the Sooners set to open the season on a Friday, the University of Oklahoma and Norman Public Schools have already taken the unusual step of closing in-person classes that day because of the traffic load expected around campus and the stadium. It is the kind of early warning that tells fans this is not just another home game arrival, but a full game-day exercise with the city, the university and local police all trying to keep traffic moving.
OU has also rolled out a new driving map and traffic protocols for the opener, giving fans a fresh look at how to get in and out around the stadium. Along with ticket prices for Oklahomas game against UTEP and the full 2026 football schedule, the message is clear: anyone heading to Norman that day will want to plan ahead and study the route before setting out. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma May Have Finally Found A Way To Unleash CJ Nickson
Oklahomas updated 2026 roster offered one of the more interesting personnel notes heading into the season opener: CJ Nickson is now listed at tight end. The move was first reported by SoonerScoop and then confirmed when the Sooners released their latest roster, giving the staff a new look at a player who arrived as a versatile four-star recruit out of Weatherford High School and spent his time in Norman as a defensive end.
Nickson has long been the kind of athlete who could fit in several places, with a prep rsum built on playing both sides of the ball. Now Oklahoma is giving him a clearer offensive home, and the switch at tight end suggests the program sees a path to using his size and skill set in a different way. The real question is how quickly that transition can turn into a meaningful role once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma May Need Omarion Robinson Sooner Than Fans Expected
The Sooners open their 2026 college football season against UTEP, and one of the quieter names to watch is second-year safety Omarion Robinson. After working mostly on special teams a year ago, Robinson is slated for a bigger backup role this fall, giving Oklahoma another option in a defensive backfield that will need dependable depth from the start.
Brent Venables has pointed to Robinsons growth this offseason, especially the confidence and consistency that have made him more noticeable in camp. For Oklahoma, that matters because the safety rotation can change quickly once the season starts, and Robinson may be asked to do more than fans expected before the schedule even settles in. [Read more 🡒]