Oklahoma’s offensive line has left the Sooners needing answers fast, and Peyton Joseph may be one of the few options with a path to more snaps.
Through the first month of the season, the unit has fallen well short of the expectations that followed it into 2026. Center Jake Maikkula is the only starter with a Pro Football Focus offensive grade above 60, and quarterback John Mateer has already been pressured 44 times in four games.
Joseph, a transfer who arrived before the season, has barely been used so far. That could be changing.
“A guy like Peyton Joseph getting more opportunity - he’s athletic, he’s tough, he can play inside and outside,” Brent Venables said.
Joseph started his college career at Georgia Tech and spent just one season there, appearing on only four offensive snaps. The 6-foot-4, 331-pound tackle backed up Michael Fasusi in Oklahoma’s opener against UTEP, then entered when Fasusi went down with an injury early in the game. Joseph logged 27 snaps against the Miners, but after that the Sooners altered their line rotation and he didn’t play in the games against Michigan or New Mexico.
He resurfaced against Georgia, a game in which Oklahoma’s front struggled badly. The Sooners cycled Noah Best and Heath Ozaeta at right guard early, with both linemen posting rough PFF offensive grades - 44.4 for Best and 44.1 for Ozaeta - before Joseph was asked to step in at the spot.
Playing out of position, Joseph finished with a 56.7 PFF offensive grade on 14 snaps.
Whether that earns him a bigger role remains to be seen, but Venables made clear the line needs more production and more bodies.
“We’re trying to continue to develop that depth,” Venables said. “We don’t have a ton there as far as bodies. There are some guys that have some versatility that can play a few different spots to develop that depth.”
Fasusi’s absence has stood out, with the former 5-star offensive tackle not playing since the opener. Still, Venables pointed to broader issues, noting that young linemen Eddy Pierre-Louis, Ryan Fodje and Best have also struggled in 2026.
Oklahoma’s offensive issues go well beyond the line, but Venables knows the blocking has to improve if the Sooners are going to survive SEC play.
“Still working,” Venables said. “We’ve got a long way to go from where we wanna be.”
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