Oklahoma got a welcome lift on Tuesday, and it came in the form of two offensive linemen who are trending back in the right direction.
Ryan Fodje, who went down at practice Monday with a knee injury, was back out there Tuesday and was actually suited up, according to a source close to the program. Another source said he was held out of some full contact reps.
The injury was first reported by SoonerScoop’s George Stoia and later confirmed by a Sooners On SI source. One source told Sooners On SI that the MRI Fodje had Tuesday morning came back negative.
The Sooners still expect the sophomore from Cypress, TX, to miss Friday night’s season opener against UTEP as a precaution, but the goal is to have him ready for the Sept. 12 game against No. 16 Michigan in Ann Arbor.
That matters because Fodje’s temporary move from right guard to center was forced by the injury to starting center and co-captain Jake Maikkula. On Tuesday night, a source told Sooners On SI that Maikkula was a “full go at practice” on Tuesday.
Even with that encouraging update, Maikkula is still likely to be held out or at least limited when Oklahoma opens against the Miners, with the focus clearly on having him fully healthy for Michigan. Maikkula, a senior from Colorado who transferred to OU from Stanford before the 2024 season, started 10 games at center last year after Troy Everett’s season-ending knee injury in the opener.
Brent Venables said on Aug. 21 that he believed Maikkula’s was “a short-term injury” and expected him back “sooner rather than later.” At that point, a source told Sooners On SI that an MRI showed a sprained MCL and the original timeline was 4-6 weeks.
Maikkula was injured on Aug. 15, which means Saturday’s opener against UTEP would come three weeks after the injury and Michigan would arrive at four.
The injury happened when his knee was “rolled up on” from behind during a full-contact scrimmage, according to a report from OU Insider’s Brandon Drumm and later confirmed by the Sooners On SI source.
With Maikkula back in the mix, Fodje should return to his normal spot as Bill Bedenbaugh’s starting right guard. That also means the brief shuffle opened a door for Heath Ozaeta, who stepped in at guard and got valuable work.
Ozaeta, a senior from Washington, has played in 21 games over the last two seasons and made 15 starts, mostly at left guard. According to Pro Football Focus, he logged 1,028 offensive snaps in 2025 and 2026.
Fodje’s own resume is already pretty strong for a true freshman. He played in all 13 games last season and made six starts - four at right tackle and two at right guard. PFF says he finished with 433 offensive snaps and allowed just one sack on 254 pass blocking plays.
While Maikkula and Fodje were sidelined briefly, senior Caleb Nitta, a Western Kentucky transfer, and Noah Best, a true freshman from Midlothian, TX, handled the center spot and, according to teammates, did the job well.
“I trust all three of them. I really do,” quarterback John Mateer said.
“I have a good relationship with all three of them. Noah and Caleb just got here in January, but we've spent time together, and we've done so off the field.
Translating that onto the field and working together has been no problem. They work hard, and they like to learn.
And Coach Bedenbaugh's on them.”
Now Oklahoma gets some of that depth back just in time for a demanding run. The Sooners open with UTEP, then head into a three-game stretch of Michigan at the Big House, No.
3 Georgia in Athens and No. 5 Texas at the Cotton Bowl - all in 28 days.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Rewarded Five Under-The-Radar Sooners Before The Opener
Ahead of the 2026 season opener, Oklahoma made one of those quiet but meaningful roster moves that says plenty about a programs internal culture. The Sooners awarded scholarships to five walk-ons, giving well-earned recognition to offensive linemen Sean Hutton and Kenneth Wermy, defensive back Casen Calmus, wide receiver Trey Brown and kicker Liam Evans. A few of them were already showing up on the initial depth chart, which made the decision feel less like a formality and more like a nod to players who have already pushed their way into the conversation.
For a team trying to sharpen its identity before the games begin, these kinds of moves matter because they reinforce the standard inside the building. Walk-ons rarely get the spotlight, but they often set the tone in practice, on special teams and in the kind of depth work every season eventually demands. Oklahomas decision leaves no doubt that these five have earned real trust, and it also adds another layer of intrigue to how the Sooners roster will sort itself out once the opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Injury Pileup Is Hitting Two Crucial Spots Early
Oklahomas early camp health picture keeps getting murkier, and two more important names have now landed on the sideline at key spots. Replacement starting center Ryan Fodje is out for at least the season opener against UTEP after a knee injury, while projected starting wide receiver Parker Livingstone is in concussion protocol and still not certain to be available when the Sooners open the season.
For a team already dealing with a growing list of players sidelined before the first game, the timing is especially frustrating because both losses hit areas where continuity matters immediately. Center is one of the most important jobs on the field, and Oklahoma was counting on Livingstone to be part of the receiving mix from the start, so the coming days will help determine how much reshuffling the Sooners need before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Just Got A Jordan Brand Flex Fans Will Envy
The Sooners got a little extra shine this week when the program received the upcoming Air Jordan 9 Space Jam colorway before it officially hits stores. It is the kind of early sneaker flex that tends to land well in a football facility, especially with a Friday night matchup against UTEP giving the team a chance to wear them right away.
Oklahoma will lace up the shoes for that game, adding a bit of Jordan Brand buzz to an otherwise straightforward nonconference week. For fans who have been eyeing the release, the wait is not long, with the pair scheduled to arrive on September 19 through the Nike SNKRS app and select retailers. [Read more 🡒]