With a couple of offensive linemen sidelined at practice Tuesday, Oklahoma got a quick reminder of why versatility matters so much up front.
Michael Fasusi and Heath Ozaeta were out, though neither absence is being viewed as significant or long-term. That opened the door for the Sooners to shuffle pieces around and see how much flexibility they have along the line.
Ryan Fodje, who is expected to open the season as the starting right guard, moved over to left tackle with Fasusi unavailable. That shift gave true freshman Noah Best a chance to work with the first-team offensive line.
The move fit the way Fodje has already established himself in Norman. In just his second year with the program, he has become a key piece after starting six games as a true freshman, splitting time between right guard and right tackle. Now, that kind of positional range is turning into one of Oklahoma’s biggest assets.
Fodje entered college as a top 10 offensive tackle in the 2025 recruiting class and brought plenty of upside with him. He didn’t arrive with much guard experience, but he handled the spot well enough last season to project as the frontrunner there again in 2026.
At the same time, his value goes well beyond one spot. If Oklahoma gets hit at either tackle position, Fodje is the player who can slide in and stabilize things. He said recently that he’d even play center if it helped the team.
That kind of adaptability has become even more important in the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness era, when teams can’t simply stockpile endless depth. It’s why players like Fodje, and last season Febechi Nwaiwu, carry so much weight. For Oklahoma, the former four-star prospect has become one of the most valuable players on the roster.
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Week 1 of the preseason gave Oklahoma fans an early look at a long list of familiar names scattered across the league, with former Sooners popping up in games for the Chiefs, Seahawks and beyond. R Mason Thomas, now a second-round pick by Kansas City in the 2026 NFL Draft, made his NFL debut and showed up on the stat sheet with two assisted tackles, a quarterback hit and a pass breakup, a solid first impression for a rookie trying to carve out a role.
He was hardly the only one from Oklahoma drawing attention. Gracen Halton, Febechi Nwaiwu, Robert Spears-Jennings, Kendal Daniels and Deion Burks also got into preseason action, while undrafted players Marvin Jones Jr. and Jaydn Ott took their first swings at making their respective rosters. For the Sooners, the bigger concern came with Jaren Kanak, whose preseason ended far too soon and left another storyline to monitor as the rest of Oklahomas rookie class keeps pushing forward. [Read more 🡒]
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John Mateer pointed to Venables constant intensity as a big part of why the Sooners stay focused, and it comes at a time when the defense has already been the backbone of recent success. The next step for Oklahoma is obvious enough: the offense has to improve, but it has to do so without letting the defensive standard slip, because that side of the ball is still setting the tone for everything else. [Read more 🡒]
Heath Ozaeta Gives Oklahoma O Line Stability At A Crucial Time
Oklahomas offensive line is suddenly looking like one of the more settled parts of the roster heading into 2026, and Heath Ozaeta has been a big reason why. Entering his fourth year, he has kept his footing as a steady presence even with a reduced role in 2025, while the Sooners have watched younger linemen like Michael Fasusi, Ryan Fodje and Eddy Pierre-Louis push themselves into the conversation for bigger jobs.
The depth chart is starting to feel crowded in a good way, with transfer EMarion Harris adding another layer and Jake Maikkula returning at center after a strong season. For Oklahoma, the challenge now is less about finding bodies and more about figuring out how all of those pieces fit together, especially with Ozaeta still giving the group a veteran anchor as the younger names keep pressing for more. [Read more 🡒]