Oklahoma Sooners positional battle at crucial offensive position shaping up to be the most interesting story of the offseason
At this point last year, the Oklahoma Sooners' offense felt like it was held together by duct tape and thinner than paper. We knew who would be the starters across the board fairly early (that was before all of the injuries), and there was little intrigue at any of the positional battles beyond running back. […]
At this point last year, the Oklahoma Sooners' offense felt like it was held together by duct tape and thinner than paper. We knew who would be the starters across the board fairly early (that was before all of the injuries), and there was little intrigue at any of the positional battles beyond running back.
This year, the Sooners' depth across the board suddenly feels like a rejuvenation of their offense. Every position outside of quarterback has a fierce competition brewing for the starting role and reps, a complete 180 from last season.
The best battle is shaping up to be at left tackle, thanks to the Sooners' bevy of talent there. It's made even more intriguing by the early returns of five-star freshman Michael Fasusi, who has quickly made a strong impression on the coaching staff.
On this week's roster update, Fasusi was up to 309 pounds, a 20-pound difference from early reports. He's dominated spring workouts and practices, so much so that he quickly moved up to second-string, a rare feat for a freshman on a Bill Bedenbaugh-coached unit.
This week at SEC Media Days, Brent Venables highlighted Fasusi (and fellow freshman Ryan Fodje) as "mature beyond their years, mentally and physically".
What makes this battle so intriguing is that two other figures have experience there at left tackle, and have little interest in surrendering the spot.
Jacob Sexton was slated to start at left tackle last season before injuries forced them to shuffle around the unit, but he started four games at left tackle and rotated between tackle and guard before suffering an injury in the Sooners' loss to Ole Miss in Week 9.
Logan Howland likely wasn't supposed to factor in last season, but he quickly emerged as a steady contributor who locked down the left tackle job over the last half of the season, including some tremendous film against Missouri and Alabama. Howland missed the spring while recovering from injuries he battled last year, but is the favorite to start at left tackle in Week 1 when the Sooners take on Illinois State.
The fact that the Sooners have three legitimate players they can feel comfortable rolling out at arguably the most important non-quarterback position on the offense is a testament to Bill Bedenbaugh and the depth of talent that Oklahoma has cultivated.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer raves about Sooners’ young freshman star playmaker — ‘He’s an athletic freak’
Even though the Oklahoma Sooners didn't pull in a top-ten recruiting class for their 2025 haul, they still managed to add plenty of talented players who are in prime shape to be long-time playmakers on both sides of the ball. While most of the attention went to five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi, it's another freshman […]
