Oklahoma Sooners are making a smart position change this offseason to address key depth following their transfer portal period
Oklahoma Sooners could look a little different in the trenches heading into the 2026 college football season.
The Oklahoma Sooners have had a busy two-week period in the transfer portal, filling several pressing roster needs. They got off to a hot start by adding a slew of players over the initial weekend of the portal’s opening and have come close to adding a dozen new faces to the roster.
The Sooners entered the offseason needing to fill out their depth along the offensive and defensive lines. The starters on both sides of the ball are locked in, with Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Jake Maikkula, Heath Ozaeta, and Ryan Fodje returning to man the offensive line, and Taylor Wein, David Stone, Jayden Jackson, and PJ Adebawore anchoring the defensive line.
However, Oklahoma needed depth behind those players, and they got it with transfers like E’Marion Harris, Caleb Nitta, Kenny Ozowalu, Peyton Joseph, and Bishop Thomas. The Sooners aren’t interested in being in this position again next offseason, however, and have made a position switch to help boost their depth on the offensive line at center.
Oklahoma Sooners position switch bolsters weak link on the offensive line
Ace Hodges, a walk-on defensive lineman who has been a standout in the offseason with his motor and physical mindset, hasn’t been an active player for the Sooners along the defensive line, appearing in just one game over 2024 and 2025. The depth at defensive tackle has been an immense strength of the team, and snaps just weren’t available with Oklahoma being a legitimate six-deep there.
Heading into 2026, however, Hodges will flip back to the position he played in high school, pivoting back to the offensive line. Hodges will move to center and help bolster Oklahoma’s depth at the pivot.
Why the Sooners made this position switch
Jake Maikkula will return as the starting center, assuming he makes a full recovery from a startling infection that knocked him out of the Sooners’ final two games. Behind him, Western Kentucky transfer Caleb Nitta comes in with double-digit starts to his name and two years of eligibility.
However, the Sooners are obviously wary of running into a similar position they were in to end the season, where they had to move starting right guard Febechi Nwaiwu over to center and right tackle Ryan Fodje over to right guard simply because they ran out of players who could play the pivot spot. A lot would have to go wrong for Oklahoma to end up in that situation again, but if Maikkula isn’t 100 percent, that spot gets dicey, and they need to do whatever it takes to keep John Mateer clean.
Thus, I can appreciate their foresight in making such a move. While it’s unlikely Hodges sees the field aside from a couple blowout wins here and there, it’s much likelier he sees playing time in this role than on the defensive line. Hodges has a strong wrestling background to his game and spent his high school career on the offensive line, so his familiarity there will be a plus.
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