Oklahoma football: Sooners pick up an offensive line transfer from California

The offensive line could be a concern for the Oklahoma football team next season, but the Sooners picked up some needed O-line help on Monday courtesy of the transfer portal.

Junior offensive lineman McKade Mettauer announced on Monday that he is transferring to Oklahoma from the University of California, where he has been a three-year starter for the Golden Bears, appearing in 28 of the last 29 games.

Mettauer is listed at 6-foot, 4 inches, 304 pounds and is from The Woodlands in Texas, a Houston supurb. By transferring he will be closer to home. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

He played offensive guard for Cal and last season was a Pac-12 honorable mention and was named to the All-Pac 12 second team by Pro Football Focus.

The Sooners will likely lose both Maquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson off the offensive line after they play in the Alamo Bowl game against Oregon this week. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has built good depth in the offensive line, but that depth, while talented, lacks experience, and having an experience lineman like Mettauer is a big plus heading into the 2022 season.

Oklahoma will probably look to add more help for the O-line either through recruiting, the transfer portal or both. The only two offensive linemen in the 2022 recruiting class so far are Jake Taylor, a four-star prospect out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Jacob Sexton, a four-star recruit out of nearby Edmund, Oklahoma.

This is the third year in a row that Oklahoma has gained a Pac-12 offensive lineman through the transfer portal. Chris Murray came to OU from UCLA in the 2020 season and is the current starter at right guard, and Robert Congel has started five games at center this season after joining the Sooners from Arizona.