Oklahoma football: OU’s offensive weapons only as effective as O-line
By Chip Rouse
The Oklahoma football offense unquestionably has been one of the college football’s best over the past five seasons.
Over the past five seasons, the Sooners have led the nation twice in total offense (2017 and 2018) and ranked third another time (2019).
While it’s true Oklahoma was loaded with offensive talent and plenty of playmakers during that time span, including three consecutive quarterbacks who finished first, first and second in the Heisman Trophy voting, none of the offensive success would have happened without outstanding play by the guys upfront on the offensive line.
The guys in the trenches on both sides of the ball are the unsung heroes of every elite college football team, and Oklahoma has been blessed with a strong recent history of outstanding performance by the offensive line. Much of the credit for that belongs with Sooner offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, considered one of the best in the business in recruiting and, importantly, developing college linemen, many of whom have gone on careers in the NFL.
This will be Bedenbaugh’s 10th season on the OU coaching staff. Over the last eight seasons with Bedenbaugh on the staff, Oklahoma has ranked first in the nation in total offense and pass efficiency rating, second in scoring offense, third in yards per rushing attempt and fifth in pass completion percentage. Over those eight years, Oklahoma is the only team in the country to rank in the top 10 in both rushing offense and passing offense.
Under Bedenbaugh’s leadership, the Sooners have produced the Big 12 Offensive lineman of the Year in five of the last six seasons. In 2018, Oklahoma won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in college football.
The Sooners lose a couple of starters (Tyrese Robinson and Marquis Hayes) off their 2021 offensive line. Both were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Another O-lineman, Eric Swenson graduated. Left tackle Anton Harrison, center Andrew Raym and right guard Chris Murray are back for another season, and in the offseason the Sooners picked up California transfer Kade Mettauer, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection last season. Wanya Morris, in his second season at OU after transferring from Tennessee, will likely man the right tackle spot.
So, while the OU offensive line will undergo a slight rebuild, all told the group has logged a combined 125 starts entering the 2022 season. And you know Bedenbaugh will have them ready to go. One area that the Sooners definitely will need to clean up this season is in sacks allowed. OU allowed 33 sacks last season, which ranked 94th among the 130 FBS teams.
The past few years, OU has built offensive line depth courtesy of the transfer portal. Projected 2022 starters Murray, Mettauer and Morris all transferred in to Oklahoma along with backup Robert Congel, who came to OU from Arizona in 2021.
A trio of freshman offensive linemen have impressed Bedenbaugh during spring ball and into fall training camp. Four-star 2022 recruits Jake Taylor, out of Las Vegas, and Jacob Sexton from nearby Edmond, Oklahoma, are probably going to see action this season. Walk-on Gunnar Allen has also been impressive.
It’s hard to play offensive line as a freshman, Bedenbaugh say. All-American center Creed Humphrey was a rare exception, breaking into the starting five as a first-year player. It is not that unusual for freshman offensive line to redshirt for a season to learn the system and build size and strength, while acclimating to the game at the college level
The Sooners are expected to again put up pretty substantial numbers offensively. They have a veteran quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, a deep running back room, led by another transfer, Eric Gray, in his second season at Oklahoma, and another talented group of speedy wide receivers.
If this Oklahoma team is able to live up to the high expectations expected of it offensively, you can be assured that is was largely on account of the big guys upfront leading the way.