The Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive line definitely needs to get healthier, and while that would make the unit look better, it would only treat the symptoms. To cure OU’s struggles up front would take getting down to the root of the problem: a lack of recruiting and development by offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, who is supposed to be an expert in both areas.
The Sooners have been decimated by injuries the last three seasons, and 2026 has been no different. Heading into Week 8 against Mississippi State, OU will be without Ryan Fodje and Eddy Pierre-Louis, while Michael Fasusi and Heath Ozaeta are listed as questionable. All four have started at least one game this season and would Saturday, too, if healthy.
It might be impossible to be equipped for as many injuries as the Sooners have had to deal with along the offensive line, and it's fair to question why it keeps happening so often. A dive into Bedenbaugh’s recent recruiting classes, though, reveals that he still could have been more prepared for this.
Injuries are only an excuse for Sooners' poor offensive line
Recruiting was completely changed in 2021, when the NCAA eliminated the rule that forced players to sit out a year after transferring. That should be considered the new modern era of recruiting. Ever since then, Bedenbaugh has not been able to keep talent in Norman. Talent that could have developed into the veterans and depth pieces the Sooners need right now.
Here is every offensive line commit OU has had since the 2020 class, which was the first to get the real transfer portal experience we’re used to today. The table shows where each commit is today or where they finished their careers. It also doesn’t include the 2025 class because those players have had only one chance to leave, and you can bet more than one transfers this offseason.
Class | Player | Current / Final School |
|---|---|---|
20 | Andrew Raym | OU |
20 | Nate Anderson | SMU |
20 | Anton Harrison | OU |
20 | Aaryn Parks | Southern Miss |
20 | Noah Nelson | Northern Arizona |
21 | Savion Byrd | SMU |
21 | Cullen Montgomery | Memphis |
22 | Jake Taylor | Iowa State |
22 | Jacob Sexton | Oklahoma State |
23 | Cayden Green | Missouri |
23 | Joshua Bates | SMU |
23 | Logan Howland | Virginia Tech |
23 | Heath Ozaeta | OU |
24 | Eugene Brooks | UCLA |
24 | Isaiah Dent | Mississippi State |
24 | Eddy Pierre-Louis | OU |
24 | Daniel Akinunmi | OU |
24 | Josh Aisosa | West Virginia |
Of Bedenbaugh’s 18 commits between the 2020 and 2024 classes, only five finished their careers or are still at OU, including Ozaeta, Pierre-Louis, Daniel Akinunmi, Anton Harrison, and Andrew Ryan. That means Bedenbaugh is keeping around only 28% of his recruits to actually develop through the Sooners’ system.
"It's been incredibly inconsistent, very disappointing," OU head coach Brent Venables said earlier this season when asked about offensive line development. "As you build your football team, that's a critical place. That is a place that probably requires the most development of any position that you have on your roster."
This trend of losing players is especially detrimental to the Sooners’ current offensive line. OU’s group lacks veterans with experience. That would come from players from the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes who are seniors or sixth-year guys this season.
Bedenbaugh went 1-for-6 in retaining talent from those 2022 and 2023 classes. The only one still around is Ozaeta, who, of course, is a valuable depth piece with experience when healthy. If only OU had more of his classmates.
That 2024 class could also be beneficial as juniors now. Bedenbaugh had a haul that year with five additions, but only two are still in Norman. Pierre-Louis started the first three games before losing his spot to Ozaeta and freshman Noah Best, then getting injured. Akinunmi has dealt with even more injuries and has appeared in only seven games in his career, primarily on special teams.
The Sooners boast Bedenbaugh as a master developer who can mold NFL talent, but if that’s the truth, why aren’t players sticking around to get developed? They say the same thing about defensive talent under Venables, but that side of the ball is loaded with veterans who came up through the system.
Some of it could also be that some of the offensive linemen never even had Power 4 talent to begin with, considering almost all of them left for lesser programs. Of the 15 players who have transferred since 2020, only two went to another SEC program.
Whichever reason it is, Bedenbaugh is either failing to recruit or failing to develop. Injuries can be an excuse, but they are not the reason that OU's offensive line is "very disappointing."
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