Friday injury report reveals Oklahoma offensive line will be decimated vs. Kentucky

Not that it’s really anything new, but the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive line won’t even be close to full strength to face No. 15 Kentucky on Saturday.

Friday’s SEC availability report revealed that three OU starting offensive linemen— Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis, and Heath Ozaeta — are all listed as doubtful, which gives them just a 25% chance of playing this week. Fasusi and Ozaeta were downgraded after being questionable the night before.

Heading into Week 7, the Sooners have yet to have a healthy offensive line this season.

If out, the linemen would join wide receiver Parker Livingstone, linebacker Taylor Heim, wide receiver Trell Harris, running back Xavier Robinson, tight end Trynae Washington, and cornerbacks Jacobe Johnson and Eli Bowen as players the Sooners will be missing against Kentucky. Their statuses will likely be confirmed 90 minutes before the 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

Peyton Joseph gets first start with Michael Fausi, Heath Ozaeta, and Eddy Pierre-Louis all injured

There was hope that Fasusi, OU's starting left tackle, would finally return from a four-game absence after he was listed as questionable on Wednesday and Thursday. OU head coach Brent Venables also said this week that Fasusi is "just about ready." That hope was obviously extinguished on Friday evening.

Fasusi hasn't seen the field since injuring his shoulder in the first quarter of the Sooners' season-opening win over UTEP. Ryan Fodje has filled in at left tackle during that time and has yet to play his usual spot at right guard because of Fasusi's injury and his own injury that sidelined him for Week 1.

Pierre-Louis and Ozaeta have been fighting for one of the starting guard spots opposite freshman Noah Best. Pierre-Louis started the first three games of the season at left guard before Ozaeta took over against Georgia. Then, against Texas, with Pierre-Louis out, Ozaeta switched to right guard, while Best was on the left side.

Best will obviously start again at guard against Kentucky, while Georgia Tech transfer Peyton Joseph, a sophomore, likely makes his first career start on the other side. Joseph just transferred from Georgia Tech, where he appeared in six games last year as a freshman. He was a consensus four-star recruit in the 2025 class.

This is how the Sooners' starting line will likely look against Kentucky: Ryan Fodje (LT), Noah Best (LG), Jake Maikkula (C), Peyton Joseph (RG), E'Marion Harris (RT).

For comparison, this would be the expected lineup based on the depth chart if everyone were healthy: Fasusi (LT), Pierre-Louis (LG), Maikkula (C), Fodje (RG), Harris (RT).

Why injuries are such a glaring problem along the offensive line is another discussion, but there's no doubt that they're contributing to the unit's struggles this season, which has, in turn, made the offense dormant with no run game and poor pass blocking.

Kentucky will be the weakest defensive front the Sooners have faced since Week 1, but it doesn't matter who's on the other side; any offensive line will have issues when this beaten down.

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