After nearly three weeks without a football game, the Oklahoma Sooners are about as healthy as they can be for the biggest game of the season (so far).
The No. 8 Sooners host No. 9 Alabama for a rematch in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday night at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, and although not quite 100%, OU is still in better shape than when it beat Bama 23-21 just over a month ago in Tuscaloosa.
Oklahoma-Alabama availability report
Thursday’s availability report ahead of Oklahoma-Alabama in the CFP: pic.twitter.com/joU4b8jgTM
— Stormin In Norman (@StorminInNorman) December 19, 2025
The most detrimental loss for the Sooners will be starting center Jake Maikkula, who was downgraded from questionable to doubtful on Thursday's availability report. Maikkula also missed OU's regular-season finale against LSU on Nov. 29 after spending "a few days" in the hospital because of an infection, according to OU head coach Brent Venables. Maikkula has obviously not fully recovered yet.
Maikkula, a redshirt junior transfer from Stanford, started in 10 of 11 games he played in this season, with his only game as a backup being the season opener. Troy Everett started at center Week 1 before suffering a season-ending knee injury that led to Maikkula taking over the position until the last week of the regular season.
With the Sooners so thin at the position, starting right guard Febechi Nwaiwu slid over and made his first career start at center to replace Maikkula against LSU. That will likely be the same plan against Bama, with OU's starting offensive line going Michael Fasusi (LT), Eddy Pierre-Louis (LG), Nwaiwu (C), Ryan Fodje (RG) and Derek Simmons (RT)
Outside of Maikkula, the availability report brought good news to OU fans throughout the week, particularly the return of star defensive end R Mason Thomas, who has missed the last three games with a quad injury, including Round 1 against Bama. Thomas leads the Sooners with 6.5 sacks, even after missing three games.
Bama's key absence will be defensive lineman LT Overton, who is second on the team in sacks this season.
The final availability report to confirm statuses will be released 90 minutes before kickoff on Friday night.