Whether it's the college or professional ranks, the headlines are always going to go to the skill position players who advance the ball down the field and put points on the scoreboard. But what gets largely overlooked in the process are the guys up front in the trenches -- the position group the legendary NFL Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster John Madden liked to call the "Big Uglies." If the guys on the offensive line don't get the job done, successful execution of the offense becomes problematic at best.
There are a lot of moving parts and timing issues in every offense, but breakdowns at the point of attack along the line of scrimmage are the quickest way to disrupt or deny an offensive play-call, as well as an entire game plan.
Oklahoma had multiple offensive issues a year ago that made the Sooners far too one-dimensional and inconsistent in moving the sticks and keeping the offense on the field, which is never a good thing with the overall offensive and defensive firepower that exists in the SEC.
A virtually non-existent running game, a dearth of reliable receivers and a quarterback who played more than half of the season with a broken thumb on his throwing hand were all factors that contributed mightily to the Sooners' offensive woes last season.
A better offensive line means better offensive production and consistency for the Sooners
When you break it down further, the learning curve for a talented but young and inexperienced offensive line was a central issue that affected every aspect of Oklahoma's offensive performance. The group, which consisted of two true freshmen and a redshirt freshman, got noticeably stronger as the season moved along, and Brent Venables and his offensive coaches are counting on that growth and development as a principal catalyst in markedly moving the offense forward in the 2026 season.
Kevin Wilson, former OU offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops and currently associate head coach for offense, believes that the experience gained by the three young freshmen starters up front on the O-line will have a bigger payoff this season.
"It was sink or swim, and last year was a lot of hard swimming for those guys," Wilson said on the "Oklahoma Breakdown" podcast with Gabe Ikard and Teddy Lehman. "Even though we were young, they played a lot. And they played a lot against some great defensive guys in practice, so that actually accelerates the process."
Read more: Kevin Wilson reveals the mark Oklahoma's offense must reach to be the national champion
The experience of the three freshmen -- LT Michael Fasusi, LG Eddy Pierre-Louis and RG Ryan Fodge -- combined with the return of Jake Maikkula at center and redshirt sophomore Heath Ozaeta at guard, plus Arkansas transfer E'Marion Harris, gives the Sooners plenty of conference starts to learn and grow from.
If this starting group is able to stay healthy, which has been a troublesome issue on the offensive line the past few seasons, Oklahoma should start reaping the dividends this season from a more experienced group up front.
Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, considered by many to be one of the best in the business, has put together a couple of top recruiting classes in the past two cycles, as well as some experienced additions from the transfer portal to add to the competitive depth and experience in the all-important offensive line room.
Oklahoma's power and capability offensively has long been recognized as the engine behind the Sooners' historic success, but that machine has broken down the past couple of years, to the point that last season, despite managing to win 10 games and earning a spot in the College Football Playoff, the OU offense ranked 92nd among FBS teams, 79th in scoring offense and an almost unheard of 113th running the football.
Needless to say, those are not sustainable offensive numbers for a team that strives to contend for the national championship each and every season.
Things clearly look a lot better, on paper and in practice sessions, but it still has to produce desired results on the field in games.
The offensive line is a critical position, Wilson said. "So that position's got to develop. It's got to evolve. It's got to play well. It needs to stay healthy so it can stay consistent. But we are at a better place O-line."
Add us as a preferred source on Google