The Oklahoma Sooners should be getting some much-needed reinforcements before hosting the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday night.
OU head coach Brent Venables said on Sunday’s coaches show that new offensive linemen Michael Fasusi and Derek Simmons should make their OU debuts when the Sooners play Michigan at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Norman for a top-20 matchup. Both players missed the season opener last week against Illinois State because of injuries.
Michael Fasusi, Derek Simmons injury updates
It’s been a highly anticipated debut for Fasusi. He was the headliner of OU’s most recent signing class as a consensus five-star recruit.
OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has spoken extremely highly of Fasusi and fellow freshman Ryan Fodje. Once healthy, Fasusi should compete for the starting job at left tackle as a freshman. Fodje got significant playing on Saturday and could also crack the starting lineup as a freshman at guard.
With Fasusi sidelined on Saturday, Jacob Sexton started at left tackle, but Sexton was hurt after just six plays and never returned, which could have been valuable minutes for a young Fasusi. It left the Sooners even thinner at the spot, though, with Stanford transfer Luke Baklenko taking over after that.
"We had some guys that we held out,” Venables said. “(Fasusi will) be back this week as long as everything checks out, along with Derek Simmons, he’ll be back. And hopefully Jacob Sexton will be able to power through what he’s going through as well to get back.”
Simmons, a redshirt senior, should also push for a starting spot at right tackle after transferring from Western Carolina over the offseason. Even if Simmons doesn’t immediately start, he’ll be reliable relief for Logan Howland, who was one of only two Sooners to play all 72 snaps in the opener, joining quarterback John Mateer.
Getting those two back is reassuring news for OU fans, especially those scarred from last season’s weak offensive line performance and concerned after a lackluster Week 1 as Bedenbaugh shuffled combinations throughout the game. The Sooners gave up only one sack, which was a giant issue last season, but averaged just 3.2 yards a carry against an FCS defensive front.
“It (was) pretty good,” Venables said postgame. “We didn’t have everybody available (Saturday), so I thought, overall, top to bottom, it was solid. And a lot to build from it.”
Fasusi and Simmons joining the lineup doesn’t guarantee to turn things around up front, but it definitely won’t make anything worse.
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