The Oklahoma Sooners had an almost entirely new starting offensive line for their massive game against the Michigan Wolverines.
The No. 18 Sooners play No. 15 Michigan on Saturday night on ABC, and as both teams went through pregame warmups at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, it was almost a whole new group of offensive linemen out there with the Sooners' first-team offense. That group was then confirmed at game time.
Sooners shuffle OL with Michael Fasusi and Derek Simmons back
The Sooners' starting offensive line from left to right went: Michael Fasusi (LT), Heath Ozaeta (LG), Jake Maikkula (C), Febechi Nwaiwu (RG) and Derek Simmons (RT). Outside of Nwaiwu at right guard, it's a whole new starting lineup from last week's season opener against Illinois State.
Both starting tackles, Fasusi and Simmons, missed last week because of injuries and made their OU debuts Saturday night. Simmons transferred from Western Carolina, where he started all 10 games he played last year.
Fasusi started in his first college game. A consensus five-star recruit, Fasusi was the highest-rated prospect in the Sooners' 2025 signing class and got showered with praise during fall camp from OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh. He will fill in for Jacob Sexton, who started last week at left tackle before getting injured the sixth play of the game.
The Sooners struggled running the ball last week, even against an FCS opponent like Illinois State, which could be blamed on a vanilla game plan or the offensive line. OU averaged just 3.2 yards a carry against Illinois State. However, quarterback John Mateer was sacked only once, which was a major problem for OU's offensive line last season.
Between running back Jaydn Ott being 100%, a real game plan and this new healtheir offensive line, the Sooners' run game should look tremendously better, even against a defense like Michigan's.
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