Oklahoma wastes no time targeting transfer tackle to fix alarming depth issue

The Oklahoma Sooners are getting a quick start to trying to solve their depth problem at offensive tackle. 

Akron transfer offensive lineman Maasai King on Friday, the same day the Transfer Portal official opened until Jan. 16, announced via X an offer from the Sooners and will visit OU soon with one year of eligibility left. King also announced an offer from Iowa State just before OU.

According to multiple 247Sports' recruiting insiders, King will visit Iowa State on Saturday, then be in Norman on Monday.

Sooners offer Akron transfer offensive lineman Maasai King

King, listed at 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, appeared in 12 games and made seven starts at offensive tackle for Akron as a redshirt sophomore this season. He was in Akron for just a year after transferring from Lackawanna College, a junior college in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He's allowed only two sacks in 13 career starts between both stops.

According to 247Sports, King is a three-star prospect as a transfer and the No. 30 offensive tackle available in the portal. 

The Sooners will return freshmen starters Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje, but after portal departures and graduates, they’re the only offensive tackles left on OU’s roster from this season, which made depth at the position one of the Sooners’ top priorities in the portal this cycle. 

OU first lost offensive tackle Derek Simmons, who made seven starts this season, to eligibility. The Sooners then saw six offensive linemen enter the portal, including Isaiah Dent, Jacob Sexton, Troy Everett, Luke Baklenko, Logan Howland and Jake Taylor. None likely would have cracked the starting lineup in 2026, but the consistent minor losses equated to a major need for the Sooners along the offensive line.

King would be just the beginning in the Sooners getting what they need at offensive tackle.