It's been hard for Sooner Nation to get too excited about the Oklahoma Sooners' offense in 2025 despite adding two big-time transfers in quarterback John Mateer and running back Jaydn Ott in a new system under Ben Arbuckle. OU fans have learned the hard way that skill weapons don't matter if the offensive line is dreadful like it was last season.
But on Wednesday as the Sooners started fall camp, there wasn't a position group that received more praise than the offensive line from head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
“They’ve really stood out,” Venables said. “The offensive line made the most percentage improvements in the weight room, when it comes to strength and added size, pounds in the group. Percentage wise gained, body comp was excellent. Speed, improvement. Lot of areas, lot of groups did. Overall as a team, improved in every area from where we were a year ago. But offensive line, between Derek Simmons and Jake Maikkula and also (Luke) Baklenko, just a good group of guys that made great improvement.
“So I feel like the chemistry of the group will be a better place than where we were a year ago.”
Brent Venables, Ben Arbuckle praised OU's offensive line
In reality, the offensive line could only improve compared to last year. The unit gave up 3.85 sacks a game last season, which was the third-worst in college football. It doesn't matter how well Mateer can scramble, he won't succeed behind protection like that.
The group suffered multiple injuries, though, and cycled through seven different starting combinations during the season. By the end of the year, the left side of the line was made up by two freshmen still figuring things out while going up against SEC defensive fronts.
Both of those freshmen, Logan Howland and Heath Ozaeta, are back in 2025. Eddy Pierre-Louis was another player who got time last year as a freshman and has breakout potential for this season. Venables also already said he expects talented freshmen Michael Fasusi, Ryan Fodje and Daniel Akinkunmi to contribute immediately.
Veterans Jacob Sexton, Jake Taylor and Troy Everett all missed significant time last year because of injuries, but are back (and hopefuly healthy) for 2025. The Sooners then brought in even more experience from the Transfer Portal with Derek Simmons, Jake Maikkula and Luke Baklenko. Febechi Nwaiwu was probably OU's best offensive lineman last season, and he's also back.
That's a long list of individual players Venables and Arbuckle assured have only gotten better since a disappointing season.
"You want those guys, just as much as the quarterback's confidence, you want the O-line flying around out there being on the same page with everything, but I think that comes with the work that they've put in the last eight months -- everything from spring ball to summer, the extra time on their own meeting,the positive ego that they've built from their work in the weight room this summer," Arbuckle said.
"We had a team meeting yesterday just highlighting all the great things that a lot of position groups have done this summer, and I don't think it was to anybody's surprise that the offensive line did unbelievable this summer. And that should breed a lot of confidence into them going into that Week 1, Week 2 matchups."
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