Oklahoma lands prized 5-star offensive tackle for 2025
By Chip Rouse
Five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi ended the high drama over his recruitment on Wednesday, picking Oklahoma over four other high-profile programs.
Fasusi, who hails from Lewisville, Texas, in the Greater Dallas metro area, chose the Sooners over Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri and Oregon. He announced his commitment during a ceremony Wednesday afternoon at Lewisville High School.
The prized 6-foot, 5-inch, 295-pound O-lineman was a top target by the OU staff in the 2025 recruiting cycle and has been heavily pursued by Sooner offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh. Fasusi becomes the top recruit in Oklahoma's 2025 class and the highest-rated offensive lineman in the 13 seasons Bedenbaugh, considered one of the best offensive line coaches in all of college football, has been at OU.
Bedenbaugh has been building a relationship with Fasusi since January and has made multiple trips to visit Fasusi in Lewisville. Fasusi made an official visit to the OU campus in June. It appears all of that paid huge dividends.
Earlier this year, Fasusi told a reporter for Sooners Wire, a website dedicated to Oklahoma sports and affiliated with the Sports Illustrated network, "(If I had) a list) OU would be on the top of all schools right now. Just my relationship with Coach Bedenbaugh, what they got going over there, the culture."
Fasusi, considered one of the top recruits in the 2025 class, is rated as the No. 3 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 12 player overall.
The Aug. 21 commitment date is important for a couple of other reasons: It marks the five-year anniversary of Fasusi and his family moving to the United States from Nigeria. The date is also Bedenbaugh's 52nd birthday.
There were a couple of other Oklahoma influences that may have had a role in nudging Fasusi toward an OU decision. Former Lewisville teammate Jayden Hardy is a freshman defensive back at OU this season, and current Lewisville teammate Sean Hutton, a center, committed to the Sooners this summer as a preferred walk-on.
The Sooners have been in contention for several other elite offensive line prospects in the 2025 cycle -- two others from the Lone Star State (Ty Haywood and Lamont Rogers) and one from the Kansas City area (Andrew Babalola) -- but reportedly backed off of those efforts some to focus more strongly on Fasusi. Haywood ended up committing to Alabama, and Rogers ultimately pledged to Missouri. Babalola is still uncommitted.
Fasusi becomesthe fourth offensive lineman to commit to the Sooners for 2025. He joins four-star tackle Ryan Fodje, four-star guard Darius Afalava and three-star center Owen Hollenbeck.