As long as it's along the offensive line, or heck, maybe anywhere, Oklahoma offensive lineman Ryan Fodje will play there if it makes the Sooners better.
Fodje is the exact type of player every college football program dreams of. He's not only uber talented and was able to immediately contribute as a freshman last year, but he's also always going to put the team first, which is more rare than ever in a day of NIL and transferring when players aren't in the ideal situation. That mindset couldn't be more valuable to the Sooners at the perfect position and could also pay off even more for Fodje when the NFL eventually comes calling.
"I just feel like whatever I gotta do, I gotta do it," Fodje told the media this week after practice. "I know it's hard. I know football's hard. Life is hard. Everything's hard in life. But I just gotta do what I gotta do to make the team successful. That's all I gotta do. If they need me at center, I'll take the glove off right now and start snapping the ball. That's all I gotta do."
Only a week into fall camp, the Sooners are already navigating some injuries along the offensive line. On Tuesday, starting left tackle Michael Fasusi and guard Heath Ozaeta didn't participate in practice. Because of that, Fodje moved from right guard and replaced Fasusi at left tackle while freshman Noah Best was able to get reps in place of Fodje. Fodje mentioned his willingness to play center, and at this point, that's the only spot he hasn't lined up at yet.
"I'm pretty versatile," Fodje said. "I can play guard, tackle, whatever they need me to play. Whatever is best for the team, I'll play it. ...
"I could play all five (positions) if I had to."
Febechi Nwaiwu is an example of how valuable Ryan Fodje's versatility can be
Fodje is naturally a tackle and said it's no problem to play the position on either side of the line. That's where he played for Bridgeland High School in Texas while emerging as the No. 14 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite. Already listed at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds coming out of high school, Fodje had expectations to immediately contribute as a freshman, and did just that.
Fodje played in all 13 games in 2025 and eventually became a solidified starter, even while getting his first dose of SEC trenches. He made his first four starts at right tackle, but then injury struck the Sooners, and Fodje started the last two games of the season, including a College Football Playoff matchup against Alabama, at right guard, where he'll also likely start in 2026.
Starting center Jake Maikkula missing the final two games last season forced offensive lineman coach Bill Bedenbaugh to shuffle his group around and be relieved that he preaches versatility. After spending the entire season at right guard, Febechi Nwaiwu stepped up to play center for the first time in his career in the Sooners' biggest games of the season. Fodje slid to right guard while Derek Simmons manned right tackle.
Nwaiwu was excellent at center despite being new there. Thanks to Nwaiwu's versatility, the Sooners were able to avoid disaster and beat LSU to make the CFP, and also hold their own against Alabama. NFL scouts took notice of Nwaiwu's versatility on the biggest stage, and that propelled his draft stock to be the Houston Texans' fourth-round pick. He was surprisingly the second Sooner off the board during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Read more: Febechi Nwaiwu versatility explains Texans surprising draft decision
That's the proof of how valuable Fodje's versatility, and willingness to be, will not only be for the Sooners, but also for him. No disrespect to Nwaiwu, who transferred from North Texas in 2024, but Fodje is much more talented and will also have even more SEC experience by the time he's draft eligible in 2028.
Just a sophomore, Fodje has already become every coach's dream, at any level.
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