Last summer, Sooner fans had no idea what to expect from the team’s offensive line. This year, Oklahoma fans can be cautiously optimistic about the unit heading into the fall.

Late in the 2025 season, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh utilized a six-man rotation that featured Febechi Nwaiwu, Derek Simmons, Ryan Fodje, Michael Fasusi, Eddy Pierre-Louis and Jake Maikkula.

Nwaiwu was the only veteran in the position group, as Simmons and Maikkula transferred in and Fodje, Fasusi and Pierre-Louis were freshmen. (Pierre-Louis was a redshirt freshman).

The new-look group produced mixed results.

Oklahoma allowed 29 sacks, which ranked 93rd out of 134 FBS teams — so not great. But according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), OU quarterback John Mateer was pressured 26 times, which ranked 26th among signal callers at the Power Four level.

In 2024, OU allowed 50 sacks, which tied for last in the nation. Though there were still pass-blocking lapses in 2025, the performance from the line in those situations was far better than the year before.

OU’s linemen, however, still struggled to open up running lanes. The Sooners ranked 13th in the SEC and 112th nationally in rushing, averaging only 118.5 yards per game.

Oklahoma’s offensive line didn’t suddenly become the best in the SEC last year, but Bedenbaugh’s group did show that it’s on the right trajectory.

Fodje, Fasusi and Pierre-Louis will all be sophomores in 2026, while Maikkula and Arkansas transfer E’Marion Harris are entering their senior seasons. Those five are OU’s likely Week 1 starters, and the combination of youth and experience should give the Sooners a strong foundation on the line.

That said, the Sooners will be without Nwaiwu — their “glue guy” — in the fall.

Nwaiwu started 26 games over two seasons at Oklahoma. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2025 and was a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given annually to college football’s most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on. Nwaiwu began his collegiate career at North Texas and appeared in 26 games for the Mean Green.

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Nwaiwu was OU’s most effective pass blocker, finishing 2025 with a remarkable 91.6 PFF grade in that category. His former OU teammates and coaches regularly raved about his leadership traits, saying they were just as vital to the line’s improvement as his skills.

The Houston Texans selected Nwaiwu in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. So now that he’s gone, who will step up?

Maikkula and Harris are certainly the “old guys” on the line. Maikkula spent three seasons at Stanford before coming to Norman, while Harris played 1,694 offensive snaps over his four years at Arkansas.

The young trio of Fodje, Fasusi and Pierre-Louis doesn’t have as much college football experience as those two, but they’ve been in Norman for just as long — or longer — than Maikkula and Harris.

Though it’s hard to replicate the impact Nwaiwu made, OU coach Brent Venables feels confident that others will step into leadership roles in the fall.

“Lots of different personalities, same mentality,” Venables said after OU’s spring game on April 18. “It might be the best that we’ve had since we’ve been here when it comes to that — the continuity, the chemistry, the togetherness. It’s a very real thing. It jumps out at you.”

The talent is there for OU’s offensive line to improve again in the fall. But someone — or several linemen — must step up for the unit to avoid a 2026 regression.

Fireworks and the Fourth of July go hand in hand.

For Oklahoma in 2026, the Sooners hope to see plenty of fireworks once the season gets rolling. With the schedule they have, they’ll need plenty.

But for today, while grills are firing up and music is blasting away, there are only four fireworks Sooner fans should concern themselves with. These four fireworks could be the difference between 6-6 and 11-1.

Maybe even 12-0. But, no need to get too far ahead of ourselves.

Firework No. 4: Find a 1K Rusher

The hope is that Brent Venables’ public declarations of the Sooners’ “pathetic” running game over the last few seasons have helped instill a new attitude for the offense.

That coupled with the offensive line having a precious year of experience under their belt should lead to a better ground attack in 2026. How much better remains to be seen. But 2025 cannot be repeated.

Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock will be healthy for the beginning of fall camp. Should they make it to the UTEP game unscathed, one of them should begin the campaign to 1,000 yards.

Is it realistic that any of them — or the other backs who impressed during spring ball — can make it to the century mark? Perhaps not, but shoot for the moon, right? Anything north of 500 yards for a single back appears to be the bare minimum for a solid running game, which makes the offense better.

Firework No. 3: Beat Michigan

Assuming the UTEP game goes according to plan; you can’t win them all unless you win the next one. The next one is Oklahoma’s first ever visit to the Big House in Ann Arbor.

The Sooners may have caught a break in getting the Wolverines in Kyle Wittingham’s second game as UM’s new head coach. But both programs will see this game as a catapult into the College Football Playoff discussion. Rightfully so.

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OU’s date with Michigan is important because it appears to be — on paper — the easiest of the three juggernaut games to navigate over the first six weeks of the season. Lose to the Wolverines, and you’re staring down the barrel heading to Athens and the Cotton Bowl over the next few weeks.

Beat Michigan, and Oklahoma increases their margin of error. You get two mulligans for the most part.

Firework No. 2: Someone Takes Home a Defensive Trophy

Despite the attention on offense this offseason, this is still a Venables-led program. It’s going to be led by the defense. Even with some questions about depth, this defense is primed to be elite once again.

Individual awards do not guarantee that team success follows. However, should OU win enough games for a playoff berth, someone on defense will have had a massive impact on that trajectory. This season could be one of those years where team success and individual accolades are a package deal.

Kip Lewis and Owen Heinecke are both Butkus Award candidates — Heinecke is thanks to Jim Nagy and Venables’ testimony under oath. Lewis has the better career and a higher ceiling, but Heinecke has the story thanks to his offseason injunction.

David Stone and Taylor Wein will garner plenty of attention and have opportunities to rack up numbers. Don’t forget about Peyton Bowen, who showcased some trophy-winning play at the end of 2025.

Firework No. 1: John Mateer Goes to NYC

This is simply a louder, more spectacular finale than the previous firework.

So-so teams have had Lombardi Award winners and fringe-playoff teams have taken home the Butkus. But very rarely does a Hesiman Trophy contender play for a forgetable team.

The 2026 Sooners, although led by their defense, appear primed to be a team that goes as far as their quarterback takes them. An injury kept the world from seeing what Oklahoma was capable of with a healthy Mateer leading the offense. They’re banking on a healthier and a better-seasoned Mateer in 2026.

If Mateer makes it to New York simply as a finalist, he more than likely conquered two of the three juggernaut games in September-October (if not all three). The Sooners are firmly in the College Football Playoff once again.

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