Oklahoma
In the Face of Adversity, Oklahoma OL Coach Bill Bedenbaugh Signed his Best Class Yet
NORMAN — Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh closed down a recruiting cycle to remember on Wednesday.
When OU head coach Brent Venables took the podium for his National Signing Day press conference at 11 a.m., the Sooners had four lineman in the boat — 4-star offensive tackle Ryan Fodje, 3-star interior offensive linemen Darius Afalava and Owen Hollenbeck and preferred walk on Sean Hutton.
By 3 p.m., 5-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi cemented himself as the jewel of the Sooners’ entire 2025 recruiting class by reaffirming his commitment and intention to sign with the program.
Speaking of the group in general, Venables labeled OU’s new offensive line class as “mature”, and they’ll need to be.
The 2024 season showed just how quickly linemen can be called into action as redshirt freshmen Logan Howland and Heath Ozaeta got thrown into the fire in the SEC.
That duo improved throughout the season and gained valuable experience, and now Bedenbaugh’s new crop of linemen can file in behind them and prepare to take over one day.
Fasusi, who has NFL potential written all over him, and Fodje might be the most talented pair of high school recruits Bedenbaugh has landed in the same class.
And while Venables couldn’t officially speak about Fasusi at the time of his press conference on Wednesday, he was effusive in his praise for Fodje.
“I think (Fodje’s) one of the most undervalued offensive linemen in all of high school football,” Venables said. “A guy that we identified at camp a few years ago, a few summers back and coach Bedenbaugh did a great job of putting his name on him and offering him. He’s developed and he’s one of the most dominant players in the country.”
Fodje rose through the rankings, finishing as the nation’s 68th-ranked recruit for On3 and the No. 87-overall player with 247Sports, and once he adds more muscle to his 6-foot-5, 275-pound frame, the Cypress, TX, lineman looks the part of a physical SEC tackle.
Along the interior, Bedenbaugh signed a longtime commit in Hollenbeck.
“(Hollenbeck) was forced out of position this year but probably will be a center for us and one of the strongest high school football players in the country,” Venables said. “He’s a powerlifting champ, this is a guy that can move mountains But a guy that we’re really excited about his physical attitude, mental attitude, all of those things. A really good player.”
The Melissa, TX, product played high school ball with defensive lineman Nigel Smith II, and will bring some muscle to the heart of Oklahoma’s offensive line.
Bedenbaugh then trekked west to land Afalava from Lehi, UT.
“(Afalava’s) the top lineman in the state of Utah. Big, strong, powerful,” Venables said. “Comes from another great program and that group overall is just powerful, athletic, incredibly physical and physically tough.”
Fasusi’s high school teammate, Hutton, will be headed to Norman as well from the Lone Star State.
“Sean Hutton from Lewisville, Lewisville’s been a good place for the Sooners over the years,” Venables said. “Sean’s a versatile inside-outside player being undervalued. Tough kid. Can really move his feet and really excited about Sean.”
This class comes at the right time for Bedenbaugh.
Winning in the SEC starts at the line of scrimmage, and while his history of producing NFL talent is sterling, many factors came together to stunt the growth of the offensive line in 2024.
Injuries struck, which when paired with small recruiting classes and recruiting misses in the final years of the Lincoln Riley era, meant the Sooners were thin up front and needed brand new transfers to quickly settle in Bedenbaugh’s unit.
While the results were poor in the first half of the season, the experienced gained was invaluable in building an offensive line that is ready to compete in 2025.
And despite Oklahoma signing a smaller 2025 class, finishing with 18 scholarship players, Bedenbaugh’s additions remained high in quality and quantity.
The Sooners, under new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, will have a new quarterback in 2025 as Jackson Arnold is reportedly set to enter the transfer portal.
No matter who is taking the snaps in Norman, Bedenbaugh took a major step toward supporting OU quarterbacks of the future with a competitive offensive line on Wednesday.
Oklahoma
Woman hospitalized after house fire in northeast Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Oklahoma
Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
Oklahoma
OHP remembers K-9 for protecting countless lives during career
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Officials with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are remembering a dedicated K-9 officer who passed away earlier this month.
K-9 Dak was born in 2014 and began serving with the OHP in 2015.
Throughout his distinguished career, officials say Dak’s exceptional instincts made a significant impact on public safety across the state.
During his career, Dak was instrumental in the seizure of over 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 46 pounds of cocaine, 151 pounds of methamphetamine, and 99 pounds of fentanyl.
“These remarkable accomplishments represent countless lives protected and communities made safer through Dak’s service,” OHP wrote.
Dak worked his final shift on June 3 before peacefully passing away from natural causes on June 7.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
“More than his statistics and accomplishments, Dak was a loyal partner, trusted teammate, and beloved member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. His legacy will live on through the work he accomplished, the bond he shared with his handler, and the many lives he touched throughout his career,” OHP said.
-
Virginia2 minutes agoVirginia Tech introduces Brian White as new Athletics Director
-
Wisconsin14 minutes agoTop 100 Prospect Visiting Wisconsin on Wednesday
-
West Virginia17 minutes agoYeager Airport director receives four percent pay increase – WV MetroNews
-
Wyoming22 minutes agoSpeedy Cow community-owned internet service goes live in Wyoming County
-
Crypto29 minutes ago14 AI Models Including Claude, ChatGPT and Grok Predict Bitcoin’s Price Outlook
-
Finance32 minutes agoG7 Recommits to Development, Investment Finance to Drive Shared Prosperity
-
Fitness32 minutes agoSocial Fitness: Why Independent Living Communities Are Vital for Healthy Aging
-
Movie Reviews47 minutes ago‘Supergirl’ review: DC Studios serves up a second less-than-super movie