The health situation along Oklahoma’s offensive line is headed in the wrong direction ahead of the Sooners’ regular season finale.
OU center Jake Maikkula was downgraded from questionable for Saturday’s contest, as was guard Heath Ozaeta on Thursday’s SEC Availability Report.
Without Maikkula, the Sooners could move right guard Febechi Nwaiwu over to center.
That could also slide Ryan Fodje from right tackle to right guard, with Derek Simmons holding it down at right tackle for the Sooenrs.
Advertisement
Oklahoma hasn’t had to go beyond Maikkula or Troy Everett at center so far this year.
Everett sustained a season-ending injury in September, and while Maikkula has played through injuries at times this year, he’s yet to miss a game in 2025.
There was a bit of good news with defensive tackle Jayden Jackson.
He was upgraded from questionable to probable on the Thursday report. Jackson hasn’t been 100 percent over the past two weeks, but he’s a key piece at the heart of the Sooners’ defensive line.
Running back Jovantae Barnes remained listed as questionable for the contest.
Advertisement
Defensive end R Mason Thomas and defensive back Gentry Williams were both ruled out for the contest.
Thomas injured himself during his scoop-and-score against Tennessee, and Williams hasn’t appeared since exiting the contest against South Carolina on the game’s opening defensive drive.
Offensive linemen Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor both remained listed as doubtful, though neither lineman has played in an SEC contest this year.
Defensive back Reggie Powers III was also listed, though he is not injured.
Powers will miss the first half on Saturday after he was ejected in the second half of last week’s win over Missouri for targeting.
Advertisement
LSU will be without receivers Aaron Anderson and Nic Anderson, as well as center Braelin Moore.
Aaron Anderson is third on the team with 398 receiving yards on 33 catches. Nic Anderson has added 12 receptions for 106 yards and two scores this year.
Linebacker Whit Weeks was upgraded to probable alongside defensive back Ja’Keem Jackson and running back Caden Durham.
Durham leads LSU with 463 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 100 carries.
Kickoff between the Sooners and the Tigers is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
It was a battle through and through in the third game of the NBA Cup group stage. The Thunder would have as large a lead as 12, but the Timberwolves found a way to stick in the game all the way to the final buzzer. In the end, the Thunder would hold on and prevail 113-105 in the closest game of their 10-game win streak.
With a minute remaining, Anthony Edwards would hit a three-pointer to bring the game within one, putting the pressure on OKC. Chet Holmgren would respond for the Thunder by hitting a three of his own with 37 seconds remaining.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would then hit one of two free throws to put the Thunder up 109-104, and after a five-second inbound violation, the game was as good as OKC’s.
Advertisement
Gilgeous-Alexander was his usual MVP self as he had 40 points, leading the game in scoring. This game came down to the wire, but the Thunder got it done like they’ve continued to do.
Advertisement
Here are three takeaways from the Thunder’s tenth win in a row.
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) shoots a three point basket over Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Advertisement
1. OKC continues to smother opponents
You would think the Thunder only scoring 49 points in the first half would have them behind in today’s NBA, but the Thunder were, in fact, leading by 10. The Timberwolves only shot 32% from the field in the first half and would end the game only shooting 41%.
Oklahoma City has continued to be the hardest team to score on in the league, and the league can only hope they slow down soon. This has been a trend for the Thunder, as they remain at the top of almost every defensive stat this season. OKC has continued to produce on the defensive end, leaving their opponents unable to on offense.
Advertisement
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) moves around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kenrich Williams (34) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
2. The Thunder must finish their defensive possessions
Like previously said, the Thunder’s defense is immaculate, but they must make sure to only play defense once per possession. The Thunder got beat on the offensive boards tonight as Minnesota had 12 offensive rebounds compared to the Thunder’s seven.
Advertisement
These allowed offensive rebounds sometimes negated the Thunder’s defensive efforts and allowed the Timberwolves to get chances they shouldn’t have had in the first place. This mistake didn’t cost the Thunder ultimately, but it must be something the Thunder improves on.
Advertisement
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
3. The NBA Cup is the Thunder’s to lose
Advertisement
Oklahoma City is now 3-0 in the group stage of the NBA Cup, with only one remaining against Phoenix on Friday. A win then will guarantee the Thunder a spot in bracket play as the winner of West Group A. The Thunder are looking to be right in the position they were in last year, when they made the NBA Cup finals.
They lost that game to the Milwaukee Bucks 97-81 and have to have a chip on their shoulder now that this goal seems attainable once again. They would be the first team to reach the cup finals in back-to-back years and are hoping to be the third ever team to win it.
Oklahoma State was one of the earliest entrants to this year’s coaching carousel after firing Mike Gundy in September. Brett Deering / Getty Images
In college football, you never really know whether a coaching hire is going to work — just take a peek at all those A’s for Brian Kelly and Billy Napier four years ago. But you also don’t need to wait around to evaluate whether a school hired the right fit.
As the 2025-26 coaching carousel heats up, we’re handing out initial grades to the hires as head coach openings are filled around the country, focusing on how much the hire makes sense and whether it satisfies what a team identified it needed going into a coaching search.
Check back as more jobs get filled.
Advertisement
Oklahoma State hires Eric Morris: B+
(Hired Nov. 25)
Morris checks a lot of boxes for Oklahoma State. He has deep ties to Texas, having spent almost his entire playing and coaching career there. And he knows how to develop quarterbacks, as names like Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward, John Mateer and now Drew Mestemaker have thrived under his watch. He has also shown an ability to do more with less at North Texas and FCS Incarnate Word.
But while Morris’ offenses have long been good, his defenses have been up and down, and he’s won six games or fewer in four of six non-pandemic seasons as a head coach as a result. The hire of Skyler Cassity as Mean Green defensive coordinator in 2025 was one of Morris’ best moves. We don’t know yet whether Cassity will follow him to Stillwater, but that side of the ball will have to keep up with the offense.
Virginia Tech hires James Franklin: A-
(Hired Nov. 17)
Franklin was the No. 1 target from the moment he was fired at Penn State, and for good reason. He’d never missed a bowl game in 15 years at Vanderbilt or Penn State, outside of the pandemic-altered 2020 season. He turned Penn State into a top-10 program again. He dominated recruiting in the state of Virginia while at Penn State. He has a long track record of fostering alignment and investment. All the characteristics Virginia Tech needed, Franklin has them. He has only won one conference championship, and his game management has come under fair criticism, but he checks off all the other boxes of what Virginia Tech needed.
Advertisement
Kent State promotes Mark Carney: B
(Named interim coach in April, hired to full-time job Oct. 30)
What Carney has accomplished this season cannot be understated. He became the interim head coach on the eve of spring practice in April, when coach Kenni Burns was fired amid an investigation into his financial dealings. Then his defensive coordinator left in the summer for an assistant job at North Dakota State. The Golden Flashes were 1-23 in the previous two years and appeared headed for a doomed 2025 season. Yet this year’s team is 4-7 and remained in bowl contention until a loss to Central Michigan in the season’s penultimate week. Kent State is arguably the toughest job in the Football Bowl Subdivision, so keeping a coach who turned the Golden Flashes back into a respectable MAC outfit was an easy decision.
