Will Oklahoma Be Able to Replicate Febechi Nwaiwu’s Leadership on Offensive Line?

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.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

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.