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Healthy Again, Oklahoma C Andrew Raym Has a New Mindset to Achieve Success in 2023

The veteran center believes the offensive line will be able to lead Oklahoma to a bounce-back year in OU's final Big 12 season.

Ryan Chapman

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NORMAN — Marcus Major didn’t have to work too hard for his first rushing touchdown of the 2023 season.

The Oklahoma running back carried the ball two yards to put the Sooners up 21-0 on Arkansas State on Saturday, only meeting resistance as he crossed the goal line.

OU’s offensive line dominated the Red Wolves, helping the Sooners amass a 73-0 win.

Major’s run was made simple by a massive push straight up the middle, as center Andrew Raym pancaked his assignment well into the end zone.

It’s been a long offseason for Raym, who saw 2022 cut short by a shoulder injury, but he was happy to return to Owen Field healthy and ready to prove a point.

“It feels so amazing,” Raym said after Oklahoma’s practice on Tuesday. “I’ve got two shoulders working. Two ankles that work.

“It's great. Feels so fluid, so loose out there.”

Raym was hampered last year with a lingering shoulder issue, playing through the pain for most of the season.

Andrew Raym and Savion Byrd block for Jovantae Barnes
Oklahoma center Andrew Raym (73) and left guard Savion Byrd (59) clear a hole for running back Jovantae Barnes (2) :: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Every member of the program was frustrated with how 2022 played out, but Raym said he did learn valuable lessons while playing through the pain.

“I think being tweaked a couple of times it just showed me how small the margin for error really is,” he said. “Like you really can't put yourself in a position to not have a competitive advantage.

“Even if you're not hurt you have to proactively be recovering your body, rehabbing to make sure you're not putting yourself at risk to be hurt. So it just taught me that I've got to be better with the small things and be proactive.”

Back healthy again, Raym is focused on his fellow offensive linemen leading the charge for a resurgent 2023 campaign.

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Oklahoma rushed for 220 yards against Arkansas State, giving up no sacks to help Dillon Gabriel and Jackson Arnold combine to complete 30-of-33 passing attempts.

“I saw an O-line where we were finishing,” Raym said of the performance. “They were trying to get after people's butts. And, you know, we have a group of guys that really just wants to dominate people this year. We just got to keep working on the small things and details and it's gonna take us a long way.”

Once performance isn’t enough to wipe away a year of frustration, but Raym believes the Oklahoma offensive line has the right mix of talent and motivation to continue to set the tone.

“This team wants to dominate people,” Raym said. “We’re not just trying to win this year. We’re trying to dominate.

“… This is Oklahoma. There’s a standard around here. We didn’t hold up to it last year. So we realized we’ve got to do thing differently this year to hold ourselves to the standard that we’re supposed to hold ourselves to.”

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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