Why Oklahoma is Confident in an Unknown Offensive Line

The Sooners will have a new-look set of blockers up front for the 2024 season, but they're still optimistic about the group.

Oklahoma OL Febechi Nwaiwu and Jacob Sexton / STEVE SISNEY/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — There’s confidence in the unknown at Oklahoma. 

The Sooners will have an all new offensive line for the 2024 season. From last year, Tyler Guyton and Walter Rouse are now in the NFL, Andrew Raym and McKade Mettauer graduated, and Cayden Green transferred to Missouri. But despite rebuilding the front line of the offense, there’s still confidence in the big guys up front, especially from those who need them the most. 

“They’ve been looking perfect,” running back Jovantae Barnes said of the new-look offensive line. “Can’t complain. Obviously we have guys just going in and just doing their job. I can’t complain. I love those guys.” 

In today’s college football, though, new doesn’t necessarily mean new. Despite an overhaul of the offensive line, OU could actually have even more experience up front thanks to the transfer portal. The Sooners added a pair of super seniors in USC transfer Michael Tarquin and Spencer Brown from Michigan State. Febechi Nwaiwu already has experience in Seth Littrell’s system coming from North Texas. SMU center Branson Hickman, a redshirt senior, then transferred to the program late after spring ball.  And Geirean Hatchett got plenty of snaps last year for national runner-up Washington.

Tarquin, who started eight games last season for the Trojans and made 10 starts for Florida in 2021 and 2022, received nearly all of the rare praises from OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh during OU’s open portion of practice Monday. Brown started in 11 of 12 games last season for Michigan State. Under Littrell in 2022, Nwaiwu was a second-team freshman All-American by The Athletic and third-team freshman All-American by College Football News and was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Hickman was named to the All-AAC Second Team after starting all 14 games last year. He has 33 career starts under his belt. 

“I’ve really seen that o-line gel, not only as a team, but as friends,” quarterback Jackson Arnold said. “They’ve gotten really close over this past offseason. All the transfers that came in, all the new guys, the 2024 guys, I feel like they’ve all came in, they’ve created a really good brotherhood and just got really close to each other to where they’re at the point where they’re holding each other accountable, they’re yelling at each other, but it’s out of love. They’re trying to get each other better. And I really appreciate that.” 

OU staples that have been around Norman since the Big 12 days include Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor. Sexton, a junior from Edmond, started four games last season. A redshirt sophomore, Taylor has played in 12 games as a backup. Heath Ozaeta redshirted last year but is also competing for one of the open spots. 

“Everyone came in ready to play, but also ready to learn,” Sexton said. “So everyone’s been really focused on learning and not trying to be the big dog, so everyone’s in that leadership role and I think that’s why our group is so tight.” 

The Sooners are in the midst of their second week of fall camp and just over three weeks away from their season opener against Temple at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30. By the time OU takes the field at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, though, five guys will have emerged and won the starting jobs that are up for grabs. 

“We love the group of guys,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “It’s a group, the hard work has shown. It’s been going on since the spring with a couple of additions in fall camp since the last time we laced them up. We really like how that group has come along. We have good depth there in regards to guys we feel like can play winning football.”