Oklahoma's Center Competition Heats as Bates Surges in Camp

The Sooners' second-year center has given the expected starter a run for his money.

Josh Bates (64) runs drills during an Oklahoma football practice in Norman, Okla., on Friday, April 12, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Josh Bates isn’t going down without a fight.

For the Oklahoma Sooners’ starting center job, that is.

Bates, a redshirt freshman, wants the  job, and everybody in fall camp knows it. While SMU transfer Branson Hickman appears to be the frontrunner to start Week 1, Bates has made an appetizing offseason competition out of it.

“He’s [Bates] been much more consistent, No. 1, with his snaps,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said last week. “He’s been a lot cleaner that way. Again, he’s a guy that helps make everyone around him better. Because he loves to compete, he loves football.”

It’s from his competitive nature that Bates’ reputation as a practice hound blossomed — often eagger to do the dirty work and eager to engage in a dog fight. As just a true freshman last year, he was involved in several practice skirmishes.

War ready!😈⚔️ #Team130 pic.twitter.com/y1UmPFSoT8

— Joshua Bates (@JoshuaBates64) August 17, 2024

“Josh is a dog,” OU junior guard Febechi Nwaiwu said. “He’s a fighter. He’s going to get down and dirty. He’s going to be right there with you in the A gap when push comes to shove.”

Bates’ on-sight attitude has rubbed off on the group, and news of competitive practices has been the silver lining for Sooners fans skeptical about the team’s least proven position group.

“Again, I got a small Rolodex of guys that I could say the same thing about. But I just love guys that love to come to work every day. They love their brothers, they love the environment, they love to go to practice, they love to work, they love to compete,” Venables said. “They know how to strain. They’re just great examples. And that’s why you’re seeing him [Bates] improve and get better, but he’s also had a really strong impact with the guys around him and in the locker room.”

Sep 9, 2023; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs offensive lineman Branson Hickman (56) during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Hickman was a three-year starter at SMU and was named to All-AAC teams each of the last two years (third team by PFF in 2022 and second team by the league in 2023). The 6-foot-2, 300-pound redshirt senior  was brought in to replenish experience up front and compete with Bates and Troy Everett for the job. In total, he brings 33 career starts to Norman.

As Everett nears his return from a spring injury to his right knee and consequent surgery, there could be three players playing meaningful snaps across OU’s three non-conference games against Temple, Houston and Tulane.

“We’ve got a good group of guys [at center] and that’s exciting,” Hickman said. “You need good players at all five positions. So having good guys, having depth at every position, especially in a conference like the SEC is really important. It’s a great group of guys not only on the field, but they’re also great people off.”

Incumbent snap-catcher Jackson Arnold got plenty of time with Bates during spring practice, but he now seems to have taken to Hickman, which means he'll be comfortable with whoever wins the job.

"It's going good, starting to put, like, chemistry with [Hickman],” Arnold said. “He came in the summer, and it's kind of hard to build a connection with the offensive lineman in the summer. You've got your OTAs, but you're not putting pads on, you're not actually going to war with those guys. So right now, just building that chemistry with them, and just making sure I'm getting snaps under center and in the shotgun."