Oklahoma Took a Key Step in Building Offensive Line Depth With 2023 Signees

The Sooners signed four offensive lineman on Wednesday, matching OU's combined haul from the high school ranks in 2021 and 2022.

Jeff Lebby wasted no time restocking Oklahoma’s offensive line in the 2023 class.

In his first full recruiting cycle as the OU offensive coordinator, Lebby and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh landed four signees, matching the Sooners’ combined haul from the 2021 and 2022 recruiting classes.

“The lines of scrimmage on both sides of the ball is incredibly important,” OU head coach Brent Venables said in his opening statement at his Signing Day press conference on Wednesday. “… Lines of scrimmages are always incredibly important.”

The centerpiece of the offensive line haul is Lees Summit, MO, product Cayden Green.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive tackle is rated the No. 9-overall tackle in the country by 247Sports’ Composite Ranking. He was a huge recruiting win for the Sooners when he committed on July 8, and Green remained steadfast in his pledge with Oklahoma throughout the 2023 recruiting cycle.

“Cayden, obviously, as highly recruited as there is with the o-line,” Lebby said on Wednesday. “Can do a lot of different things. Just a massive guy who knows how to play. Tough and mean and physical and is incredibly athletic.

“… Cayden has been incredibly solid. He’s been great. The recruitment with Cayden has been fun. Incredible talent but an incredible guy. He has a great family.”

Green may be the highest ranked offensive lineman in the class, but interior offensive lineman Joshua Bates was the first prospect to commit.

In fact, Bates is Oklahoma’s lone holdover from the 2023 class Lincoln Riley had begun to build, and he stuck with the Sooners through the entire process.

“He's never flinched,” Venables said. “And love his belief, along with all of these recruits in their families, the belief, the stick-to-itiveness that we ask our players to have all the time, they certainly have represented that because people came at all of them with.

“… You can imagine the dialogue with waving money and opportunity at these guys. And they never flinched.”

Bates initially projects to play center, where the 6-3, 305-pounder from Durango, CO, will be able to study under Andrew Raym in 2023.

The learning curve to pick up the playbook isn’t something Lebby is concerned with, as Bates showed a great hunger early on to absorb all he can about the offense.

“I get here, Josh is committed already,” said Lebby, “… but I think the thing that’s really unique about him, I’ve been here about a month, and Josh sends me a text of him watching tape and kind of the breakdown of our offense and how we operated at Ole Miss.

“So this dude’s sitting in the film room at the house, just watching ball non-stop. So he’s a junky, he’s ate up with it. And a great addition.”

Lebby and Bedenbaugh also added two massive bodies in Logan Howland and Heath Ozaeta.

Howland, a converted tight end, stands 6-7 and 280 pounds.

Though he’s only had one real year playing full-time along the offensive line, Lebby is excited with what Howland can bring to the table in Norman.

“He’s a real tackle,” Lebby said. “He has a real tackle body. He has great length. He has great athleticism. His best ball is ahead. He’s played o-line for one year. He has the chance to be an elite tackle.”

And while the Sooners went all the way to Princeton, NJ, to land Howland, Lebby and Bedenbaugh spanned the country and pulled Ozaeta out of Snoqualmie, WA.

The 6-6, 300-pounder also played tackle in high school, and will have the ability to plug many holes across the offensive line in Lebby’s view.

“I think his best ball is ahead,” Lebby said. “He has the potential to develop into a special player and again have some position flexibility.”

As Oklahoma had gotten more selective in its offensive line recruiting, the Sooners often had to dip to the transfer portal to find depth.

This season alone, McKade Mettauer, Chris Murray and Wanya Morris were all portal additions who were fixtures in OU’s starting lineup.

When Andrew Raym had to miss the end of the season after surgery, another transfer in Robert Congel stepped in to fill the void.

Signing four lineman in one class is a step toward the Sooners building their own depth within the program, as Bedenbaugh and strength coach Jerry Schmidt will be able to develop all four 2023 signees for the entirety of their careers in Norman.

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