Why It's a Good Thing the Left Side of Oklahoma's OL Has Gone Unnoticed With Two Freshmen Starting

The Sooners have started a pair of freshmen on the left side of the offensive line in their last two games as OU's pass blocking has improved.

Oct 26, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Heath Ozaeta (77) waits for the snap during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

It often goes unnoticed what Heath Ozaeta and Logan Howland do on the left side of Oklahoma’s offensive line, but it’s probably best that way. 

Both redshirt freshmen, Ozaeta made his first career start at left guard Week 4 against Tennessee, while Howland started at left tackle Week 3 against Tulane. The young duo didn’t join forces on the Sooners’ blindside until Week 10 against Maine, though, only two games ago. They then also both started last week against Missouri. 

“​​I love Logan,” Ozaeta said Wednesday after practice during OU’s second bye week. “He’s a great player, great friend of mine. We’ve got good chemistry out there. Communicating, talking’s the biggest thing. It was good to see us out there and do our thing.”

Both redshirted last season with only one appearance in the Sooners’ season opener against Arkansas State. Both were 3-star recruits in the 2023 class. Howland came from Hun School of Princeton (NJ), while Ozaeta played his preps ball at Mount Si High School (WA). 

In the two games just before Ozaeta and Howland were inserted into the starting lineup together this season, OU gave up a record nine sacks apiece against South Carolina and Ole Miss. Both gave up two sacks on their own against Ole Miss, meaning the newcomers together were responsible for four of the nine times Jackson Arnold or Michael Hawkins Jr. were taken to the ground. 

But despite the poor performance, it was all freshmen on the blindside after a bye week with Jacob Sexton, who had started every game on the left side to that point, sidelined with an injury. Although against FCS competition in Maine, OU’s offensive line was still noticeably improved in the outing. After breaking sack records the previous two games, the Sooners didn’t give up any in the win over Maine. According to Pro Football Focus, the Sooners had the best pass-blocking efficiency rating among all FBS teams during Week 10. 

“I mean, it’s just — after the week you just got to look at the tape, move on, figure out what you got to get better at, keep working and get your head down,” Ozaeta said. 

Even against SEC talent last week, the Sooners were still improving, allowing three sacks. Those three sacks were the fewest OU allowed against an SEC team since beating Auburn in Week 6. The Sooners also gave up three sacks in all three nonconference games this season. 

In one of the most exciting plays of the game where Arnold caught a reverse pass from running back Taylor Tatum and scored, it was Howland who made a block out in the open at the start of the play to make the finish possible. The touchdown tied the game late in the fourth quarter.

TIE BALL GAME. @taylortatum06 » @_JacksonArnold_ pic.twitter.com/1Je6xcH4eS

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 10, 2024

"Coach Finley has a bunch of great plays dialed up," Howland said after the game. "That’s a play we ran earlier in the year and we didin't the success we wanted. We were fortunate it did there.

"There was really nothing like it. I think I almost lost my voice. I came back to really just take out anyone that was in his way, and luckily he got in the end zone."

After that devastating loss to Missouri, it was not OU’s offensive line that emerged as the storyline like in the losses to South Carolina and Ole Miss. But for an offensive line, no attention is probably best since that means it’s not drawing any. 

“I really believe in my coach, my guys,” Ozaeta said. “It’s kind of more just a thing you got to flush out. Can’t really listen to what other people got to say. All that really matters is what Coach (Bill Bedenbaugh) has been telling us. That’s all we’re really focusing on.”