Oklahoma Lands Pledge from SMU Transfer Branson Hickman

One day after visit Norman for the Sooners' spring game, veteran center Branson Hickman committed to OU.

Randall Sweet | Apr 21, 2024

Branson Hickman 2 - SMU.jpg / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

After dealing with a lack of depth on the interior offensive line, Oklahoma added former SMU center Branson Hickman on Sunday afternoon.

Hickman's decision comes after he and his family visited Norman for OU's spring game on Saturday.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Hickman made 33 starts over the past three years with the Mustangs. In Week 2 of the 2023 season, the Sooners' newest addition started against Brent Venables and company in Norman when Oklahoma knocked off SMU 28-11.

Hickman earned Second Team All-AAC honors for his efforts in 2023 and was named to Pro Football Focus' third team All-AAC list as a redshirt sophomore in 2022.

The Lone Star State product has played more than 950 snaps each of the previous two years, earning a 79.8 offensive grade from PFF in 2023 and a 77.2 offensive grade from PFF in 2022.

In 517 pass blocking snaps, Hickman allowed zero sacks in 2023 and was viewed as one of the top offensive lineman in the transfer portal. The former SMU center is the first player to commit to Oklahoma since the spring transfer portal window opened nearly a week ago.

Coming out of Jesuit (TX), Hickman was rated a 3-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class and held offers from Memphis, Louisiana Tech, Liberty, SMU and others.

Hailing from McKinney, TX, Hickman gives Bill Bedenbaugh's group a player with plenty of starting experience to bolster a unit that consisted of redshirt freshman Joshua Bates, redshirt junior Troy Everett and true freshman Joshua Aisosa.

Everett is currently dealing with an injury that sidelined him during spring practice and was seen walking on crutches with a large brace on his leg during the spring game on Saturday. Bates and Aisosa both lack in-game experience and Aisosa played tackle during his time at Edmond Santa Fe (OK) High School.

Hickman will likely compete for the Sooners' starting center spot with Everett once the for Appalachian State transfer returns from injury. With his three years as a starter and four years as a college football player, Hickman's experience will likely give him the upper hand in the position battle heading into fall camp.

Heading into the SEC, landing a veteran to add depth along the interior of the offensive line was a priority for Oklahoma in the transfer portal.

Published Apr 21, 2024|Modified Apr 21, 2024

RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK.