How Oklahoma's Young OL Are Growing Into Bigger Roles This Spring

Everett offered up the 2025 newcomers, of course. Fodje and Fasusi have stood out early, but so have Owen Hollenbeck and Sean Hutton, he said.

But asked for his thoughts on last year’s newcomers, Everett was effusive with his assessments. After two winter workouts, a summer, training camp and a full season and now 1 1/2 spring practice sessions, all four are making visible progress — and the OU offensive line is better for it.

With Everett back at center and Febechi Nwaiwu back at right guard, Eddy Pierre-Louis is getting a look at left guard, and Everett said he’s had the right attitude ever since he showed up last January.

“Eddy, I mean, I still remember Eddy coming out here … the very first play against Maine, diving on the dude 20 yards down the field,” Everett said. “Eddy’s a physical guy. He loves to play football, and he loves to get after you. I think he’s really growing right now. You’re a young guy out there still; he’s still got things to mature, things to learn, but so does everybody. He’s a younger guy. But I’m excited for him. I can’t wait to see what he does.”

The 6-foot-3, 309-pound Pierre-Louis played in three regular season games last year plus the bowl game and logged a total of 65 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. A 4-star prospect out of Tampa Catholic, he graded out for the season with a 58.4 PFF overall offensive grade.

Tackle Isaiah Autry-Dent played in just one game last year and recorded just 26 snaps on offense and nine on special teams against Maine. He posted a PFF grade of 63.2.

Now bigger and leaner at 6-6 and 317 pounds, the former 3-star prospect from Fulton, MS, is earning some looks from Bedenbaugh.

“Isaiah, same thing,” Everett said. “Isaiah works hard. Isaiah’s going to be great. Isaiah, right now, he’s just got to get comfortable when he’s out there, but that goes for every young guy. It’s just all the young guys, once they get out there, they just need reps.”

That also goes for Daniel Akinkunmi, the big 3-star project from the NFL Academy in London. At 6-6, 313, Akinkumni has the frame to play tackle, but he got action at guard last season and may be settling in there this spring.

He got into just one game last year and recorded eight offensive snaps against Maine, with a 59.9 PFF grade. Although he regularly shows flashes, he’s still raw in a lot of areas.

“Daniel, he’s been great,” Everett said. “He works hard. It’s different for him. It’s a completely different situation for him, but he gets out here, he works hard. He’s just got to get accustomed to stuff. We like to give him crap about it; America’s No. 1, but he knows it. It’s whatever. But ‘Bruv’s’ been great. He works hard, is strong, powerful. He’s just a young guy still.”

Everett was injured last spring and missed the first half of the season. When he returned, he settled things down immediately at center, which made everyone else’s job a little easier, which made for rapid improvements across the o-line, although it was late to arrive.

Everett said, “we got a bunch of centers; we’re rotating guys in all around, so really we don’t know who’s playing center right now.” He said the rotation has even included Jake Sexton, who could find himself a starter at either tackle or left guard.

So Everett’s health is paramount again this season. But if he needs to take a break for any reason, he sounds confident in  young Josh Aisosa.

Aisosa was a 3-star prospect out of Edmond (OK) Santa Fe and worked at center last spring — after Everett went down, he was behind Josh Bates, but was bumped down when Branson Hickman arrived from SMU. By the end of a disappointing season, Aisosa was Everett’s backup again. He didn’t get any game action last year, but at 6-3, 331, he physically looks the part. 

“He’s been good,” Everett said. “Josh, I like Josh. He’ll come up to me sometimes, he’ll give me a little trash talk like he’s coming for my spot. I like that. I like having that from the younger guy. It makes me feel good. But yeah, he works hard. He’s in the film room. He asks questions when he needs to. But yeah, same thing, just more reps for these guys.”

Of course, the 2025 isn’t all about last year’s freshman class. Their biggest contributions may yet be a year away, maybe more.

Everett, Nwaiwu, Sexton and senior right tackle Jake Taylor are all likely starters, and Howland and Ozaeta certainly will get strong consideration and be a regular part of the rotation. The obvious potential within Fasusi and Fodje definitely could command early playing time. And Bedenbaugh also has a couple of salty veterans out of the transfer portal who have been solid this spring and could win playing time in Stanford’s Luke Baklenko and Western Carolina’s Derek Simmons.

“Luke? He’s been a great leader so far for the younger guys,” Everett said. “He’s taken Isaiah (and) some of those younger guys in there, he’s helped with them. He’s been good at learning the playbook. He works hard. He’s versatile. So it’s been great to have him in there — him and Derek.

“Obviously, last year, everyone knows that wasn’t the standard here, and we let a lot of people down,” Everett said. “I promise you, this year it’s not going to happen. We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen. We’ve got a lot of guys that have played together now, played together for a whole year. 

“We’re going to have, hopefully, just one group or one set of guys; it won’t be a different lineup every week. Hopefully everyone stays healthy. But I’m excited for it, and I think it’s going to be a lot better than what happened last year.”