Oklahoma Sooners offensive line pulling out all the stops to right the ship after disappointing 2024 season

It's fair to say nobody was pleased with how the Oklahoma Sooners' offensive line played throughout 2024.

While the numbers weren't as bad as the perception around the unit suggested, it was a significant decline from their usual excellence. 

At this point last season, Oklahoma was replacing all five starters on the offensive line and was forced to bring in numerous transfers just to have a full unit. It's incredibly difficult to build an offensive line out of the portal, and the Sooners found that out the hard way last season. 

Heading into 2025, however, it's a completely different feeling. All of their starters return from last season, with plenty of experience and talent across the board. They added talented transfers in Derek Simmons, Luke Baklenko, and Jake Maikkula to compete at numerous spots and reinforce their depth, and five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi and four-star Ryan Fodje joined young players like Eddy Pierre-Louis and Daniel Akinkunmi in pushing for a starting job. 

The depth and talent of this room is a full 180 from last year, but this unit has a chip on its shoulder to put the past behind them.

At the OU Football Coaches Luncheon this week, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle spoke about how the offensive line is attacking each week of practice.

"Our offensive line all summer, I would challenge to say there is no group that has consistently been in the building together. They watch cutups together. It’s a group that is fighting every day to get on the same page. It’s been a lot of fun to actually watch the fruits of their labor to come into fruition."

As a former offensive lineman, I can tell you that chemistry upfront is the single most underrated key to success in this room. It's very difficult to build, which is why continuity up front is one of the most important factors to have in football. 

The fact that this group now has another year under their belt together and are fully determined to do things together is a strong sign. In my mind, the tighter this unit is, the better off they will be. If they are ready to go, Oklahoma's offense just got that much deadlier.