After a bounce-back 2025 campaign, OU's offensive line enters 2026 looking to continue its upward trajectory.
The Sooners entered the 2025 season with major questions surrounding the offensive line. After a tumultuous 2024 drive that ended with a 6-7 record and a disappointing loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl, there were concerns about whether OU could rebuild the unit up front.
Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh responded by overhauling the room, bringing in a fresh group of talent for 2025. The revamped unit played a key role in OU’s turnaround, helping the Sooners finish 10-3.
Now as 2026 begins, a lot of the same faces and veteran leaders will man the offensive line as the offense looks to jump to new heights.
The projected starting offensive line for 2026 features sophomore Michael Fasusi at left tackle, redshirt sophomore Eddy Pierre-Louis at left guard, redshirt senior Jake Maikkula at center, sophomore Ryan Fodje at right guard and redshirt senior Arkansas transfer E'Marion Harris at right tackle.
Fasusi, a former five-star recruit in the 2025 class, said in the spring that he has improved in multiple facets of his game.
“I definitely see myself getting better in every single scheme,” Fasusi said. “My hands have been faster, more aggressive.”
Pierre-Louis discussed the mental strides he made during spring practice.
“My discipline (has improved),” Pierre-Louis said. “You don’t have to be up (at the top) each and every day, but you have to continuously make small, good improvements. And that's been the main thing.”
With four of the five starting lineman returning from last year, continuity is expected to facilitate success for the group next season.
Fasusi said the continuity, combined with Harris’ addition, has helped elevate communication across the unit.
“The time that was put in … feels like magic,” Fasusi said. “(We’re) a coordinator with each other, commenting on every single play.”
Head coach Brent Venables emphasized the experience returning along Oklahoma's offensive line during the Sooners' spring media day.
"You got (Maikkula) and (Fodje) and (Fasusi) and (Pierre-Louis), and then you got Heath Ozaeta in there as guys coming back and then E’Marion Harris from Arkansas,” Venables said. “We got a little more experience coming back on offense.”
Harris was a coveted transfer in the 2026 cycle, ranking as high as the seventh best offensive tackle available and 67th best overall player on 247 Sports. The redshirt senior, who started in 11 games in 2025 and 13 in 2024, will look to give OU a veteran presence up front.
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel. Kennedy Johnson and Larkin Bock copy edited this story.
