How OU’s Michael Fasusi went from ‘a baby giraffe’ to ‘really special’ on the field

Michael Fasusi is a pivotal part of OU’s offensive line, but he didn’t even start playing football until six years ago.

The Nigerian native moved to the U.S. in 2020 and lived in Houston with his cousins for about two months before making Lewisville, Texas, his home. American football was a foreign concept to Fasusi when he moved to Texas in 2020, but about six years later, he is a valuable starter for a Southeastern Conference program.

OU’s offense has struggled this season, with the sophomore offensive lineman missing five games. But in Fasusi’s return against Mississippi State, he helped OU record its most yards of offense in a game since joining the SEC.

“He loves this game,” fifth-year quarterback John Mateer said after the Mississippi State game. “He'll tell you about it all the time. He says, ‘Thank you, Jesus,’ and he says, ‘I love American football’ all the time.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Fasusi recorded 39 pass block snaps, zero pressures allowed and a 88.3 pass block grade against Mississippi State. He created protection in the pocket to allow Mateer to throw a season high in passing yards and for the run game to record nearly twice its pre-game rushing yards average.

Mateer did not say whether he felt more comfortable with Fasusi playing, but offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle saw a more composed Mateer with the lineman present.

“I think it definitely added a level of confidence to how John was feeling in-game and playing, and (Fasusi) did a great job,” Arbuckle said. “(Fasusi) earned that just with how he practiced, how he prepared, and ultimately with how he was playing, especially there early on.”

Fasusi’s presence has shown to be vital this season as OU has grappled with up-and-down performances. His impact comes from the dominant player he grew into at Lewisville High School and as a freshman at OU.

“He's really an amazing kid, and then on the field, yeah, he's a warrior,” said Michael Odle, Lewisville High School’s head coach since 2017. “He's an absolute war daddy. He's so coachable. He's smart, so his technique is flawless, and he knows what he's doing. So he's just a special, special player.”

‘Knew we had something really special’

Fasusi was unfamiliar with football when he first came to the U.S., but that soon changed.

The lineman unintentionally came across a video presumably of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, and it was an easy decision. Fasusi was inspired by Lewis’ aggression, igniting his intense mentality on the field.

“Never heard of American football ever in my life, grew up playing soccer — football (for Nigerians),  …” Fasusi said in March 2025. “Came here and the way I really learned about football was I searched up the score about a soccer match back at home, and I searched up football. And I saw, I think it was Ray Lewis or some guy. He just pops the guy, and, ‘Oh, I'm doing this.’ I didn't make up my mind at that point (but) like, ‘Oh yeah, I can for sure see myself doing this.”

Odle met Fasusi when he was in eighth grade and was impressed, though he needed much improvement. Odle saw him as a “baby” to the game of football at the time.

“It was kind of almost like a baby giraffe up there, a guy that really didn't know the game, understand the rules,” Odle said. “You saw (elite) athleticism, and you just saw an unbelievable kid. He wanted to be coached. He wanted to be loved. He wanted to learn about the culture.”

Odle saw Fasusi develop athletically and academically. Odle said that Fasusi’s growth was rapid and that it was “really cool” to see.

“As he finished his freshman year and really started to understand the rules of the game, you started to see kind of the freak athleticism with his size start to take shape,” Odle said. “And that's when that spring of his freshman year, we knew we had something really, really special in the kid by his physical characteristics and just his mental makeup and how coachable he was.”

As Fasusi grew to be dominant, he remained gentle off the field but picked up some poor habits in game that Odle helped him correct.

“(Fasusi’s) a genuine kid, but you did see the aggression come up, and I would tell him all the time to not get in these verbal battles with players. And again, early in his career, he didn't even know what all that stuff was. He didn't know how to trash talk and all those things, but he started picking up some bad habits from other players and things that happen on the field,” Odle said. “And I would just encourage him that when he puts somebody into the dirt, to just say, ‘God bless you.’ That's kind of my thing with him. So (if) somebody talks mess to you, man, God bless you. And what do you say to that? So it's kind of funny when I see him, I always say, ‘Man, you bless the people?’ He's like, ‘Yeah, you know it, Coach.’”

Fasusi helped Lewisville High School to a 12-2 record with three playoff wins his sophomore year. He did it alongside current OU teammate Sean Hutton, who he remains close friends with.

“Moving into their sophomore years, I mean, they were both anchors on our varsity offensive line, and really started developing their friendship,” Odle said.

According to Odle, Hutton helped Fasusi become acclimated to his new surroundings. That sparked a tight bond that has stayed strong in Norman.

“They were super close, and I'm sure Sean helped him immensely just with the culture of Lewisville, our program, our school, just coming over here,” Odle said. “But they've been super close since they stepped on campus. They did a lot of things together. It's like a true brotherhood with those guys.”

Lewisville did not see as much success  in their junior and senior seasons, going 8-3 and 7-4, but Fasusi continued to prosper individually, leading to recruiting attention. He was a consensus five-star and top-10 national prospect, but with his move from Nigeria, he did not know how to handle the recruiting attention.

“Managing it at first was difficult because he knew nothing about it,” Odle said. “But we just helped him along, talking to different coaches with him, whether it was on the phone or whether it was in person, teaching him … what questions to ask, how to introduce yourself. And obviously, they saw the talent; they saw the genuineness in him.”

Fasusi did not even know what a scholarship was or much about schools when initially talking with them. Odle remembers one teaching moment while in discussions with Auburn.

“I remember talking to the folks at Auburn, and he looked at me and said, ‘Hey, hey, Coach, is this Roll Tide?" Odle said. “And I was like, ‘No, no, no, no, don't say that on the phone.’ We muted the coach, and I was like, ‘That's War Eagle.’ But he just really knew nothing about it, so it was just a daily process.”

It was a process that did not just involve just Odle; it included Lewisville’s recruiting coordinators, principals and assistant principals. As Fasusi learned more about the recruiting process, OU stood out.

“We just had such great support staff around him to help him navigate through (it) and getting him to campuses, so he could meet coaches, see the lay of the land and see the program,” Odle said. “He's really relationship oriented, and (OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh) was one of the guys that was always at the forefront with the relationships that he built.”

‘Opportunity for his growth’

When Fasusi first stepped foot in Norman, he felt OU stood out in how its coaches connected with recruits.

Fasusi did not understand how different U.S. campus cultures differed. He understood, however, the value of genuine relationships and intensity of coaches.

“I think he just really loved Norman when he went up there. So it was a relationship thing. I mean, he doesn't know the history and the cultures of all these things,” Odle said. “He was meeting people and seeing what was genuine and what could help him and his family achieve their goals with a great education and a great place and his football career, (with) the best person to train him and get him to where he wanted to go.”

Fasusi ultimately committed to OU in August 2024, following Hutton’s commitment to the Sooners in June of that year.

“(Hutton) could have gone (to) a lot of places in the country and decided on OU,” Odle said. “A lot of that was Michael. A lot of that was where he wanted to be too. But I'm glad they're together; I'm glad they can do this journey together. I think their friendship is special.”

Fasusi played in 11 games his freshman season at OU, starting 10 at left tackle, and he helped OU to a College Football Playoff appearance. 

In that time, Bedenbaugh frequently reached out to Odle to praise Fasusi.

“That was incredible to watch and see, and we weren't surprised by it,” Odle said. I know coach (Bedenbaugh) would reach back out to us and just say, ‘Man, this kid is amazing. He's doing great.’”

Fasusi dealt with a shoulder injury during preseason camp going into his sophomore season. He still played in the Sooners’ opener but ended up having to miss five games after aggravating his shoulder against UTEP. He made his presence felt by supporting his team on the sidelines until he was back in action against Mississippi State.

“Getting healthy is important,” Odle said. “I think he's such a team player and such a true … study of the game. He understood that the last game he played, he wasn't using that arm much at all, and he needed to get healthy. He needed to get healthy for himself (and) his own body but for his team as well, and that's what he did. But you saw him on the sidelines, dressed out, being very involved.”

Fasusi’s mindset while injured goes back to how he handled adversity in high school.

“It happens, and there was a game he missed here,” Odle said. “We did take care of his body and get him places to help him. … But the kid has such strong faith, strong family support and is really surrounding himself with the people that can help him, mentally, spiritually and physically, do the things he needs to do to become a great football player but become a great man as well. … Everything that comes across his plate is an opportunity for his growth, and he's just better because of it.”

As the lineman continues to be a key player for OU, Odle hopes current Lewisville High School players learn from Fasusi and Hutton’s examples.

“It's big for our kids to see that success on the field (and) off the field, the mentality (and) the work ethic,” Odle said. “As much as those kids can be around the future is really, really good, and they’re great role models.”

Parker Newman, Lauren Brogdon and Tori Pham copy edited this story.