What did new OC Ben Arbuckle say about the Oklahoma Sooners 2025 recruiting class?

What did new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have to say about the Oklahoma Sooners 2025 recruiting class?

The Oklahoma Sooners finalized their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] on the first day of the [autotag]early signing period[/autotag], adding 18 players for next season from the high school ranks.

It’s the Sooners smallest recruiting class in the Brent Venables era. With a new roster limit of 105 on the horizon, the Sooners and the rest of college football will be feeling a roster crunch.

Though the Sooners added talent on both sides of the football, the players on offense weren’t recruited by Arbuckle, save for quarterback [autotag]Jett Niu[/autotag], who flipped to the Sooners on Wednesday after being committed to Oklahoma State since September. Niu was offered by Washington State earlier in the year.

So what did Arbuckle have to say about Oklahoma’s class of signees?

“These coaches did an unbelievable job. Everybody in the personnel department, everybody in scouting did an unbelievable job of finding the right talent, acquiring them and bringing them here to OU,” Arbuckle said via The Oklahoman. “I see playmakers all over the field.”

At wide receiver, the Sooners added big-time talents [autotag]Elijah Thomas[/autotag] from Checotah, Oklahoma, and [autotag]Emmanuel Choice[/autotag] out of Lancaster, Texas. The Sooners also brought in a dynamic running back, [autotag]Tory Blaylock[/autotag]. At tight end, the Sooners added Trynae Washington, who can play both offense and defense.

But where the Sooners really made strides on the recruiting trail was in their offensive line additions. Oklahoma added a pair of top-10 offensive tackles: [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag] and [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag]. The Sooners also added a trio of physical interior offensive line prospects: Darius Afalava, Owen Hollenbeck and preferred walk-on Sean Hutton.

With these additions, Arbuckle has an intriguing group of players to work with on offense. The program has to get the veterans healthy and continue to develop the offensive line. But there’s a great deal of potential if the Sooners can have better injury luck than in 2024.

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5-Star offensive tackle signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooners earn signature of five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi.

The Oklahoma Sooners completed the recruitment of five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi on the first day of the early signing period. Despite late pushes from Texas and Texas A&M to flip Fasusi from the Sooners, the Lewisville, Texas product signed with the Sooners.

Fasusi is the highest-rated prospect in the class, coming in at No. 9 in the nation, according to Rivals and ESPN. Fasusi represents the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country, providing [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] with a pair of top 10 offensive tackles in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] along with Ryan Fodje, who signed earlier in the day.

Fasusi’s been arguably the No. 1 priority for the Sooners in the cycle. He moves incredibly well in space, does a great job in pass protection, and looks to put the defender on the ground. He’s got the prototypical size for the position and will have the opportunity to push for snaps in year one with the Sooners.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDLEslsBNc4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Film

Hudl

Rating

Stars Overall Position State
ESPN 5 9 2 3
Rivals 5 12 2 4
247Sports 5 17 3 6
247 Composite 5 13 2 5
On3 Recruiting 5 22 6 7
On3 Industry 5 13 2 5

Vitals

Hometown Lewisville, Texas
Projected Position Offensive Tackle
Height 6-foot-5
Weight 299

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Where do On3 recruiting analysts believe Michael Fasusi signs?

How confident are On3 analysts that Michael Fasusi signs with the Oklahoma Sooners?

The Oklahoma Sooners are working to solidify their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] with the early signing period approaching. After a 6-6 season and the worst offenses the Sooners have put on the field over the last 25 years, the Sooners made a change at offensive coordinator that could have ripple effects on the rest of the signing class.

Arguably the biggest name in the 2025 cycle that the Sooners are hoping to have in Norman next year is [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag]. Everything has pointed to Fasusi staying committed to the Sooners but given the turmoil the offense has been in and the uncertainty surrounding the offensive staff beyond this season, Fasusi took visits to Texas and Texas A&M in recent weeks to further explore his options.

Those visits have On3 recruiting analysts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons uncertain about where Fasusi ends up. In a piece for On3, Wiltfong and Simmons evaluated some of the top prospects in the class, including Fasusi, and projected where they’d sign, offering a level of confidence to their prediction as well.

For Fasusi, they believe it’ll be Oklahoma, but their confidence level is low.

Texas and Texas A&M had Michael Fasusi on campus the last two weekends, but he goes into signing day committed to Oklahoma. Out of the in-state schools Texas A&M has a little more buzz than Texas, but he has relationships at both in-state schools and they will recruit him hard until he signs the papers. Will that be enough? Oklahoma is in this deep. The relationships are strong. He felt good about the Sooners in August and they hope to make that commitment official on Wednesday. – Simmons, On3

All signs point to Bill Bedenbaugh staying on as offensive line coach after the hiring of Ben Arbuckle. As it should be. Despite the down year for the offensive line, Bedenbaugh is widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the business at every level of the sport. Bedenbaugh’s track record and his relationship with Fasusi are the major driving forces in the recruitment.

Oklahoma appears to be in a really strong position to land the five-star prospect out of Lewisville, Texas. But nothing’s certain until pen is put to paper. Where will Michael Fasusi sign? We’ll find out soon with the early signing period opening on Wednesday.

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Longhorns to host 5-star recruit during Kentucky game

In the Longhorns’ final home game of the season, he will headline a talented group of recruits that features players from the 2025 and 2026 classes.

As the Longhorns look to improve their 2025 class, their next target is five-star offensive tackle and Oklahoma Sooners commit Michael Fasusi. While Fasusi is a Sooner at the moment, that hasn’t stopped the Longhorn’s pursuit. The five-star recruit will be in Austin on Saturday for a visit when Texas takes on Kentucky.

While Fasusi’s recent visit has made headlines, it is not his first trip to Austin. He made multiple unofficial visits to Texas last fall and made an official visit over the summer. In the Longhorns’ final home game of the season, he will headline a talented group of recruits that features players from the 2025 and 2026 classes.

If the Longhorns are able to flip Fasusi, they would be adding a future star to their already talented incoming class. At the moment, their 2025 class has five offensive linemen, led by four-star Nick Brooks. While he has a bright future, Brooks doesn’t have the same ceiling as Fasusi.

Currently, the Texas native is ranked as the sixth-best player in the state and 17th-best player in the nation by 247Sports. That has made Fasusi one of the most popular prospects at his position.

Although the Longhorns’ goal will be to wrap up their home schedule with a win, they will also be looking to show Fasusi that his future should be in Texas over Oklahoma.

Oklahoma 5-star offensive tackle commit set to visit Texas

Oklahoma Sooners five-star offensive tackle to visit Texas and Texas A&M in coming weeks according to reports.

“The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” was the phrase you could hear during ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” which was a feature on Saturday afternoons in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.

It also fully encapsulates the roller coaster ride that is recruiting.

Oklahoma earned a huge recruiting win back in August when five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag] pledged to the Sooners over the Texas Longhorns. However, with the early signing period just a few weeks away, that commitment appears to be wavering.

With the Oklahoma Sooners set to host the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, Fasusi will instead be taking a visit to Austin to watch the Longhorns take on the Kentucky Wildcats.

According to a report from Collin Kennedy of Sooners Illustrated, that’s not the only visit he’s going to take.

After visiting with Texas this weekend, Fasusi will head to College Station for the regular season finale when the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies reignite their in-state rivalry game.

This comes after Fasusi shared with OUInsider “It’s Sooner for life” just last week.

That would be a huge hit to the Sooners 2025 recruiting class. Fasusi is the cornerstone piece for Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners. As the Sooners have struggled along the offensive line, Fasusi, along with fellow offensive tackle commit Ryan Fodje provided hope for the future.

Now that hope appears to be fizzling with Fasusi flirting with Texas and Texas A&M. Visits are not commitments or flips, but it certainly looks ominous for the Oklahoma Sooners that he’s taking visits this late in the recruiting cycle.

Still, the Sooners and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has built a strong relationship with the five-star offensive tackle and his family. The Sooners still have time to reinforce that relationship.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2025 commit earns 5-star status with On3

Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle commit earns five-star status from On3.

The highest-profile recruitment of the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] for the Oklahoma Sooners was offensive tackle [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag]. Out of Lewisville, Texas, the highly regarded prospect had offers from all over the country, but his recruitment came down to Oklahoma and the Texas Longhorns.

The Oklahoma Sooners earned Fasusi’s commitment and have held onto it despite their 5-5 season. As the early signing period approaches, it looks like Oklahoma will add another five-star prospect to the roster.

Fasusi was already considered a five-star prospect by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN, but he moved into five-star territory in On3’s latest update, climbing to No. 22 in the nation. He’s considered the No. 6 offensive tackle prospect in the class by On3.

Fasusi was a huge win for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and the Sooners. He has the ability to play early and be a key to the Sooners’ success.

Michael Fasusi Prospect Ratings

Stars Overall Position State
ESPN 5 9 2 3
Rivals 5 12 2 4
247Sports 5 17 3 6
247Sports Composite 5 12 2 5
On3 5 22 6 7
On3 Industry Ranking 5 10 2 4

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Texas A&M is still in the running 2025 5-star OT and Oklahoma commit

Texas A&M’s coaching staff is attempting to flip 2025 5-star OT Michael Fasusi from Oklahoma

Texas A&M’s recruiting momentum under first-year head coach Mike Elko has continued this deep into the regular season, as the Aggies’ recent win over LSU in front of nearly 50 recruits led to three consecutive commitments in the 2026 cycle.

In the 2025 cycle, Elko and O-line coach Adam Cushing have landed six offensive line commitments, with the latest being 4-star guard Nelson McGuire, one of the more underated propsects in the trenches. However, the program failed to reel in the big fish that is 5-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi, who committed to Oklahoma in late August.

While the Sooners had been the favorite for quite some time, the program’s future under head coach Brent Venables is in shaky territory, currently sitting at 5-4 and 1-4 in SEC play while consistently looking like one of the worst teams in the conference on a weekly basis.

According to Rivals recruiting insider Sam Spiegelman, both Texas A&M and the Texas Longhorns coaching staffs are working to flip Fasusi’s commitment, as Elko and Cushing are attempting get the talented tackle back to College Station, most likely for the blockbust regular season finale vs. Texas on Saturday, Nov. 30.

Currently sitting atop the SEC standings with a 5-0 conference record, the Aggies are looking like the team to beat on the recruiting trail, especially the 2024 team continues to rack up wins.

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Texas A&M loses out on 2025 5-star OT out of Lewisville (TX)

2025 5-star OT Michael Fasusi has committed to Oklahoma over Texas and Texas A&M.

You can’t win them all on the recruiting trail.

Texas A&M’s valiant effort to land a commitment from 2025 5-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi fell short on Wednesday afternoon. The Lewisville, Texas native chose the Oklahoma Sooners over the Aggies and the Texas Longhorns.

While Fasusi has immediate starting ability once he steps on campus, Texas A&M’s head coach, Mike Elko, and his staff know that nothing is set in stone until any recruit, including Fasusi, signs on the dotted line, the Aggies’ offensive line haul in the 2025 cycle is impressive enough to suffer this blow.

So far, Elko and O-line coach Adam Cushing have landed five commitments at tackle and guard. The freshmen offensive line class features several future contributors, including offensive tackles Ashton Funk and Blake Ivy, who look like future bookend starters.

From my own point of view, Oklahoma O-line coach Bill Bedenbaugh deserves a ton of credit for landing this commitment, especially after producing back-to-back first-round NFL draft selections in tackles Anton Harrison (Jacksonville) and Tyler Guyton (Dallas).

According to 247Sports, Fasusi is currently positioned as the 27th-ranked prospect in the 2025 cycle, the 5th-ranked offensive tackle prospect, and the 8th-ranked prospect in Texas.

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2025 Oklahoma Sooners commitment tracker

Oklahoma Sooners 2025 commitment tracker

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a much faster start in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] than in 2024. In fact, [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] committed to the 2025 class (March 13, 2023) before OU had received its first commitment for the 2024 class: [autotag]Jeremiah Newcombe[/autotag] (March 25, 2023).

The Sooners have put together another phenomenal class but the centerpiece came when five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi committed to the Sooners on Wednesday. That gave Oklahoma their third straight recruiting class with at least one five-star prospect and their fifth in the last three years.

Additionally, it provided another elite piece for the Sooners to work with in the trenches after adding [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] in 2023 and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] in 2024 on the defensive side of the ball. Now, Bill Bedenbaugh has his cornerstone of the future on the offensive side of the ball. The Sooners have been working overtime to strengthen their talent along the line of scrimmage.

Now with Fasusi committed, the Sooners turn their attention to [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag], [autotag]Christian Jones[/autotag], and [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag], their final big-time targets in the 2025 cycle. Babalola is said to be down to Michigan, Stanford, and Oklahoma. Jones is leaning toward Nebraska but likely won’t commit until the fall. Williams was once a heavy Oklahoma lean, but his recruitment has broadened over the last six months to include LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Oregon. There could also be a surprise addition or flip over the next few months ahead of the early signing period.

Here are the players committed to the Oklahoma Sooners’ [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

Updated: August 21, 2024

Consensus 2025 five-star OT Michael Fasusi picks Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma earns a commitment from 2025 five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi.

Oklahoma has its big fish for the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

Since Brent Venables took over, five-star prospects [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], Peyton Bowen and David Stone highlighted their recruiting classes. For 2025, it’s [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag].

Fasusi is a five-star offensive tackle prospect from Texas who hails from the same high school that produced Sooners four-star defensive back Jaydan Hardy last year. Lewisville High School, located just under 45 minutes from Dallas, has been kind to the Sooners in recent years, and on Tuesday, the Sooners reaped the benefits again.

Fasusi’s recruitment has been national since he was a sophomore when it was apparent he was heading for five-star status. The Sooners offered Fasusi in January 2023, and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been relentless in his efforts to land Fasusi. Even with the rise of other highly sought offensive tackle prospects in this class, Bedenbuagh and OU remained in hot pursuit.

Their relationship was an integral part of the Sooners winning out.  Bedenbaugh’s track record is second to none in developing talent along the offensive line.

 

Fasusi is an incredible asset to the Sooners, and beating out Texas and Texas A&M is nothing to scoff at. Texas has been a major player in this recruitment, and at times this year, it felt as if the Sooners were in second place. Oklahoma weathered the highs and lows of the recruitment and advances from other challengers.

In April, predictions heavily favored the Texas Longhorns, but over the last week, insiders that cover the Longhorns began to flip their predictions to the Sooners. National recruiting figures such as Tom Loy, Matt Zenitz and Steve Wiltfong reinforced the shift.

Kyle Flood is a well-respected name in offensive line recruiting, so beating him and Texas, especially with Texas’ recruiting ability on the offensive line of late, is worthy of even more praise for Bedenbaugh and the Sooners as the dust settles.

On the field, Fasusi is a dynamic prospect. Gabe Brooks, a scouting analyst for 247Sports, compared Fasusi to a former Sooner.

Gifted O-lineman with true book-end tackle potential. Possesses excellent physical tools and promising athletic context in track and field and combine testing categories. Legitimately 6-foot-5 with long arms and a big reach. Wears mass well and owns space to add more bulk. Multi-sport athlete with 50+ shot put and 150+ discus prowess. Grew up playing soccer and is young for the 2025 cycle. Similarly explosive metrics in vertical and broad jump relative to OT projection. Shows foot quickness and agility to live on an island in pass protection. Nimbleness translates to movement ability in the run game. Flashes some punch power that should become more consistent with continued development. Improved phone-booth strength from sophomore to junior year. Length and athleticism help in recovery vs. twitchy edge speed, but will need to continue technical development to match P4-caliber foes at point of attack. Somewhat high-cut build and plays upright at times. Getting more comfortable as a convicted block-finishing presence, but can still unleash more mean streak. Entering senior year, looks like one of the nation’s top 2025 offensive tackle prospects. Projects as a high-major multi-year starter with physical and athletic specs that suggest early-round NFL Draft upside. – Brooks, 247Sports

As for the Sooner, Brooks had in mind as a comparison for Fasusi? Wanya Morris. Morris transferred to Oklahoma and spent two years as a Sooner before being drafted last year by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he is a starter on the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champs alongside another Bedenbaugh product, All-Pro center Creed Humphrey.

Oklahoma had to land Fasusi after missing on [autotag]Lamont Rogers[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag] and trailing in the race for [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag]. It was a non-negotiable as all four prospects were top 100 players.

Fortunately, the Sooners have their left tackle for the future. Pairing him with the fast-rising Ryan Fodje, an ascending player over the last year, as well as interior offensive linemen [autotag]Darius Afalava[/autotag] and [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag] makes for an even stronger offensive line recruiting class. The Sooners are well positioned to keep [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] upright as the Sooners settle in as SEC members in the coming years.

With Fasusi on board, the Sooners vaulted from 11th in 247Sports team recruiting rankings to eighth, right behind Texas A&M. Fasusi becomes the first five-star offensive lineman in Norman since [autotag]Brey Walker[/autotag].

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