Tag: Ryan Fodje

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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4-Star offensive tackle signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners earn a signature from four-star offensive tackle during the early signing period.

The Oklahoma Sooners earned a signature from one of the fastest-rising players in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] in offensive tackle [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag], who signed with the OU during the [autotag]early signing period[/autotag].

In the summer prior to his junior year, Fodje camped with the Sooners and in August of 2023, earned an offer from Bill Bedenbaugh and Oklahoma. The offer represented his first collegiate offer, but it didn’t take long for the rest of the Power Four to notice the standout offensive tackle from Bridgeland, Texas.

Over the next five months, offers rolled in from Nebraska, Tennessee, Baylor, TCU, Texas A&M, Arkansas, USC, Missouri, Kansas, Cal, SMU, Oregon, Oklahoma State, and most notably, the Texas Longhorns. Fodje attended junior day in Austin, but it didn’t move the needle enough to dissuade him from committing to the school and the offensive line coach who offered him first.

Fodje has the ability to play offensive tackle in the SEC, showing off fantastic athleticism and physicality at the point of attack. He’s got the size and length needed to be an impact player for the Oklahoma Sooners. He has every bit of the ceiling that the highly-touted five-star offensive tackles in the 2025 cycle have. Now, he’ll begin working on continuing his upward trajectory at the University of Oklahoma.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDKHN9nxXWa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Film

 Rating

Stars Overall Position State
ESPN 4 221 28 35
Rivals 4 — 30 43
247Sports 4 87 12 21
247 Composite 4 126 11 22
On3 Recruiting 4 68 10 15
On3 Industry 4 94 10 18

Vitals

Hometown Bridgeland, Texas
Projected Position OT
Height 6-foot-5
Weight 300

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5-star offensive tackle includes Oklahoma Sooners in Top 3

The Oklahoma Sooners were included in five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood’s top 3.

Offensive line recruiting is the biggest storyline across the country in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. The Sooners are in the mix for a number of blue-chip offensive linemen, hoping to add to their group up front that includes four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] and three-star prospect [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag].

Though it looks like he’s been trending away from the Sooners, five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag] included Oklahoma in his top three schools as his recruitment roars on. The Sooners were included alongside Alabama and Florida State.

There was a time the Sooners were considered the favorite before Texas A&M made a strong push, and more recently, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

SoonerScoop and On3’s Josh McCuistion put in an On3 prediction favoring the Crimson Tide. Haywood is considered the No. 2 offensive tackle in the On3 industry rankings and the No. 9 overall prospect.

At the moment, it may look like Haywood is trending away, but don’t count the Sooners out just yet. They’ve recruited really well over the course of Brent Venables’ tenure at Oklahoma.

Even if they can’t land a commitment from Haywood, the Sooners are still very much in the mix for five-star prospects [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag], four-star tackle [autotag]Lamont Rogers[/autotag], and Rivals four-star prospect [autotag]Darius Afalava[/autotag].

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Sooners make top 4 for 2025 4-star OL Darius Afalava

After hosting him on his official visit, the Oklahoma Sooners make top four for Rivals four-star offensive lineman Darius Afalava.

Much like defensive line recruiting did for the 2024 cycle, offensive line is taking center stage for the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. The Oklahoma Sooners currently have two offensive linemen committed to the class, offensive tackle [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] and interior offensive line prospect [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag].

As the Sooners continue to press for some of the five-star prospects in the class, they have also zeroed in on Rivals four-star prospect [autotag]Darius Afalava[/autotag]. Afalava is considered the top player in the state of Utah by Rivals and the No. 25 interior offensive line prospect. ESPN has Afalava ranked as the No. 19 player at his position.

On Wednesday, the Lehi, Utah native included the Oklahoma Sooners in his top four along with the Utah Utes, Michigan State Spartans, and Washington Huskies.

He has 24 offers with notable programs like Michigan, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, Ole Miss, Nebraska, and LSU pursuing Afalava as well.

Afalava is 6-foot-5 and according to On3, weighs 280 pounds. He recently spent time with the Oklahoma Sooners on his official visit and left with a positive impression of [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] program.

The Oklahoma Sooners are in a great spot in their pursuit of Afalava, who would provide another strong and athletic interior offensive line prospect for [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] to work with.

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Sooners pick up On3 prediction for underrated in-state offensive line prospect

After a successful spring game weekend, the Oklahoma Sooners picked up an On3 prediction for the underrated Antoni Ogumoro.

The Oklahoma Sooners have made significant progress for the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. One area where the Sooners are thriving on the recruiting trail is along the offensive line. They hold commitments from [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag] and [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] and have put themselves in strong standing with blue-chip prospects like [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag].

The Sooners have also moved the needle for one of the more under-the-radar prospects in the 2025 class, [autotag]Antoni Ogumoro[/autotag]. After spending time with the Sooners at the Oklahoma spring game, Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop and On3 issued an On3 prediction favoring the Sooners.

Ogumoro is considered a three-star prospect by Rivals and On3 but has the potential to end up much higher in the 2025 recruiting rankings. On3 considers Ogumoro the No. 10 player in the state of Oklahoma and a top 25 interior offensive line prospect in the country.

The Elgin, Okla. product hasn’t been playing offensive line for very long, but he has all the tools to be a fantastic offensive lineman at the collegiate level.

Here’s what I had to say about Antoni Ogumoro back in March.

Omugoro is a legit athlete with the quickness and agility to be a star at the collegiate level. He moves well for someone 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds. A basketball player as well for Elgin, he’s also a physical offensive lineman at the point of attack.

Ogumoro shouldn’t be able to move the way he does at his size, but he’s fluid, athletic, and displays good footwork. His skills on the basketball court have translated better to the offensive line than they did to the defensive front, where he started out as a football player.

Don’t let the ranking or star status fool you. Ogumoro is a player. By the end of the cycle, he should be in blue-chip territory.

Ogumoro has set a commitment date for May 21, 2024. He holds offers from Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Kansas State, UNC, TCU, Virginia Tech, Duke, Cincinnati, and Iowa State.

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Sooners an early SEC winner in the 2025 recruiting class

The Oklahoma Sooners are one of the early winners in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Brent Venables and his coaching staff can recruit. They’ve put together top 10 classes in each of their first national signing days in Norman. That includes the 2022 class, when they only had a couple of months to recover the class after Lincoln Riley left.

And they’re already off to a fantastic start to the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. According to College Sports Wire, the Oklahoma Sooners are one of the early winners out of the SEC in the 2025 cycle.

New to the SEC, Oklahoma currently holds nine commitments in their 2025 recruiting class to rank No. 6 in the nation, as well as second in the conference. Headlining that group is a trio of Top 200 prospects [autotag]Elijah Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag], and [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag], the first of which is one of the top players in the state of Oklahoma. – Mett Melton, College Sports Wire

Sperry made noise when he jumped the 2024 recruiting class with his March 2023 commitment. He’s been locked in since and helping Oklahoma recruit. The four-star prospect is a talented passer who could ascend to five-star status by the end of the cycle.

Wide receiver is a strength of this recruiting cycle. Emmett Jones has commitments from talented four-star prospects Elijah Thomas and  [autotag]Trynae Washington[/autotag], and three-star receiver [autotag]Gracen Harris[/autotag]. It’s a dynamic group with big-time playmaking ability. As Jones has shown us in his time with the Sooners, he’ll continue to recruit to add talent to the wide receiver group.

The Sooners 2025 recruiting class got a big boost from the addition of Ryan Fodje. They were ahead of the curve on Fodje, who’s gone from being largely unknown in recruiting circles to a top-100 prospect in the cycle. Fodje joins [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag], who a lot of people believe will be a standout interior offensive lineman.

And they’re still in the mix for several five-star offensive tackles. Oklahoma’s been projected to land [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag], and many feel they’re in a good position for [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag]. They also have moved the needle for [autotag]Antoni Omugoro[/autotag], an athletic offensive line prospect from Elk City.

Offensive line could end up having the star power that the defensive line had for the 2024 class.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Sooners are on track to land their fourth five-star prospect since Venables’ arrival if the projections for five-star safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag] hold up.

With less than a year to go in the 2025 recruiting cycle, the Sooners have positioned themselves to have another strong group of prospects joining the program next year.

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5-Star Denton Ryan offensive tackle sets official visit

The Oklahoma Sooners are high on another 5-Star tackle’s list and have found out when his official visit will be.

[autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] is already working his magic as he hopes to land some of the top prospects along the offensive line in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

This year he’s in on several five-star offensive linemen and he’s already landed the commitment from [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag], a four-star offensive tackle who ranks in the top 80 nationally in 2025.

One who many think Oklahoma is in the best position for is five-star Denton (Ryan), Texas offensive tackle, [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag]. According to On3’s consensus rankings, Haywood ranks as the No. 13 overall prospect and the No. 2 offensive tackle.

On Sunday he announced when his official visit will take place to the Sooners. That visit will take place June 14-16.

Right now Oklahoma holds a major lead for Haywood according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. They hold a 92% chance of earning his commitment.

If the school sounds familiar, that’s where current Sooner Billy Bowman went to high school. So, there is at least some familiarity there that could be in Oklahoma’s favor in the long run.

Still, with any five-tar prospect, it’s going to be a long process before you are able to land their commitment. Then once you get their commitment, it’s about holding it all the way until Signing Day which can be just as challenging as getting it in the first place.

Needless to say, Oklahoma has a long way to go.

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Sooners 2025 OT commit Ryan Fodje sees big jump in latest 247Sports rankings update

Sooners offensive tackle commit Ryan Fodje earns a huge bump in 247Sports updated rankings.

When Cypress offensive tackle [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, it kind of came out of nowhere. It wasn’t surprising that he committed to OU, but that he committed just as his recruitment was beginning to take off.

In the weeks leading to his commitment, the Power Five offers began to roll in. But his relationship with the Sooners was enough to make Fodje sure about where he was heading.

In the summer of 2023, Fodje spent time at Brent Venables football camp, catching the eye of the Sooners coaching staff, who later would become the first to offer the talented offensive tackle in August.

When he committed to the Sooners, he was considered a three-star prospect and the No. 304 prospect in the nation, according to 247Sports. In about a month, he’s jumped to the No. 80 player in the country and is a solid four-star offensive tackle. His rise has been impressive, and Fodje is now the top-rated player in the Sooners [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

Cypress (Texas) Bridgeland’s Ryan Fodje leaps into the top 100 nationally thanks to just how well his junior tape stacked up among the elite offensive tackle prospects across the country. Tall, long, relatively lean, and agile, Fodje — not 17 years old until mid-summer — played right tackle primarily this past fall, but flashes the functional athleticism and bend of a potential blind-side protector in the long run. We are excited to learn more about the Oklahoma pledge this spring. – Gabe Brooks, 247Sports

The rest of the country is catching up to what offensive line coach [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] saw last summer when he was an unrated prospect.

Much like [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] did in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Fodje could ultimately join the ranks of five-star players in the 2025 class. He’s got elite athleticism and refined technique for a junior in high school. And while a pair of Oklahoma offensive tackle targets are currently rated higher than Fodje, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Fodje to catch them in the rankings over the next year.

The Sooners have an elite prospect on their hands with Fodje, a player that could develop into another Bedenbaugh future first round NFL draft pick.

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The nation’s No. 3 offensive tackle in 2025 sets visit to Oklahoma

One of the nation’s top offensive lineman is making his way to Norman once again. He talks about what he likes about the Sooners.

If you follow recruiting much, you know this is a big year for [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive line recruiting efforts. The Sooners already got one commit from four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] and have a pledge from three-star prospect Owen Hollenbeck.

But that’s just the start. The Sooners are also in a great position for a few of the top-ranked tackles in the country like [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag], [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag] and [autotag]Lamont Rogers[/autotag]. Another one they are in a great position for is [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag].

Babalola is ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle by 247Sports. He’s even set up a few upcoming visits which include a stop back in Norman. He spoke with Steve Wiltfong about (Subscription Required) his recent visit to Oklahoma on Junior Day.

“I had a great time in Norman,” Babalola said. “Getting to be around Coach V, Coach Bedenbaugh and the rest of the guys on the team was great. They made me feel important and I appreciate that. Just how real they were with me, the in-depth convos, all of that, it was great.”

As for why he is so high on the Sooners? “What’s different about OU is S.O.U.L Mission, nobody in the country really has anything like that. They have five people working full time that are dedicated to it, and they make a big emphasis on equipping their players with skills for life after football.”

The S.O.U.L. Mission has made an impression on prospects and their families over the past several recruiting cycles. It’s been a key component to OU’s recruiting efforts. Let’s see if it can move the needle enough for Oklahoma to land the top five offensive tackle prospect.

The blue chipper will be back at Oklahoma on April 12.

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Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 3-Star OT Ryan Fodje

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up their 10th commitment in the 2025 recruiting cycle with a pledge from offensive tackle Ryan Fodje.

The Oklahoma Sooners hot start in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] continued Sunday morning with a commitment from offensive tackle [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag].

Fodje is currently considered a three-star prospect according to 247Sports and On3 but has received a lot of buzz in recent months, picking up a number of high-profile offers.

In addition to the Sooners’ offer, Fodje holds offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, and USC. He’s considered a top 30 offensive tackle prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle but could see his stock rise.

Last summer, Fodje spent time with the Sooners at Brent Venables Football Camp and earned an offer from Oklahoma in August. That August 26 offer from OU was his first, but over the last four months picked up 18 more offers. In the last couple of weeks, he received offers from Texas, Oklahoma State, and Oregon among others. He even spent time at Texas’ Junior Day on January 20.

The commitment marks the Sooners 10th in the [autotag]2025 recruiting cycle[/autotag] and second offensive line commitment, joining [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag] from Melissa, Texas.

Fodje moves very well with his 6-foot-5, 275-pound frame. He has a nice first step in pass protection and uses his length well. As a run blocker, Fodje is a physical player. Once he engages his defender, he doesn’t disengage until the opponent is on the ground or the play is over. He does a great job driving his feet and blocking through the whistle. He’s a natural athlete who has all the tools to make a huge impact at the University of Oklahoma.

More: Oklahoma Sooners 2025 commitment tracker.

Ryan Fodje’s Recruiting Profile

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