Tag: Troy Everett

Sooners land commitment from SMU transfer center Branson Hickman

Former SMU center Branson Hickman committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday.

With spring ball wrapping up, Oklahoma enters the break with a clear understanding of what their roster needs are before they return to campus for summer workouts.

One of those needs was filled on Sunday as the Oklahoma Sooners landed a commitment from former SMU center Branson Hickman.

Hickman entered the transfer portal in January and already holds his degree from SMU. Oklahoma reached out to him after Troy Everett’s injury, and he visited for the spring game. The visit went well enough this weekend that he committed. With more than 2,400 snaps to his ledger, he’s all but assured a leg up on starting at center this season.

Depth at the center was a significant issue when Everett went down. Joshua Bates was good in the spring game, but the addition of Hickman allows the Sooners to continue to be patient with Bates as he develops.

Hickman spent four seasons with the Mustangs. He started the final 33 games, including 12 in 2022 and all 14 this past season. This past season, he was named to the Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List, which honors the best centers in the NCAA. He was also a Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection this year.

Hickman may be on the smaller side, playing just under 300 pounds this past year. However, his football IQ and technique have been lauded. He should add a lot of stability to the Sooners’ offensive line as they try to stabilize it in front of new starting quarterback Jackson Arnold.

Oklahoma’s commitment to improving their line play before entering the SEC continues with this commitment.

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Sooners center Troy Everett to have surgery, miss significant time

Brent Venables confirmed Tuesday night that projected starting center Troy Everett suffered an injury that would require hime to miss significant time.

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line has been under the microscope this offseason. They’re working to replace all five starters up front, including a projected first-rounder at tackle, [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag].

The Sooners have a good amount of competitive depth to work within their position battles this spring, but that depth took a hit at practice last week. It was reported by several outlets that center [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] went down in practice and didn’t return. At the time it was speculated to be a knee injury, though the severity was unknown.

At last night’s media availability, Oklahoma head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] revealed that the injury would require surgery. Venables shared that Everett would have surgery on Wednesday and miss significant time this offseason.

“We got some bad news with Troy Everett. He’s going to have a surgery,” Venables said. “But we’re hoping to see him back by the end of fall camp or so. And if anybody can do it, he will. We’ve got great doctors and a great plan for him.”

According to reports, Everett had been working with the first-team offense, but now the Sooners will turn to their depth to prepare for 2024.

[autotag]Josh Bates[/autotag] is expected to get the first crack at taking over for Everett. He hasn’t played much for the Sooners to this point, but the coaching staff are high on his potential.

“And we got a tougher guy out here than Josh Bates, man,” Venables said. “He’s just a football player.”

Edmond Santa Fe 2024 signee [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag] and Washington transfer [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] will also get some opportunities as well.

Oklahoma expects Everett to be back by the end of fall camp, but competition this spring could provide another answer at center for the fall if Everett isn’t ready to go for week one of the season.

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Febechi Nwaiwu could be the next star offensive lineman for the Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners signed a pretty good transfer class but one guy flying under the radar is offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu.

The Oklahoma Sooners have spent their offseason trying to build their offensive line and make it SEC ready. They signed four from the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] and five in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag].

The aggressiveness comes after they lost five starters from a season ago. Only two who started any games last season return: [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag].

One guy I’m highest on and think could be Oklahoma’s next star offensive lineman is North Texas transfer [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag].

When I watch Nwaiwu’s film, this guy has power and moves really well. He has really good size at 6 feet, 4 inches and 326 pounds. He’s a perfect guard for the Sooners this season. I’ve heard nothing but praise so far in the offseason and that only increases my expectations for him.

Nwaiwu spoke about the pitch to him to come to Norman and how he’d fit into the current offensive line roster.

“He (Bill Bedenbaugh) told me he saw a lot of potential in me,” Nwaiwu said. “He also told me that there were a lot of things I could also work on that he thinks he could help me get better at. That’s what really helped sell me that it’s not just that I’m good but that he can make me even better.”

There is a world where Nwaiwu has a big season and is one and done at Oklahoma but I think he could be a two-year guy. I also think he could get some postseason conference recognition and be another draft pick along the offensive line for the Sooners.

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Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line getting acclimated

Sooners offensive line getting closer as spring football is here.

The 2024 season for the Oklahoma Sooners will be defined by how well the offensive line plays. Oklahoma has a five-star quarterback taking the reigns in [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], a deep wide receiver room, and a running back in [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], who closed the season with five straight 100-yard games.

But along the offensive line, Sooners are replacing five starters from last season.

They do return [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], who started the last few games, and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], who started a couple of games in the middle of the season. Even though they’ve added transfer players with starting experience like [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], there are still jobs up for grabs.

Bill Bedenbaugh has made it clear in his career he will start the best five. So, what these guys did previously doesn’t matter. That means even some of the young guys like [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag] will get a look.

Akinkunmi shared what it’s been like being around the other offensive linemen so far. “Getting to know those guys is amazing,” Akinkunmi said. “I absolutely love every single one of them. I feel like we are just getting closer and closer as the weeks go by. I feel like we are all close because we are all different and have different backgrounds.”

Akinkunmi said that hasn’t stopped the competition because having a strong offensive line group is important. As for the thing he was looking for most, as spring ball started on Monday? To show people what he can do and prove the doubters wrong.

Akinkunmi has quickly become one of my favorite recruits. I’m not sure he will see much playing time this season. He may need a year or two to develop. But with his mindset, I wouldn’t put anything past him.

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Oklahoma Sooners must solve their offensive line problem heading into 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners have their work cut out for them with the offensive line but could any of the young guys be an answer?

There is no doubt the Oklahoma Sooners’ biggest question mark heading into 2024 and their inaugural season in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] is the offensive line. The Sooners lose five guys who started a bunch of games last season.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Four are off to the [autotag]NFL[/autotag]. The other found a new home in Missouri. That means the Sooners will have their work cut out for them to replace those five.

[autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] played some at guard but started the bowl game at center, which is probably his more natural position. We’ll see if he wins that job, but it appears he’s the leader to take over for Raym. [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games after Guyton went down with an injury and did pretty well. The Sooners also brought in two transfers [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], who look poised to take over at tackle and guard.

But that still leaves spots unfilled. The Sooners are almost certainly going to remain active in the portal, but it’s also possible an incoming freshman gets a look. Most people have assumed that would be [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], seeing how highly thought of he is. But a constantly mentioned top performer at the Under Armour All-American events is [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag].

“I don’t know where it will start for me, but I’m just going to go in there and ball out,” Brooks said. “I’m going to work my butt off. I’m going to go in there every day and give it 110% and be the first one in and the last one out.”

It seems with Brooks, [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], Pierre-Louis, [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Aisosa[/autotag], the Sooners have a class of offensive linemen that are physical and bring some nasty back to the offensive line.

That’s something they’ve been missing the last few years, and something we know Bedenbaugh wants out of his linemen. Combine that with what appears to be a strong work ethic from each, and Oklahoma could have a better offensive line class than many thought initially.

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Oklahoma Sooners depth chart for Alamo Bowl matchup vs. Arizona Wildcats

A look at the Oklahoma Sooners depth chart heading into the Alamo Bowl.

The Oklahoma Sooners released the depth chart for the 2023 Valero Alamo Bowl matchup with the Arizona Wildcats.

The depth chart is one of the more intriguing storylines, considering the opt outs and the transfer departures. That is particularly true on the offensive side of the ball. Oklahoma will break in a new starting quarterback and multiple offensive linemen when it takes on an Arizona defense that ranked No. 27 in the nation in points per game allowed.

The biggest storyline for the Sooners comes at quarterback. Jackson Arnold is set to make his first career start for OU. That alone makes the game incredibly intriguing for the Sooners, who hope Arnold can take their offense to another level as they prepare for their first season in the SEC.

The Oklahoma Sooners depth chart heading into the Alamo Bowl:

Oklahoma Sooners receive three predictions for transfer offensive lineman

Oklahoma Sooners could be getting some more good news, this time in the transfer portal.

It’s no secret, the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot of work to do along the offensive line before next season. The Sooners must replace all five starters from this season, although [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] started a few games in 2023.

[autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] are gone. Sexton replaced Guyton at the end of the season due to an injury. Everett played some guard earlier in the year when they were trying to solidify that position before Green took over.

The Sooners brought in [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag], who is the top interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class, according to Rivals. While [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] showed he will play freshmen, we know that’s not what he wants to do.

So, the Sooners have hit the portal hard. They’ve received one commitment, former Michigan State Spartans offensive tackle [autotag]Spencer Brown[/autotag]. Now, they’ve received three predictions from SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuiston, Michigan State insider Justin Thind and national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn for his running mate at guard, [autotag]Geno VanDeMark[/autotag].

VanDeMark and Brown started on the right side of the line, so they have chemistry playing together. Given Sexton played right tackle, those two could be moved to the left side or they could move Sexton to the left side if VanDeMark were to sign.

Michigan State had an up-and-down season, and so did VanDeMark, although his best games came against his best competition. According to Pro Football Focus, he had pass-blocking grades of 71.7, 76.6, and 86.4 against the Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He definitely is better at pass blocking than run blocking, although he’s solid at that as well. Ultimately, he would bring experience and depth to a depleted offensive line.

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Sooners trying to figure out the offensive line for the bowl game

The Sooners will be down three offensive line starters heading into the bowl game something they are still trying to figure out.

The Sooners are two weeks away from taking on the [autotag]Arizona Wildcats[/autotag] in the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag]. One thing several teams, including the Sooners, have to deal with is players opting out of their bowl game.

As of now, the Sooners are going to be down three starting offensive linemen. [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] announced they would opt out to prepare for the NFL Draft and [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] shocked everyone by announcing he would be entering the transfer portal. Although as of this moment, he hasn’t officially entered.

Thankfully for Oklahoma, seniors [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag] and [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag] appear to be playing in the game, giving them some stability. Also, [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] started the last few games for Guyton, who was battling an injury. So, they’ll have three players with starting experience this season ready to line up for the Sooners against the Wildcats.

Now, they have to figure out the center position and left guard. During the media viewing opportunity, it looked like freshman [autotag]Josh Bates[/autotag] was the one handling the snapping duties. [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag] is who many think will take over that position but he was mainly an observer. It’s unclear if that is injury-related.

Mettauer talked about how key it is for the linemen to know multiple positions. “We don’t really know what the starting lineup is going to be yet,” Mettauer said. “But Coach B (Bill Bedenbaugh) does a good job at, we practice at a lot of different positions so him shifting us around during our individual period is good. We can play whatever. I mean it’s our responsibility to know both sides.”

On top of all of that, a true freshman will be making his first career start at quarterback. What a way to have your first start.

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2023 Position Review and Recruiting Outlook: Sooners offensive line marked by inconsistency

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line was up-and-down in 2023 but once again finished strong and the future is bright.

The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line had an up-and-down season in 2023. They once again started the season slow, which has become a common theme in recent years.

But they were able to close the season pretty well, another common theme under Bill Bedenbaugh. It was a weird year for the offensive line that saw a lot of reshuffling up front.

They started the season with [autotag]Walter Rouse[/autotag], [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Guyton[/autotag] as the starters along the line. At various points in the season, the line changed whether that was [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] or [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag] working their way into the starting lineup.

This was a group I was very high on to start the season, so let’s take a look at how I thought they fared.

15 highest graded Oklahoma Sooners on offense per Pro Football Focus for 2023

The 15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners on offense after the regular season.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ offense had a banner year in 2023. A number of players had great seasons for an offense that finished No. 3 in the nation in scoring and No. 4 in total yards.

It was an offense that scored more than 40 points seven times and 50 or more three times.

Though there were times when the offense needed to be better, it was one of the best in the nation. Their performances against Texas, Iowa State, West Virginia, and TCU were incredible, helping propel the Sooners to a 10-2 record.

But who were the most important pieces to the offense? Let’s take a look at Pro Football Focus’ top 15 highest-graded players on offense from the 2023 regular season.

Minimum 188 snaps