This week, we find our under-the-radar player in the middle of Oklahoma’s offensive line. With the first three weeks of the college football season in the books, the spotlight slowly begins to shift toward position groups that have yet to declare a bonafide starter.
Lincoln Riley told the media that he feels the offensive line will come together just fine, and Bryant Crews of Sooners Wire believes Andrew Raym gives the offense its best chance for success.
In the second quarter of the Nebraska game, he replaced Robert Congel to start a drive and the Sooners immediately ripped off a 22-yard run in a game that saw them run the ball the best they had all season.
Raym, a sophomore, has all the natural talent in the world, and if the past game versus Nebraska was any indication, he can help take this line to another level. It remains to be seen who will get the start, but replacing Congel mid-game and not relinquishing the spot seems like a real possibility.
Does Raym give the Sooners their best chance vs. a sturdy West Virginia run defense?
Through three games, the Mountaineers are allowing a meager 2.6 yards per rushing attempt. That could be trouble for a Sooners’ offense that needed every inch of its 194 rushing yards to beat Nebraska. West Virginia has been winning the line of scrimmage with a cast of various players, as linebackers, defensive backs, and linemen have all found ways to push the ball backward.
| Player | TFLs | Yards Lost |
| Jared Bartlett, LB | 3.5 | 20 |
| Alonzo Addae, S | 3.0 | 11 |
| Jackie Matthews, DL | 2.5 | 13 |
Whether Raym or Robert Congel gets the start on Saturday, their performance is crucial to a Sooners win. The ability to hold up inside against lineman or extra box defenders could give Rattler the opportunity he needs to jumpstart the engine of Oklahoma’s passing game.
Or, worst-case scenario, if big plays don’t appear downfield, the Sooners may need to fight through the teeth of West Virginia’s run defense or beat it horizontally.
Either way, Andrew Raym’s play on Saturday or the impact of his absence makes him an under-the-radar candidate.
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