If there was any one position group surrounded with questions for Oklahoma heading into the spring, it was the offensive line.

With all the practices done and the spring game coming Saturday afternoon, it was time to see the progress offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has seen with this group, where they are and where they’re going.

After years of being with Lincoln Riley as the offensive coordinator, it’s a new voice with Jeff Lebby running the show. But a familiar voice since Lebby knows about the offensive line as well.

That relationship has carried through during the last month in trying to get everyone acclimated to the scheme.

“Quite honestly, it probably went a little bit better than I anticipated,” Bedenbaugh said. “That’s encouraging because that tells me they worked on it on their own. When we’ve been really good around here, you’d see people up here in this building carrying their iPads watching film, watching tape together and obviously they were doing those things on their own.

“I think it’s been good. It’s been challenging at times. But I think it’s been good and it’s gone probably a little bit better than I anticipated. Now are we where we need to be? Of course not. But I think if we continue down the path that we’re going, it will continue to get better and we’ll have a chance to be pretty good.”

As Brent Venables said, the spring game will be divided. That means the offensive line will be divided, too, so don’t get too caught up on the five out there for the Red or White.

A comfortable number

Bedenbaugh wasn’t about to name the names, but he did give an idea of the number of players he feels comfortable within the interior and at tackle.

For both spots, the number is four. Perhaps through the summer, the number could get higher, but effort has been a problem.

We’ll begin with the guards and center.

“I really like the way that they are working. I like the way they’ve learned the offense,” Bedenbaugh said. “The time that they are putting in is showing up on the field. They seem to be more cohesive. I feel good about where we are today. Now this is going to be a huge summer for us. This is a time when you win games.

“The time you put in starting now – obviously after the spring game until we get back – is probably the most important time, especially for an offensive lineman. I feel good about basically what to me is a starting point if we continue to progress. Again, the interior, do I feel good? Yea. Do I feel great? No. I feel great, pretty good about four guys right now, and hopefully we can get that to six. If it’s four, we can make some things work.”

Moving over to tackle, and it feels like a lot of OU fans are excited to see who wins the battle between Anton Harrison, Wanya Morris and Savion Byrd.

“I think at tackle we’re probably a little deeper (than at guard). If I had to say today. We may have to move some guys around,” Bedenbaugh said. “But I feel good probably with four guys.”

Night and day difference with Morris

In talking with Wanya Morris earlier this spring, you could tell he took full ownership for the 2021 year not going the way he hoped or fans thought.

It’s one thing to realize that and another to actually make the changes. As spring practice wraps up, sounds like Morris has indeed made that transition as well.

“It’s a complete 180 (degree) in everything, every single thing, from the way he approaches everything academics, the way he works, attitude mentality … I mean everything has changed,” Bedenbaugh said. “He’s always been a talented guy… He made a decision to change the way he was going to do things and it’s showing up on the field. It’s not just on the field and when you are here, it’s what you do in the classroom and what you do outside of here with the time you put in.

“And now his play has improved and now his playing opportunities improve. The quicker they understand that, they better off they are. Everything goes hand in hand. Everything matters. That’s just the way you are as a person. I’m really, really proud of him. He was the academic student of the week last week. There’s not a shot in heck that it would have happened last year.”

Byrd in the mix

Continuing with off-field improvements leading to bigger and better things on the field, we move to tackle Savion Byrd.

Nobody expected him as a true freshman to make a massive dent in 2021, but there were some concerning signs that maybe things would never click for him.

Sounds like something that’s not a worry now.

“Savion’s done a good job. Done a really good job. Big. Strong. Athletic. Powerful guy. He has really got his off the field issues taken care of,” Bedenbaugh said. “He’s getting better at those things. Got to continue to improve with that.

“But on the field, he’s a really good player. He’s got everything that you want. He’s a great kid and he’s a young kid. Just has to mature. You know what I mean? He’s young. But these past couple of months he’s really done a good job in the classroom and off the field. And doing the things he needs to do to become a better player.”

Mettauer fitting right in

OU hit the transfer portal for a couple of guys at offensive line in guard McKade Mettauer (Cal) and tackle Tyler Guyton (TCU).

Guyton will be a work in progress, but there are some pretty high expectations for what Mettauer brings to the table.

Doesn’t appear as if that’s been an issue for the former three-year starter for the Bears.

“You never really know how that’s going to unfold and how that’s going to play out,” Bedenbaugh said. “That’s one of the things I’ve seen. I think even Tyler Guyton coming in. It shows we have a pretty good culture around here. Everyone is competing.

“He’s done a really, really good job. He’s probably, again, better than what I anticipated. I always thought he was going to be pretty good. You got three years of film to study. So you can see that and then playing against good competition. I always thought he had a chance to be pretty good. And it probably has exceeded my expectations up to this point.”

Center injury issues

Bedenbaugh knows he has two quality centers in Andrew Raym and Robert Congel, but neither one of them was able to go through spring healthy.

Raym has missed a good chunk of practice with a leg injury, and Congel broke his left hand early in the spring but hasn’t missed a day.“No (he’s not at full strength),” said Bedenbaugh about Raym. “You know, (Robert) Congel has done an incredible job. He’s tougher than hell. Love that kid. He broke his hand, left hand, I want to say the third or second practice. Didn’t miss a snap. Hasn’t missed a snap. Even when he broke it. He practiced the rest of the time.

“He’s so much better. He’s so much more confident than he was last year. He’s done a much better job with this offense. So really, really proud of the way he’s performed and what he’s done in taking a leadership role. And just the toughness. That's the most important thing to me man. I love tough dudes. He’s as tough as it gets.”