When Wanya Morris puts it all together, there are few offensive tackles who can match the athletic gifts he has. Tennessee got to see it for two seasons, and Oklahoma had glimpses as well during his two years in Norman.

Morris had to learn more than anything under offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, but he stuck with it and started to show the signs of how good he can be in 2022.

Now he becomes the next Bedenbaugh pupil to head to the league with Morris being chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round with the No. 92 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

2022 stats: Played in nine games, started in eight.

Career stats: Played in 37 games, started in 27.

Morris was one of those rare freshmen who was ready to start as an offensive tackle. He did just that for the Vols before coming to OU following the 2020 season as the Sooners had recruited Morris aggressively coming out of high school.

All the talent in the world, but the message in Norman has always been about doing things the right way, on and off the field. It didn’t work for Morris in 2021, but under Bedenbaugh and Brent Venables, Morris turned the corner last year.

There were times he was simply dominant, pancaking people left and right. And when healthy, his good tape is as good as you’re going to find.

When Morris finds the consistency that his game will need in the NFL, then you could be looking at someone who is in the league for a long, long time.

It might not have been exactly the way Morris envisioned his OU story to go, but the end result still has him living his dream.

Best game: 2022 at Nebraska: 49-14 win. It was Morris’ first game of the season, and he made it count. As soon as he entered midway through the first quarter, there was a different energy. Pro Football Focus graded his outing as the best of his season. He rated at 84.7 percent overall; 80.5 percent pass blocking; 81.7 percent run blocking.

Coach says…

“They took coaching and probably didn’t always like me, but it’s going to pay off in the end. Whether it’s in the NFL or whether it’s in real life, I’m demanding. And it’s fun coaching those guys and it’s really fun watching them live out their dreams. That’s what this is all about. Proud of all those guys and even guys that don’t — they go out and they’re great husbands and dads. Whatever they go into, just watching them have success.” – offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh