The latest portal casualty for Oklahoma is backup offensive lineman Josh Bates, who's leaving the program after five appearances in two seasons as a Sooner.

A native of Durango, Colo., Bates was the longest-standing commitment of the Sooners' 2023 recruiting class. He committed to Oklahoma in the summer of 2021, while Lincoln Riley and his staff were still in Norman. He was the lone pledge to honor that commitment throughout the coaching change that brought Brent Venables to town.

As a true freshman in 2023, Bates saw action in just one game, making a garbage-time cameo against Arkansas State in the season opener. He played in four games and earned two starts at center for the Sooners in 2024, as veterans Branson Hickman and Troy Everett were unavailable early in the season due to injuries. However, Bates found himself shuffled back on the depth chart when Hickman and Everett got healthy.

Bates is the first Oklahoma offensive lineman to hit the portal in the December window. He'll have three years of eligibility remaining.

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