After a shaky performance from a patchwork unit in the Alamo Bowl last month, the Sooners' offensive line became the offseason focus for a fan base that is anxious to see how it fits in the hierarchy of the SEC.
With three previous additions from the transfer portal and perhaps the best offensive line haul from the high school ranks that Bill Bedenbaugh has brought to Norman, it appears that OU is putting its best foot forward in addressing its most glaring issue.
The unit grew even stronger today, as OU earned a commitment from Washington transfer offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 303 pounds, Geirean brings a wealth of talent with him from the past two seasons with the Huskies. In 2023, Hatchett appeared in 12 games and made four starts at right guard for Washington’s Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line.
Hatchett missed three games this past season due to an injury but otherwise played a massive role on what was a truly dominant unit that helped lead the Huskies to a National Championship game appearance. Oklahoma was the runner-up for his services out of high school, and his only visit upon entering the transfer portal was a trip to Norman.
The sophomore logged 264 snaps in 2023 and allowed 10 hurries and no sacks on 156 pass pro snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Hatchett joins Febechi Nwaiwu (North Texas), Spencer Brown (Michigan State), and Michael Tarquin (USC) as OU’s newest portal additions along the offensive line, while names like Eddy Pierre-Louis, Daniel Akinkunmi, and Eugene Brooks bring an extremely high ceiling to the unit despite their youth.
It appears that Bedenbaugh has started putting together a group with all the pieces to be more than serviceable, and now it’s just a matter of getting the right combination before SEC play begins in 2024.
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