State of the OL: Where Oklahoma's offensive line stands after Class of 2024

It's been no secret that Oklahoma's biggest question mark heading into the 2024 offseason is an immense amount of turnover along the offensive line.

Tyler Guyton turned heads at the Senior Bowl earlier this month, and Andrew Raym appears to be doing well himself, projecting as a starting center at the next level. Walter Rouse is made a name for himself last month at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices, and McKade Mettauer is also preparing himself for a chance at making an NFL roster when camps pick up this summer.

Further compounding the Sooners' issues in the trenches was the Cayden Green saga, which provided the unexpected departure of one of the best young offensive linemen in the entire country.

Add the fact that OU is joining the SEC – the most physically imposing conference in college football in 2024 – and Oklahoma fans have all the reason in the world to have some concerns about the offensive line heading into 2024.

Despite a swath of things that could, and should, be cause for concern heading into the heart of the offseason, there are also reasons for optimism when it comes to what the offensive line might look like next season.

Oklahoma was aggressive in the transfer portal cycle when it came to making additions along the offensive front, and that is in addition to one of the best offensive line hauls that we've seen Bill Bedenbaugh land to this point.

With a serious talent for technical and physical development, Bedenbaugh has regularly produced offensive linemen capable of stepping into starting jobs at the NFL level. So, will he be able to make do with the pieces that he's acquired since the Alamo Bowl?

Let's take a look at the unit as a whole and break it down piece by piece to see what Bedenbaugh has to work with. First of all, the canvases.

In terms of experience, Oklahoma will lean heavily on transfers in 2024, as four of its six upperclassmen will be brand-new players in the program.

Spencer Brown and Michael Tarquin represent the only players who will exhaust their eligibility in 2024 and will likely play some sort of role, whether that's as a starter or a contributor throughout the game.

Troy Everett, who figures to play a role in the starting center discussion, is Oklahoma's most experienced returning player along the offensive line, followed closely by Jacob Sexton, who finished the 2023 season as the starter at right tackle.

Febechi Nwaiwu and Geirean Hatchett are likely the Sooners' starting guards for the 2024 season, unless someone else emerges from the group. Nwaiwu and Hatchett bring experience and success to the room that other guys simply don't have yet. That'll play a role in Bedenbaugh's depth chart once August rolls around.

Jake Taylor is the only offensive lineman with a sophomore designation on the roster, while Joshua Bates, Logan Howland, and Heath Ozaeta all used their redshirts as freshmen in 2023. Seeing Taylor, or a player from that 2023 class, elevate to become a significant role player this season would be a huge plus for the group.

Perhaps the most exciting group of players in this unit is the true freshmen, which includes players like Eugene Brooks, Eddy Pierre-Louis, and Daniel Akinkunmi. All three of those guys could carve out immediate roles for themselves if they can learn the offense on a steeper learning curve, as they bring elite athleticism to the room.

As mentioned before, the freshman class that Coach Bedenbaugh just brought to Norman might be the best class he's assembled to this point. The trio of Brooks, Pierre-Louis, and Akinkunmi could be All-SEC Caliber players by the time they leave Norman.

However, it would be foolish to hope that those three are starting this fall, regardless of the talent they bring to the field. Offensive line play is very dependent on experience and the ability to read defensive fronts, blitzes, pressures, etc. Putting true freshmen out there, especially in the SEC or Big Ten, is a good recipe for getting your quarterback pummeled.

While it's reasonable to expect them to see some snaps this season, the upperclassmen will likely have their chances first, and when it comes to talent, they hold water just fine.

Sources from North Texas have indicated that Febechi Nwaiwu might very well be the steal of the 2024 portal cycle. He is a powerful and physical interior lineman who should figure into the starting rotation right away and grow into an early rounder for the Sooners later on.

Geirean Hatchett is also a huge addition to the Sooners' interior and should immediately fill the void at guard if he's not the answer at center. A four-star transfer according to Rivals, Hatchett brings experience and talent to the table, and with some technical work from Bedenbaugh, he should be more than suitable to play guard for OU.

Spencer Brown is an interesting player going into the spring and is someone who will have a chance to lock up a starting spot opposite of Jacob Sexton. Brown plays with an attitude and has shown flashes of physical play in the Big Ten.

That leaves us with Tarquin, who many people turned their noses up towards when Oklahoma landed him out of USC. However, if the player that we saw leave Florida shows up in 2024, he'll be a steal for the Sooners going into the SEC. A player with both guard and tackle experience, Tarquin could serve as a pivotal sixth man in the O-Line rotation.

The conversation is a bit dicey, but it's one that needs to be had.

As mentioned earlier, there's not much returning experience for Oklahoma along the offensive front, as Sexton and Everett are the only two offensive linemen to start a game at OU.

Brown, Nwaiwu, Tarquin, and Hatchett all bring starting experience to the table as well but will be in a new system. How they figure into that is anyone's guess. Regardless, starting experience is at a premium for the Sooners after losing all five starters from a season ago, and the transfer portal additions will need to play major roles for this team next year.

The biggest concern, though, is what OU has behind that group. Names like Bates, Taylor, Ozaeta and Howland will need to show something this spring and summer because they suddenly find themselves one injury away from being thrust into a starting role.

A quick glance at the O-Line scholarship chart is all it takes to see that redshirt freshmen and true freshmen are going to play a role in this unit in 2024, and that's a bit nerve-wracking considering the conference that Oklahoma is walking into.

The athletes that OU will line up against on a weekly basis in the SEC is different than what they've seen over the past several years in the Big 12, and putting freshmen in the game for extended periods of time isn't ideal, no matter how you spin it.

That being said, there's a chance that Oklahoma won't have any choice in the matter in the case of an injury, so Bedenbaugh's group will need to grow up fast to keep pace in their new league.

This is what you're here for, so let's get down to brass tacks. As of mid-February, here are projections for the Sooners' offensive line depth chart to heading into 2024.

Left Tackle

1. Jacob Sexton
2. Jake Taylor
3. Logan Howland

Left Guard

1. Febechi Nwaiwu
2. Michael Tarquin
3. Heath Ozaeta/Eugene Brooks

Center

1. Troy Everett
2. Joshua Bates
3. Geirean Hatchett

Right Guard

1. Geirean Hatchett
2. Michael Tarquin
3. Eugene Brooks/Eddy Pierre-Louis

Right Tackle

1. Spencer Brown
2. Jake Taylor
3. Logan Howland

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