Sooners on SI took a look at overlooked pieces at every position on OU's offense with spring practice set to get underway in Norman next week.
to guard, and if the Sooners reprise the combo of Pierre-Louis and Fodje at guard, they’ll be in good shape.He’s started 15 games over the past two years, including seven starts and nine appearances before getting banged up in 2025.
At the absolute worst, Ozaeta will be one of the most experienced depth pieces in the country. With 615 snaps in SEC play the last two years, as tallied by Pro Football Focus, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh can toss Ozaeta into any situation and know the moment won’t be too big.An unfortunate string of injuries has forced Bedenbaugh’s hand in the past few years. With Ozaeta returning, the Sooners will have quality depth and a legitimate position battle on the interior of the offensive line.He was brought to Norman from Colorado State alongside former Florida tight endHansen and Van Dorselaer are more SEC-ready frames — Beers himself said he needs to continue to bulk up ahead of the season at OU’s Spring Media Day — but even if Beers slides behind the two SEC transplants on the depth chart, he represents a major shift. Over the past three years, the tight end room has either suffered from a lack of depth, a lack of production or both.Last year, Beers showed what he can do in the passing game, hauling in 31 receptions for 388 yards and seven scores.utilized his tight ends in the red zone to great effect in 2024 at Washington State, and the offseason additions will give the OU offensive coordinator another opportunity to create mismatches in the red zone in 2026.Oklahoma wide receiver Jer'Michael Carter catches a pass against Alabama in the CFP. | Carson Field, Sooners On SIshowed up in big moments in November. A late addition from McNeese State, Carter only arrived in Norman last summer, as he was a post-spring portal addition. Naturally, that meant the 6-foot-2 receiver was behind the curve when trying to pick up the offense and battle for playing time. He finished his first year with the Sooners with nine catches for 101 yards, but he showed the kind of impact he could have on OU’s offense in some of the biggest games of 2025. Both of his catches in Oklahoma’s 33-27 win over Tennessee moved the chains in the third quarter, and the second of those two receptions helped move the Sooners across the 50 on a touchdown drive. He proved to be a steadying presence again two weeks later in Tuscaloosa when he helped move the chains in the third quarter to get OU closer to midfield and flip the field position.Former Colorado State running back Lloyd Avant makes an Air Force tackler miss in 2025. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesAvant was a key special team piece for the Rams returning kickoffs, which is an area of the game the Sooners rarely utilized in 2025. He returned 11 kicks for 268 yards a year ago, and at Tulsa in 2024, he took back 14 kicks for 392 yards and one score.is familiar with Avant, dating back to their shared season with the Golden Hurricane, so the Sooners already know how to use him. If everyone can stay healthy, a steady diet of Robinson, Blaylock and Hatton is the obvious path forward for OU’s backfield. But Avant can keep those guys fresh throughout the long offseason, and he’s an experienced piece McCullough can call upon in 2026 if injuries begin to pile up as they did in 2025 for Oklahoma’s running backs.Oklahoma quarterback Whitt Newbauer before the Sooners' contest against Kent State. | Carson Field, Sooners on SIis back for Year 2 with the Sooners, and when he departs, the keys to Oklahoma’s offense will be passed on to freshmanIn the transfer portal era, it’s difficult to stack depth in any quarterback room. Only one quarterback is on the field at any given time, meaning teams usually have to rely on underclassmen for depth or bring in veteran journeymen. The Sooners are excited about Bentley, and the hope is that he takes on the role of backup if any moment arises where Mateer has to momentarily step off the field.But if Bentley isn’t ready to serve as OU’s backup on Day 1, the Sooners have another piece with starter experience inAs a true freshman, he threw for 1,398 yards and 12 touchdowns at Mercer. He also ran for two scores and threw four interceptions. With a year already in Arbuckle’s offense, Newbauer can help show Bentley the ropes and provide daily competition as they battle for the backup job throughout the spring and fall. His presence means the Sooners can take their time with Bentley if he takes a few months to adjust to top-end college football, and if Bentley wins the backup job, Newbauer can be an asset to Oklahoma on the practice field in the weekly preparations for the offensesRyan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.Lane Kiffin Crushes Oklahoma Coach’s ‘Hot Take’ About Ole Miss Win With Lots of Receipts
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