© Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK
Newcomer Profile: Transferring to Oklahoma Was a 'No-Brainer' for OT Michael Tarquin
The former Florida and USC offensive lineman appears to have settled in nicely to his new home on the left side of Oklahoma's offensive line.
NORMAN — Oklahoma needed experience up front this past winter.
Michael Tarquin wanted a fresh start.
In many ways, the Sooners were the perfect match for the former Florida and USC offensive lineman.
Tarquin made 20 career starts at Florida, 10 at left guard and 10 at left tackle, before switching coasts and playing for USC in 2023.
Tarquin was flipped over to the other side of the line to play right tackle for the Trojans, but he needed another change of scenery headed into his final year in 2024.
He knew he wanted to make a decision quickly and get rolling, which is why his head turned as a former contact from his high school recruiting days picked up the phone and called: OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.
“He was recruiting me out of high school,” Tarquin said last month. “I think his resume speaks for itself. Obviously a great coach. He’s developed a ton of guys. Really excited for the opportunity to come play for him. … Great relationship. Being able to resume that and play for him has been great.”
Bedenbaugh is notorious for tinkering with his offensive line and moving guys around until he gets the best five players on the field, but Tarquin appears to have found a home back on the left side of the line.
WATCH: Michael Tarquin Interview
He started at left tackle with the top offensive line unit in Saturday’s Red/White Game, where he gave quarterback Jackson Arnold a good bit of time to chuck the ball deep to Deion Burks.
“I’ve been proud of those guys,” Arnold said of his offensive line last week. “They’ve really stepped up this spring. … They’ve been competing their butts off these past couple weeks, so I’m super proud of them.”
As Bedenbaugh worked to rebuild his offensive line, Tarquin brings plenty of snaps to the table, something the rest of the unit sorely lacks.
“Mike Tarquin made great, great improvement from the moment he got here to where he’s at right now,” OU coach Brent Venables said Saturday. “… That brings a lot to that group that, overall in an Oklahoma uniform, we don’t have a ton of experience.”
Tarquin’s experience, both on the field and having already been through the transfer portal process once, led to him zipping through his recruitment after deciding to leave USC this past offseason.
“I kind of knew what I wanted,” Tarquin said, “so because of that I was able to make a decision really quickly. Narrow things down and get on campus as soon as I could.”
Chatting with Bedenbaugh, there were plenty of qualities about Oklahoma that quickly stood out.
“A very historic program,” he said. “Tons of national championships, conference championships. And then obviously Coach B’s ability to develop guys, put guys into the NFL is very impressive.”
Bedenbaugh’s success with taking in transfers and propel them into the NFL isn’t lost on Tarquin. Former TCU transfer Tyler Guyton is projected as a first-round pick in Thursday's NFL Draft. Former Stanford transfer Walter Rouse is expected to get drafted this weekend, too. Former Tennessee transfer Wanya Morris was a third-round pick in 2023.
The influx of new talent, both in terms of incoming freshmen and a large offensive line class out of the transfer portal, put virtually every position on the line up for grabs this spring.
Those battles will continue well into fall camp, but Tarquin has been pleased with how quickly he got in line with not only the offensive line unit, but the team as a whole.
“I think the team has a really good shot to have a great season,” he said. “That was very attractive for sure. And the guys in the room have been great. A bunch of talented dudes, hard workers. It’s been great.”
Just because spring ball concluded with Saturday’s scrimmage doesn’t mean the work is done. Summer conditioning is right around the corner, and every position group will continue to put in work by themselves without the coaches until fall camp gets underway.
Away from the field, Tarquin has enjoyed his new surroundings.
“Norman’s a great college town,” he said. “It’s nice and calm, easier to get around. I’ve really enjoyed that.”
But don’t let the slower pace of the summer semester around campus fool anyone. Tarquin is prepared to ramp up the intensity in fall camp and make the most of his final season in college.
“With it being my last year, I wanted to make sure I got the decision right,” Tarquin said. “But as soon as I started talking to (Oklahoma), it was a no-brainer for me.”
