How Oklahoma OL Jake Maikkula Approached his ‘Monster’ Offseason

Jake Maikkula faced plenty of challenges during the late portion of his first season with the Sooners, but per Brent Venables, he's better because of them.

Oklahoma offensive lineman Jake Maikkula | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

NORMAN — Jake Maikkula had to practically start from scratch after the 2025 season.

Maikkula, an offensive lineman who transferred to Oklahoma from Stanford, was one of the Sooners’ most reliable offensive linemen throughout his first year in Norman.

But following OU’s win over Missouri in late November, Maikkula contracted an unspecified infection that forced him to miss the Sooners’ regular-season finale against LSU and their College Football Playoff game against Alabama.

“He missed it when we needed him the most,” OU coach Brent Venables said. “(Having him) would have been beneficial.”

Maikkula is listed at 300 pounds on Oklahoma’s spring roster, but his weight fell below 270 after contracting the infection. In Venables’ words, Maikkula had to “start completely over.”

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This made for a difficult offseason for Maikkula — but he’s used to facing challenges between seasons.

Maikkula transferred out of Stanford during the spring last year. As a result, Maikkula enrolled at OU in June and didn’t undergo the brunt of the Sooners’ offseason program. (The NCAA eliminated its spring transfer portal window in September 2025).

Even so, Maikkula was impressive during the fall. He played on 710 offensive snaps, finishing the year with an 81.1 Pro Football Focus (PFF) pass-blocking grade.

“He was doing everything on his own,” Venables said. “Got here midway through June. Fast forward, he did a great job, had a really good season.”

Facing the challenges that stem from being sidelined and losing weight, it would’ve been easy for Maikkula to disassociate.

But instead, the center had one of the program’s most impressive offseasons, per quarterback John Mateer.

“I’ve seen him grow a lot into a leadership role,” Mateer said. “He’s getting on guys, like telling them, ‘It’s not good enough,’ and he’s obviously grown in strength and just getting older. I’m really proud of him.”

Maikkula will likely be OU’s starting center in the fall. Michael Fasusi and E’Marion Harris are slated to start at the tackle spots, while Ryan Fodje, Heath Ozaeta and Eddy Pierre-Louis will battle to be the Sooners’ starting guards.

For the first time in a few years, Oklahoma will head into the fall with stability on the offensive line. And after Maikkula’s diligent offseason, Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle are confident that the unit can reach its potential.

“(He) had a monster out-of-season,” Venables said. “Gained weight, gained strength, gained confidence that comes from that, the leadership that comes from that.”

Arbuckle said, “I'm so happy for Jake, just his progression throughout the spring.”