Michael Fasusi's All-World Trajectory Starts With Asserting Himself This Spring

2025's "not bad, solid" outing for the true freshman Fasusi must grow into much more starting this spring.

Oklahoma offensive lineman Michael Fasusi | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

Over the next two weeks, Sooners on SI will spotlight ten players who need a big spring to solidify their place on the depth chart, improve and/or help Oklahoma build off its 2025 College Football Playoff momentum. Each day, we’ll break down one player’s background, progress, and what’s on the line as Brent Venables’ team takes shape during spring football.

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Even five-stars have trouble cracking the two-deep in their freshman campaigns, let alone start consistently.

The latter characterizes Michael Fasusi, whose ultra-talent was apparent during Oklahoma's competitive recruitment for his services during the 2025 cycle. The Sooners' offensive line was going to still be a work in progress by patching together young, but in-house talent, along with transfer portal blockers looking for bigger opportunities.

Due to the state of Bill Bedenbaugh's line, when Fasusi signed on the dotted line to play in Norman, there was serious thought that Oklahoma may have to start an 18-year old left tackle in the SEC. Save for three games, that's exactly what happened. Fortunately for the Sooners, Fasusi played like he belonged.

Now, Fasusi needs to take the next step this spring to ensure his solid freshman outing was the origin story of a future great.

Oklahoma offensive lineman Michael Fasusi | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

Fasusi's 2025 season did not end with any recognition or hardware. He was a curious SEC All-Freshman team snub despite performing better per Pro Football Focus overall than the players selected. Not to mention, he started more games than them.

Despite his lack of external achievement, there's little doubt that Fasusi factors heavily into Oklahoma's plans to return to the College Football Playoff. With a strong spring push, Fasusi can work his way to being one of the best tackles in the SEC.

That will be a tall task even for someone as talented as Fasusi. Just on Oklahoma's 2026 slate, the Sooners' defense will face great all-conference caliber tackles like Earnest Greene at Georgia or Texas' Trevor Goosby, who posted outstanding PFF grades in his first season as a starter.

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Though Fasusi has a ways to go before he rises to the top of the conference, a strong spring can help further solidify Oklahoma's offensive line, protect quarterback John Mateer and establish a better running attack.

OU has had two tackles get drafted in the NFL Draft's first round in the last five years — Tyler Guyton (2024) and Anton Harrison (2023) — but the last true foundational left tackle was Orlando Brown from 2015-2017. Like Fasusi, Brown started as a true freshman in 2015 on an offensive split between established returning starters and inexperienced players.

Brown played well for a freshman in 2015, but it was 2016 when he truly began to establish himself. Once the established veterans graduated following 2015, Brown coupled his talent with a physical leadership that helped build the Sooner offensive line into the strong unit that protected two Heisman winners from 2017-2018.

Perhaps Fasusi can make a similar jump this spring. Now that Troy Everett's vocal leadership and Febechi Nwaiwu's experience has walked out the door, the table is set for Fasusi to showcase what kind of great player he can be.