Oklahoma's Most Underrated Offensive Player at Every Position

Offensive Line: Heath Ozaeta

Oklahoma Sooners, Heath Ozaet — Oklahoma guard Heath Ozaeta before a snap against Ole Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Heath Ozaeta got lost in the shuffle last year after fellow redshirt freshman Eddy Pierre-Louis emerged at left guard. The injury to Jake Maikkula shifted Ryan Fodje to guard, and if the Sooners reprise the combo of Pierre-Louis and Fodje at guard, they’ll be in good shape.

But Ozaeta’s experience cannot be overlooked.

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.

But Ozaeta returned to push Pierre-Louis and Fodje for his spot back in the lineup.

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.

Tight End: Rocky Beers

Oklahoma Sooners, Rocky Beers — Rocky Beers races to the end zone for a touchdown with Colorado State. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Rocky Beers was part of Oklahoma’s major renovation to the tight end room.

He was brought to Norman from Colorado State (there’s more from the Rams here in a minute) alongside former Florida tight end Hayden Hansen and former Tennessee tight end Jack Van Dorselaer.

Hansen 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.

Beers would have been a key part of the plan under Joe Jon Finley, and he can serve as an additive piece in 2026 under the tutelage of Jason Witten.

Last year, Beers showed what he can do in the passing game, hauling in 31 receptions for 388 yards and seven scores.

Ben Arbuckle 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.

Wide Receiver: Jer’Michael Carter

Oklahoma Sooners, Jer'Michael Carter — Oklahoma wide receiver Jer'Michael Carter catches a pass against Alabama in the CFP. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Receiver is another spot where the Sooners made some big additions over the offseason.

OU kicked off the transfer portal by adding All-ACC pass catcher Trell Harris from Virginia, and then Oklahoma followed that up with the addition of Texas transfer Parker Livinstone.

The returning production in Emmett Jones’ group centers around Isaiah Sategna, but Jer’Michael Carter showed 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.

Carter isn’t expected to be a 1,000-yard receiver in 2026, but Mateer has already shown he can trust Carter to move the chains in big moments.

Running Back: Lloyd Avant

Oklahoma Sooners, Lloyd Avan — Former Colorado State running back Lloyd Avant makes an Air Force tackler miss in 2025. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

There is a major emphasis on improving Oklahoma’s rushing attack in 2026.

Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock will be back under new running backs coach Deland McCullough, and the freshman duo of Jonathan Hatton Jr. and DeZephen Walker have garnered positive reviews during winter workouts.

The addition of former Colorado State running back Lloyd Avant flew under the radar, but he can make an impact in 2026 even if his carries are limited.

Avant 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.

Offensive analyst Kevin Wilson 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.

Quarterback: Whitt Newbauer

Oklahoma Sooners, Whitt Newbauer — Oklahoma quarterback Whitt Newbauer before the Sooners' contest against Kent State. | Carson Field, Sooners on SI

There is no quarterback controversy in Norman.

John Mateer is back for Year 2 with the Sooners, and when he departs, the keys to Oklahoma’s offense will be passed on to freshman Bowe Bentley.

In 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.

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But if Bentley isn’t ready to serve as OU’s backup on Day 1, the Sooners have another piece with starter experience in Whitt Newbauer.

As 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 offenses Brent Venables’ defense will face in the SEC.