Ryan Fodje's Improvements Symbolic of Oklahoma's O-Line Struggle to Make Progress

NORMAN — Losing a talent like Michael Fasusi is going to negatively affect your offensive line, and therefore your entire offense.

But Fasusi's absence should not have affected Oklahoma's offensive line this much. The unit has yet to help pave the way for a single 100-yard rusher in four games, rendering the Sooner running game as a non-factor, and while pass protection hasn't been a flaw, John Mateer has still been sacked eight times.

Ryan Fodje has been a key figure in the offensive line's story of 2026 — good and bad. The second-year Swiss Army knife lineman has now played three games at left tackle. According to ESPN's SP+ metric, he's gone up against the No. 9, No. 21 and No. 1 defenses in the country.

Specifically, his first game this season at left tackle against that No. 9 defense, Michigan, and their talented edge rusher John Henry Daley, was the "roughest one." It's an experience Fodje believes is leading to better play

"Shout out to John Henry Daley; he's a good player. He really whipped me," Fodje said on Monday. "So, I watched the film. I learned what I needed to do and came out there against New Mexico; they have a good defense. I feel like I got better from that game."

Fodje's assessment is refreshing, considering that few place much blame on the offensive line struggles on his massive shoulders. He's playing out of position and his first games have been against talented edge rushers.

With pass rushing extraordinaire Colin Simmons and the No. 1 Texas Longhorns awaiting, Fodje's incremental improvement is paramount considering the unknown status of Fasusi.

Of course. Fodje has a sneaky-good performance against Georgia and a bye week against some of the more talented defensive linemen in the country to build on.

"We have the best defensive line in the country and I feel like these guys, like we are not going to see anybody better than (our guys)," he said. "So, I feel like those guys will give us the opportunity to be able to go out there and succeed on Saturday."

Fodje's struggle to improve is merely symbolic of the entire unit's struggles. Fodje improving at left tackle would go a long way in providing OU more of an ability to at least attempt to establish the run.

Ben Arbuckle knows that time is running out for the Sooners' offensive line.

If they're going to course-correct, it must be in the Cotton Bowl. It will be a tall task considering the strength of the Longhorns, but Arbuckle was encouraged by the bye week.

“Those guys, they came out with a great mindset of being more physical, more violent coming off the ball, running off the ball, and they took it and they ran with it. So really good by week for those big guys up front," Arbuckle said.

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