Which Oklahoma Offensive Linemen Will Step up With Jake Maikkula Sidelined?

NORMAN — The 2026 season hasn’t begun yet, and the Sooners are already down a man on the offensive line.

Center Jake Maikkula sustained an injury during Saturday’s scrimmage, but a source indicated to Sooners on SI that the fifth-year leader avoided a season-ending setback.

Though the possibility exists for Maikkula to be back by the time No. 10 OU’s schedule heats up, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh will spend the next few weeks of practice preparing his unit for life without Maikkula.

Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 305 pounds, Maikkula transferred to OU from Stanford ahead of the 2025 season. He started 10 games at center and finished his first season in Norman with a stellar 81.1 Pro Football Focus (PFF) pass-blocking grade, which ranked second on Oklahoma’s roster for players who logged more than 100 snaps.

With Maikkula out for the time being, who can fill in for him at center?

Here are a few possible candidates:

Caleb Nitta

Caleb Nitta is one of four offensive linemen who transferred to OU after the 2025 season, and he has significant experience playing center.

Nitta logged 653 snaps at the position for Western Kentucky in 2025. He finished the year with a strong 68.9 PFF offensive grade, and he was particularly strong in pass-blocking situations, logging a 70.6 grade.

Before his lone season at WKU, Nitta spent two seasons at Virginia Tech. He didn’t make any appearances in 2023, but he played in three games for the Hokies in 2023.

Crucially, Nitta has experience in a hostile road atmosphere.

He started Western Kentucky’s contest in Death Valley against LSU a year ago, and though the Hilltoppers fell 13-10, Nitta credited that contest against an LSU defense that was the lone bright spot for the Tigers a year ago with giving him the confidence to believe he could contribute at Oklahoma.

The Sooners brought Nitta in as a depth piece for the 2026 season. But after Maikkula’s untimely injury, Nitta is a possible Week 1 starter.

Noah Best

Another newcomer, freshman Noah Best, has earned rave reviews from his teammates and coaches leading up to his first college football season.

OU coach Brent Venables said that Best’s mental capacity has allowed him to compete every day throughout fall camp, and the coach called that “abnormal.” Sophomore offensive lineman Ryan Fodje went as far as to say that Best could be “a starter on Day 1.”

Best, a native of Midlothian, Texas, stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 319 pounds. He was a consensus 3-star recruit who chose OU over offers from Missouri, Texas Tech and Kansas State.

The first-year interior lineman already seemed primed for a significant role in his first season, but now it appears even more likely that he’ll play meaningful snaps in big games in Year 1.

Ryan Fodje

The aforementioned Fodje was an impact player as a freshman in 2025.

Fodje, a former consensus 4-star prospect, played on 433 offensive snaps during his first college football campaign. He was particularly strong in pass-blocking situations and finished 2025 with a 71.1 PFF grade in that category.

During his freshman season, Fodje primarily played at the guard spot while also logging appearances at tackle. But last week, Fodje said that he could play “wherever they need” him to play.

Temporarily moving Fodje to center could allow for him and veteran Heath Ozaeta — who has made 15 collegiate starts — to both be part of OU’s starting offensive line.

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