Oklahoma's offensive line listed as a concern by opposing coach

Not everybody is convinced Oklahoma is prepared for the 2024 campaign. In an anonymous interview with Athlon Sports, an opposing SEC assistant coach revealed the areas he believes the Sooners need improvement.

“They’re starting to round out on defense to a unit you’d expect Brent [Venables] to be coaching at Clemson. That’s the good news entering the SEC,” the coach said. “The bad news is that they could be bad on the O-line if they can’t pull some guys together late in the portal.

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“Oklahoma is a legit top program, but the secret to the SEC is the line play, and they won’t be able to do what they want on offense if they can’t protect against the average DL in this league.”

Oklahoma’s offensive line will have a fresh look in its first year in the SEC. Oklahoma lost starters Walter Rouse, Andrew Raym, McKade Mettauer and Tyler Guyton to the NFL over the offseason. Further, starting offensive tackle Cayden Green transferred to Missouri.

In total, Oklahoma lost 4,188 snaps worth of experience from last year’s O-line unit. Nonetheless, head coach Brent Venables and Co. didn’t wallow in self-pity. Instead, the Sooners attacked the transfer portal, adding five offensive linemen to the roster.

The transfer class is headlined by Geirean Hatchett. He was a pivotal piece to Washington’s front five, which won the Joe Moore Award in 2023, an honor annually presented to the best offensive line in college football.

Along with its transfers, Oklahoma will welcome three freshman linemen, highlighted by Eugene Brooks, who was the No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Oklahoma’s front five won’t be the only unit that sees change for the Sooners next season. After Jeff Lebby left OU to take over at Mississippi State, Venables named Seth Littrell the Sooners’ next offensive coordinator.

The anonymous SEC assistant coach weighed in on how Littrell’s offense will differ from Lebby’s.

“If you’re looking for a new offense, it won’t be drastically different from [former offensive coordinator Jeff] Lebby, but they’ve got to run the ball more effectively than they did when he was there. Seth [Littrell] is a made-to-order kind of OC, a really experienced guy who is going to scheme to fit.”