OU football: Sooners' offensive line overhaul continues with SEC on horizon

NORMAN — Freshman Cayden Green’s decision to enter the transfer portal in mid-December sent shockwaves among OU fans and raised concern about the Sooners’ offensive line moving forward.

When Green moved into the starting lineup at left guard late in the season, he brought stability to a group that had struggled with it and it looked like he would be a long-term anchor for Bill Bedenbaugh’s group.

Nearly a month later, the outlook for OU’s offensive line appears much improved and could get even stronger if they can finish off with a couple of potential additions who already have SEC experience.

Already losing left tackle Walter Rouse and right guard McKade Mettauer to graduation, OU was going to need to add some experience and shuffle some pieces around.

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But with center Andrew Raym and right tackle Tyler Guyton — who was replaced by Jacob Sexton late in the season — entering the NFL Draft early, the offensive front was thinned out even more.

Then Savion Byrd, who was a starter early in the season before his playing time grew more scarce late in the season, entered the portal as well.

So it was no surprise when OU made overhauling the offensive line a significant priority.

They added Michigan State transfer Spencer Brown, then North Texas’s Febechi Nwaiwu and finally USC’s Michael Tarquin.

OU isn’t done there and should the Sooners land their top targets, they’ll come out of the portal carousel perhaps better than they entered it.

The biggest target remaining is LSU transfer Lance Heard, the No. 15 player overall in the 2023 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite rankings.

Heard (6-foot-6, 340 pounds) started one game for the Tigers this season, played in 12 games and started one.

Heard recently visited both OU and Tennessee, though Ole Miss has also reportedly been involved in his recruitment.

Adding Heard would be a major get for Bedenbaugh and the Sooners, giving them a multi-year expected starter at tackle.

Alabama’s Terrence Ferguson II is the Sooners’ other major target up front.

Ferguson is a versatile interior lineman who could play at either guard or center.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said before the season that Ferguson was “very explosive” and “very confident in what he’s doing.”

Ferguson struggled with an ankle injury that limited his time this season but made one start. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Of the additions already secured, Tarquin might be the most intriguing.

He struggled at times at tackle for the Trojans in Lincoln Riley’s system after transferring from Florida.

But Tarquin showed promise as a guard during his time with the Gators, and figures to play on the inside for the Sooners.

He appeared in 34 games during his time in Gainesville, starting 10 games each at both left guard and left tackle.

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Nwaiwu has experience in Seth Littrell’s system, having started at both tackle and guard for the Mean Green.

Brown figures most likely to slide in at right tackle for the Sooners.

“Lots of leaders,” Littrell, OU’s new offensive coordinator, said of the offensive line in late December. “It all starts up front, each and every week. … Coach Bedenbaugh does an unbelievable job not only recruiting, but developing his young men. The proof’s in the pudding right there, with the amount of success of having guys play at the next level.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Offensive line overhaul among Sooners' offseason focuses