NORMAN — Things keep getting more complicated for Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line.
The Sooners took on Kentucky without left tackle Michael Fasusi and guards Eddy Pierre-Louis and Heath Ozaeta.
Depth is deteriorating, but in the third quarter of Saturday’s contest, OU was dealt another blow.
Ryan Fodje went down, and though the left tackle tried to return, he was unable to continue.
The status of Fasusi, Fodje, Pierre-Louis and Ozaeta is in question for this weekend’s matchup with Mississippi State, meaning veteran transfer Caleb Nitta could be in line for an increased role.
He stepped in initially when Fodje left the game and looked like a piece that could help the Sooners.
“Caleb’s been huge,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said on Tuesday. “… being ready to go in practice, whether he’s getting reps with the ones or he’s working on a depth piece, he’s always ready to go.”
Nitta played center at Western Kentucky before transferring to Oklahoma.
He missed some time during the spring, but when Jake Maikkula sustained an injury in fall camp, Nitta was able to battle with Noah Best to earn snaps at center against UTEP.
Nitta played 31 snaps on offense against the Miners, per Pro Football Focus, but his 15 offensive snaps against Kentucky were the only game reps he’s earned since the opener.
With the Sooners down potentially four guys with starting experience in Starkville, Nitta may need to slide over to play alongside Maikkula and Best full time.
“Caleb is a tough, hardworking kid; he fights his butt off, and I think that showed up in the game the other day too,” Arbuckle said. “Caleb, he’s really smart, he’s played a lot of football—just dating back to the prior schools he was at.”
As the entire offensive line battles, defensive tackles coach Todd Bates respects the manner in which Bedenbaugh’s group has continued to work to try and improve.
“It's next man up,” Bates said Tuesday. “… They just put their best foot forward. Nobody complains or makes an excuse or points the finger.”
The hope is that OU can get pieces back up front soon, but until then, Nitta may play a large role in trying to get the season back on track.
“He’s a huge piece for us,” Arbuckle said. “He’s a huge piece for this team. He’s a huge piece for this locker room, a huge piece for that offensive line unit.”
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