The Oklahoma Sooners are in the midst of their fall camp, and there are a few players catching the eyes of those who have been in attendance. One of those players is on the offensive line. The Sooners return four starters from last season's College Football Playoff team on the offensive line. They also added Arkansas Razorbacks transfer E'Marion Harris, who has started more than 20 games in his career at tackle. The thought was that Harris and the returning four starters, Jake Maikkula, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Ryan Fodje and Michael Fasusi, would be the starters for this upcoming year. However, freshman Noah Best is turning some heads. Best is a former three-star prospect from Midlothian, Tex. He caught the eye of former All-American center Gabe Ikard. "Those guys better be ready to battle for their jobs," Ikard said on 'The Oklahoma Breakdown with Ikard and Lehman.' "I've said this many times on here before. Bill Bedenbaugh does not care how old you are. He doesn't. He does not care what you are being paid. He is going to play the guys who go out there and play the way he wants them to play. I was continually impressed by Noah Best throughout the practice." Oklahoma's offensive line was already expected to be better in 2026 after returning four starters from last year's playoff team and adding Harris. The emergence of Best gives the Sooners another potential piece to work with as the season progresses. It also speaks to the work Bedenbaugh has done developing the position. If a former three-star freshman can walk into fall camp and immediately earn praise from someone like Ikard, there is clearly something worth watching. Best may not start Week 1, but his performance has made the offensive line competition much more interesting. And if Oklahoma can turn that depth into a reliable, physical unit, it could go a long way toward fixing the offense's biggest weakness from a year ago and helping the Sooners take another step forward in 2026.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor. This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: True freshman earns high praise from former Sooner All-American