https://ouinsider.com/what-were-watching-five-things-oklahoma-must-show-in-season-opener-vs-utep-team-intel-heading-into-season-opener/

After a long offseason, maybe the longest, we have made it back to gameday!

Boomer!!!!

Now, I am not one to be overly negative about situations but the source also said it was more of a strain than anything else. 

Another source added that the results are were negative with MRI, which Hoover already reported, but they said something very similar to source one, "Yes, I think he could play come Friday." 

At this point there are at least some that feel Fodje will be cleared. If this was a Saturday night game, I honestly would feel similar, but as of now, I am leaning a bit more against things just because of the Friday night game, and that is despite the positives from sources that would know. I understand how contradictory that sounds, but my gut is not letting me believe it due to closeness of it all. 

With that, I was told if the OL was set up to go without Fodje, it would be LT: Fasusi LG: EPL, C: Nitta RG: Best and Ozaeta rotation. Best would go first. RT: E'Marion Harris. 

IF (and capitalizing IF) Fodje can go, all stays the same and just Nitta removed for Fodje. 

To go further, we have told you that Michigan  was the game expected for Maikkula for some time.

We have said similar on podcasts prior to the site being up as well.

Long story short, you get out of the UTEP game unscathed and you could be looking at much better time for OU on the injury front than in years past. And that should be music to Sooners' fans ears. 

It’s officially GAME WEEK for the Oklahoma Sooners, and OU’s opening-night lineup could feature several surprises. OUInsider publisher Brandon Drumm dives into the latest sourced Oklahoma team intel and predicts the Sooners’ Week 1 depth chart before Friday night’s season opener against UTEP. Could Lloyd Avant be the first running back onto the field?

Has Elijah Thomas done enough to earn a starting role? Is true freshman Noah Best about to make Oklahoma offensive-line history? We break down those battles, Ryan Fodje’s work at center, Jake Maikkula’s potential return and the depth developing across OU’s defense. Plus, which young Sooners could break out in Week 1? Where do things stand with four-star linebacker Jay Schell? And why could Oklahoma’s 2028 recruiting class become one of the best in the country?

It’s a loaded edition of the OUInsider Under the Visor Sooners Podcast, powered by Riverwind Casino and Jani-King. SUBSCRIBE to the OUInsider YouTube channel for breaking Oklahoma team and recruiting news, daily intel, podcasts, interviews, press conferences and complete Sooners game coverage.

00:00 Show Open

00:15 Game Week Has Arrived

01:21 Riverwind Casino and Jani-King

02:12 Sooners Depth Chart Predictions

03:24 Why National Takes on Oklahoma’s Schedule Are Lazy

08:24 Projected OU Depth Chart Begins

08:39 Quarterback Rotation

10:04 Running Back Battle and Sourced Intel

10:39 OUInsider Membership Offer

14:30 Wide Receiver Competition

17:09 Elijah Thomas’ Growth and Development

26:43 Tight End Breakdown

31:06 Offensive Line Predictions

31:32 OUInsider Promotional Break

32:02 Who Starts at Center?

32:40 Could a True Freshman Start?

38:54 More Wide Receiver Depth Talk

41:52 Oklahoma Defensive Depth Chart

45:54 Defensive Line Battles

47:37 Linebackers, Cheetah and Secondary

52:00 Sooners Defensive Versatility and Depth

56:14 Secondary Rotation

59:23 Taylor Wein on Wyatt Gilmore

60:10 Oklahoma Recruiting Notes Galore

60:48 In-State Prospects Who Stood Out

65:14 What Stood Out About Mustang

66:39 2029 QB Jamon Reed Evaluation

69:13 Latest on Four-Star LB Jay Schell

71:35 Oklahoma’s Major 2028 Recruiting Opportunity

73:46 Early Look at UTEP

74:07 UTEP Head Coach Scotty Walden’s Background

76:36 UTEP Players to Know

79:01 Closing Thoughts

I am so excited to have this board back. I know it will take time to get some buzz going on here, but the build is part of the excitement. When 247 and Brian Bishop hired me back in 2018, they had 1400 subs. By 2020, we had 3500. By 2022, we had just over 6600. That was a lot of sweat equity put into this place, this site and the people that I love -- you the OU fans. 

I hope we can grow this thing back together, because you all are the end of it all. Without you the site doesn't exist. Without the community, the site doesn't exist, so let's have some fun! Let's talk and let's get some discussions going! 

Thank you all so very much for coming back or joining OUInsider.com VIP! If you have any questions, please, put them in this thread and I will get to them as quickly as I can! Have a blessed one!