Jacob Sexton healthy, regaining rhythm at offensive tackle after 'tough' 2024 campaign

by: Jesse Crittenden08/02/25JesseCrittenden

NORMAN — Last season was difficult for Oklahoma’s entire offensive line.

It was particularly tough for Jacob Sexton.

Expectations were high for Sexton heading into last fall, but the veteran just never found his footing on the field as the offensive line deteriorated around him. After playing exclusively at tackle in his first two seasons, Sexton was asked to bounce around between left tackle and left guard as multiple lineman dealt with injuries.

Sexton logged 281 snaps at left guard and 229 snaps at tackle, per Pro Football Focus,and the result was a dip in his production across the board. He logged his lowest career offense grade (55.1) and run-blocking grade (45.7).

“It seems simple that it’s a couple feet difference,” Sexton said. “That’s really all it is, but there’s a lot of things that changed in that aspect. And it was difficult, but it was something that needed to happen for our team.”

“It is tough, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. And with injuries and things last year, it’s something that you can’t complain about. Just go in there and go do it. You can do anything for your team. But yeah, it’s going to be great this year. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Despite the struggles, Sexton started the first eight games and logged at least 54 snaps in each contest. But the season came to a tough end when he suffered a knee injury against Ole Miss, which forced him to miss the final four games of the year.

But things are a lot different this fall.

Most importantly, Sexton is fully healthy as the Sooners go through fall camp. He’s also playing exclusively at left tackle and has put himself in good position to win the starting job. He’s primarily received first-team snaps, with Derek Simmons handling things at right tackle early in camp.

If Sexton can stay healthy, it brings a ton of much-needed continuity to the Sooners’ offensive line. He’s entering his fourth season in Norman and has 13 career starts, giving him more institutional knowledge and experience than any other lineman on the roster.

The main focus for Sexton during the offseason was pass protection, an area he struggled in last season. To enlist help, Sexton battled a lot against teammate and edge rusher R Mason Thomas, who’s coming off a season where he was named All-SEC Second Team.

“R Mason helped me a bunch,” Sexton said. “You know, he’s the best defensive end in college football. So there’s really no one else that you’ve got to go to except for him. So I found him. We got extra reps in throughout the summer, and I felt like he helped me improve a lot.”

The other focus for Sexton has been mentoring the younger lineman, particularly Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje. Both players have earned opportunities for playing time this fall, along with fellow underclassmen Eddy Pierre-Louis.

“During the off season, that’s a great time to show your effort and your work,” Sexton said. “So you want to make sure that those guys are trying to dominate every rep that they have competition-wise, whether it’s a sprint, a lift, anything, you want to be explosive and powerful so they all understand that they’ve done a great job this off season.”

The Sooners’ offense line was catastrophic in 2024, but there’s a lot of optimism that the group can significantly improve this fall. A big part of that formula is Sexton being healthy and locking in at the tackle spot.

“This is the best I’ve ever felt,” Sexton said. “I feel stronger, faster. I feel comfortable with my weight. Everything feels great.”

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