Joshua Bates Steps up Playing Center

[WishBone]

NORMAN — Joshua Bates is not one to back down from a challenge.

So, when Troy Everett went down with a right knee injury during practice last month and subsequently underwent surgery last week, Bates didn't hesitate to step up. The redshirt freshman has assumed the first-team reps at center since Everett's injury, which will keep the former Appalachian State transfer sidelined until late in fall camp in August, as Oklahoma has worked to piece together its new-look offensive line this spring.

"I accept the challenge," Bates said Friday after the team's 12th practice of the spring. "There's not one challenge I'm going to be afraid of or anything…. I've got a bunch of people in my corner to help me out.

The injury to Everett was the latest turn for Oklahoma and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh since the end the regular season. The Sooners lost all five of their regular starters from last season's offensive line, as well as two others who started multiple games for the Sooners in 2023. That group included three-year starter Andrew Raym, who declared early for the NFL Draft despite having a year of eligibility remaining.


Though Oklahoma was already going to have to undergo a rebuild of sorts up front, Raym's departure left the Sooners short on experience at center, outside of Everett. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder started four games last season, including a nod at center in the Alamo Bowl. He also made six starts at center at Appalachian State in 2022.

The rest of Oklahoma's offensive line entered spring practices with a combined zero starts at center and just 34 snaps — 30 from Washington transfer Geirean Hatchett, who has been limited this spring while recovering from a lower-left leg injury, and the other four from Bates, whose only college experience was on the final drive of OU's season opener against Arkansas State last season.

"(Experience) is a big part (of playing center)," Bates said. "A lot of it's confidence. If you're a center, and you go out there with no confidence, you have no chance. Coach B (Bedenbaugh) was just talking about it after practice: If you show up and you don't have any confidence, you've already lost. You got to go out there with the same amount of confidence; it doesn't matter who it is — Aaron Donald or a freshman, you got to have the same amount of confidence and be ready."

To that end, Bates isn't lacking in his confidence this spring. He may be short on in-game experience at center — and prior to arriving in Norman last year hadn't played the position since his sophomore year of high school in Durango, Colorado — but he feels the last year has adequately prepared him for the opportunity that's in front of him.

He credits Bedenbaugh, whose track record of developing offensive linemen is well-regarded inside and outside of the program. Bates also credits two of his veteran teammates from last season, Raym and right guard McKade Mettauer, for their guidance and mentorship throughout his freshman year.

Raym helped Bates with everything from breaking down tape to better understanding things situationally, to "the mindset of how to play center here at OU," while Mettauer helped instill the mental fortitude required to play in the trenches at this level. Mettauer's influence on Bates may have gone somewhat unnoticed, but Bates believes the former Cal transfer helped him massively and was like his "brother from another mother" during their year together, and head coach Brent Venables this spring described Bates as the toughest player the Sooners have.

"The more people you can learn from, the better," Bates said.


That's the mindset that Bates is leaning on this spring, even with Raym and Mettauer no longer around the program. Bates believes the difference in where he was a year ago to now is night and day, but there are still areas he needs to improve upon, mostly from a situational perspective—learning to more consistently identify defensive fronts and get the offensive line into the right protections in a given spot, whether it's third-and-long or second-and-short. It's a process, and one that Bates believes is paying dividends this spring, especially as he has taken more first-team reps the last two weeks.

"(He) makes the right calls," fellow redshirt-freshman lineman Heath Ozaeta said. "Great hands. Really physical guy. Love playing with him, watching him play."

Bedenbaugh, of course, is doing his part to further develop the 6-foot-3, 311-pounder to get him prepared for the SEC. Everett is also lending a hand as best he can while recovering from his knee surgery, as Bates is preparing for whatever is asked of him given the current uncertainty of Everett's availability for the season opener against Temple on Aug. 30.

"He's been nothing but a big brother to me," Bates said. "I love that. I love him. Everything he's done to help me prepare to be the best at this position and at Oklahoma, I'm getting better. I got a lot of room to grow, a lot of experience to gain, but I accept the challenge, and I'm getting ready."

From : SoonersIllustrated.
https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/ ... 230361642/

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