Story by
The Woodward News, Okla.
OU football trusts Caleb Nitta, could start at center Friday vs. UTEP
- Story byThe Woodward News, Okla.
- OU football trusts Caleb Nitta, could start at center Friday vs. UTEP
With a massive question mark entering Week 1, the Sooners are prepared for everything, including possibly starting Caleb Nitta.
Nitta, a transfer center from Western Kentucky, is a possible option for Oklahoma football to start at center Friday when the Sooners take on UTEP at 7 p.m. inside Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
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OU's presumed starting center Jake Maikkula got injured a few weeks ago during fall camp and will be out for an undisclosed time. Typical right guard Ryan Fodje was listed as the starter for Week 1, but Nitta is the backup and could find himself playing plenty of snaps against the Miners.
OU coach Brent Venables said Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference that Nitta is a trustworthy center and has built that important bond with his teammates.
"He's a mature guy, a really smart guy. Got great toughness. Got a great edge to him," Venables said Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. "He's a very confident guy and somebody that's really done a good job of developing trust and relationships with both the staff and his teammates."
Nitta started nine games for the Hilltoppers last season, including a game at center against LSU.
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He's been competing for the center job, for at least Week 1, since Maikkula went down with his injury. The competition consists of himself, Fodje and freshman Noah Best, who played at center during the spring.
Nitta said he knows the competition is up for this rare spot, but that whoever runs out there will be the best guy for it.
"I mean, it's an opportunity for everybody," Nitta said after practice last week. "I mean, coach Bedenbaugh is going to put the best five out there and the best five that give the team the best chance to win. So, you know, it's always a mindset of getting better every single day and doing what you can to help the team."
Whether it's Nitta or someone else snapping the ball Friday, it will take just a little bit to adjust for OU quarterback John Mateer during the game.
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The Sooners have been hinting at more under-center snaps in 2026, helping expand the offense, which could become a small problem when those snaps are from someone else.
"Most of the time the snaps are pretty universal when you get back there (in shotgun)," Mateer said last week. "There's some different speeds and a different spot, different spin maybe, but it's all the same. Really, under center is the only thing you gotta just teach. Quarterbacks put their hands in different spots. It's all, again, the same, but it's a little different, and the pressure and the feel and stuff. But we're doing a great job."
