Breaking:Oklahoma Sooners Comes To Terms With Branson Hickman.
Veteran SMU center Branson Hickman has already been in contact with OU’s coaching staff, and is set to be on campus for the team’s spring game on Saturday.
Over his final three seasons with the Mustangs, the McKinney, TX, product started 33 games, including one against Oklahoma in Week 2 last year. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 294 pounds, Hickman earned a 79.8 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts in 2023.
Playing more than 950 snaps each of the past two seasons, Hickman has the experience OU is lacking at the center position. With veteran Andrew Raym enting his name in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Sooners are now relying on Troy Everett and Josh Bates as the team heads into the SEC.
To make matters worse for Bill Bedenbaugh’s group, Everett suffered a leg injury that will sideline him for the remainder of Oklahoma’s spring practices, leaving Bates as the lone scholarship center available on the roster.
In practice last week, redshirt freshman walk-on Ty Kubicek took reps as the second-team center while Bates worked with the first team.