There was a moment Saturday afternoon when Oklahoma fans had every reason to fear the worst.
Jake Maikkula went down during the Sooners’ first major scrimmage of fall camp, and the circumstances surrounding the injury immediately made it one of the most concerning developments of the preseason. The starting center had his leg rolled up, was forced to leave the field and was visibly emotional as he was evaluated on the sideline.
For an Oklahoma offensive line that entered camp with continuity and health among its biggest priorities, the timing could hardly have been worse.
Now, however, there is finally some good news.
Maikkula has been diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament, or MCL, and is expected to miss approximately four to six weeks. Most importantly, the injury is not considered season-ending.
That distinction changes the entire conversation.
The Sooners still have a significant problem to solve before the Sept. 4 opener against UTEP. But instead of trying to replace their starting center for an entire season, Oklahoma now has to find a temporary answer while hoping Maikkula can return in time for the most important portion of the schedule.
And that makes the next several weeks extremely important for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.
Subscribe to get access
Read more of this content when you subscribe today.
A subscription helps us to run the site and feed the writers. It’s just $6 for one year and it makes a huge difference. Plus, we think the subscription content is pretty good as well. Subscriptions reset every January 1st.