How OU football knew it 'got a good one' with Cayden Green joining offensive line

NORMAN — Jamar Mozee hears it all the time. Mozee has been the head coach of the Lee's Summit North High School football team in Lee's Summit, Missouri, since 2015. During that time, countless players have told him they want to one day compete at the college level. Mozee knows all about what it takes to do that. He spent three seasons as a running back at OU, including the Sooners' 2000 national championship campaign. And while only about one percent of high school football players in the nation go on to play at the Division I FBS level, Mozee could quickly tell that Cayden Green was capable when he joined the team as a freshman in 2019. That gut feeling proved to be true. Four years later, Green is an incoming freshman at Mozee's alma mater. The four-star offensive lineman is rated by ESPN as the No. 55 prospect in his class, and he's one of OU's most promising newcomers. "You very seldom meet kids who can align the work ethic along with natural size and things of that nature," Mozee said. "My first impression was that (Green) was serious. He worked hard at it. He didn't mess around, and he looked at football as his craft." Green was only five weeks into his sophomore season at Lee's Summit North when Mozee helped him prepare for life at the next level. Mozee suggested that Green take summer courses so he could graduate in December 2022 instead of May 2023. This would allow Green to enter college as an early enrollee, giving him more time to adjust before the start of his freshman season. It's a suggestion that Mozee doesn't make for all of his players, but he knew Green was capable both on the field and in the classroom of graduating early. "It really became clear to me at that point that he was going to be a college football player," Mozee said. "There was no doubt about it. ... Being an early enrollee, he could also do it academically. He handled his business in the classroom, so I knew he'd be able to do it." Green took Mozee's advice and graduated from high school early, which allowed him to join OU in time for spring workouts. That decision is already paying off. "I know that helped me a lot," Green said. "Coming in, the playbook was like gibberish to me. I didn't know anything. ... I think being here early, that'll really help me in the long run." Green held offers from notable programs such as Georgia, Michigan and LSU. But he only wanted to play for OU, and it wasn't because of Mozee or the fact that he was born in Broken Arrow before moving to Missouri. Green wanted to play for OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, who has a track record of developing NFL-caliber talent. In the past three seasons, Bedenbaugh has helped nine OU offensive linemen get selected in the NFL Draft. The remaining nine Big 12 teams have only combined for 13 offensive linemen draftees during that time. "He's the best at what he does, and that's why I'm here," Green said of Bedenbaugh. "It's a great offensive line university. ... This is what I always dreamed of, playing at this university." While Green lacks college experience, the freshman has a different kind of experience. Green knows what it takes to turn a program around. After going 5-5 during Green's freshman campaign in 2019, Lee's Summit North went 12-2 last season and reached the Missouri Class 6 state championship round for the first time in program history. The Broncos made their run thanks in large part to Green, who became the first player in program history to earn an Under Armour All-American selection. Green's experience of helping turn Lee's Summit North's program around should be invaluable as he joins an OU team that's beginning a rebuild of its own. Led by second-year head coach Brent Venables, the Sooners hope to make strides after going 6-7 (3-6 Big 12) last season. It takes a special group of players to rebuild a program. They must have patience in a college football world that's ruled by the transfer portal. But Mozee knew early on that Green was a Division I talent, and he knows Green will fit in well at OU. "He understands what building is," Mozee said of Green. "A lot of players say they do, but they don't. ... There's definitely a formula to it, and I think Cayden understands that. He's loyal, and he's willing to work through those things. "OU definitely got a good one with him, especially with understanding that aspect."