Happy Tuesday, friends and fans! It’s the eve of college football’s first early signing period, and we’ll will have you covered as the signees roll in. We’ll keep you up to date on who has signed and the impact each recruit could potentially have in the future for the Oklahoma Sooners.

For today’s edition of Hot Links, Kirby Smart wants prevent the “bang,” OU women’s basketball takes on UCONN, Drake Stoops is still deciding on where to play college ball and more!

OU Links

• Make sure to tune into Oklahoma’s matchup against the Northwestern State Demons tonight at 6 p.m. Full coverage details in the link below.

• Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows how difficult it’s going to be to slow down Baker Mayfield and the high-powered Sooner offense in the upcoming Rose Bowl. One of his main concerns is giving up big plays.
• Sophomore linebacker Caleb Kelly was built for the College Football Playoff. With the other three teams in the bracket more run-oriented, plus Kelly’s tendency to shine brightest against big name competition on the biggest stages (i.e. against Auburn in the Sugar Bowl), Kelly is poised to become a household name nationally by the end of the postseason.
• Sophomore forward Kristian Doolittle is ready to make his season debut. After starting 25 games last season as a true freshman, opponents know what Doolittle is capable of. With Trae Young being the focal point of the Sooners’ offense, Doolittle will have the chance to make a bigger impact this season.
• Tonight, the OU women’s basketball squad is taking on the top-ranked dynasty known as the UConn Huskies. UConn is 10-0 all-time against OU.

• Offensive tackle Brey Walker, Oklahoma’s longest-standing and currently highest-rated 2018 commit, is eager to sign with OU to prepare for the next chapter in his football career. Walker visited Texas A&M this past weekend (which caused a slight scare), but everything appears to be rock-solid at this point.
• Another highly-touted prospect who has continued to be pursued by other programs has also reaffirmed his commitment to the Sooners.

• Norman North receiver Drake Stoops has a tough decision to make. He can either follow in his father’s footsteps and accept a scholarship to play for Iowa, or he can accept an offer from Oklahoma as a preferred walk-on (among other options).
• For Tulsa Union football stars Patrick Fields and Jordan Kelley, playing for the Sooners will mean the world, and they both have their grandfathers to thank for being father figures and positive role models.
• State champion Owasso product Josh Proctor plans to sign a national letter of intent with Ohio State. OU’s efforts to keep the highly-touted from leaving the state came up short, unfortunately.

Around the Sports World

• A crucial review of a three-point basket helped the OKC Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets last night. According to Berry Tramel, Berry Tramel is to thank for that.
• Five-star defensive end Micah Parsons can no longer be recruited by Ohio State after the Buckeyes self-reported recruiting violations during Parsons official visit earlier this season. The Pennsylvania product is considered to be a Penn State lean but has been a target of the Sooners for some time, having actually visited for the Texas Tech game back in late October. Parsons plans on announcing tomorrow for the early signing period.
• So where are the top 11 uncommitted prospects going to sign? Check out these educated predictions.
• Kobe Bryant’s numbers were both retired last night. Really, the argument to retire both of his numbers is solid, so I don’t have an issue with this. The dude could straight up ball.

• Alex Rodriguez’s office is a blast from the past. I remember using phones with cords, and now I just feel old.

• In other news about a former baseball player who juiced once upon a time, Barry Bonds is still making that bread. No, I mean literally, he’s making bread.

Stick to Sports!

• Be extra careful about what toys or electronic devices you are giving and receiving this holiday season. It seems like every day there are wiring malfunctions or in this case faulty lithium ion batteries. As you can see, the results can be devastating.

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