How’s it going, Oklahoma fans? Last night, Trae Young and the Sooners defeated another top-10 opponent and the ship has officially been righted (as if it was actually off-course) after the struggles in Morgantown. Meanwhile in football news, it looks like longtime Oklahoma strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt is now heading to College Station to join Jimbo Fisher’s staff. Schmitty was originally brought in alongside Bob Stoops back before the 1999 season.

First off, I just want to wish Schmitty all the best of luck in this next chapter of his life. Now, this transition is substantial for a couple reasons. For starters, Coach Schmidt spent 19 seasons in Norman, so that kind of longevity is rare to find these days. Another reason this is a major development is because it allows Lincoln Riley to bring in his own guy. With recruiting already picking up the way it is, combined with the potential to introduce new blood into the player development department, the Sooners could become an entirely new beast in the very near future.

As for the rest of today’s Hot Links, Trae Young is projected to be drafted somewhere around the top five, Baker Mayfield signs with an agent, a dude at the Oklahoma/Tech basketball game takes his shirt off for a half-court shot and more!

OU Links

• Instead of simply outscoring the opposition, the Sooners beat Texas Tech with opportunistic defense. It was a great win that shows this team is capable of clamping down on that end of the court when it’s needed.
• OU is now up to No. 2 in the NCAA RPI rankings after last night’s win.
• Trae Young, you’re a pretty cool cat, my dude:

• To fully grasp just how special Trae Young is, just watch how opponents guard him. From the way team defenses are being designed to focus on him, to how individual players D him up, Young’s game takes on a whole new appreciation when you see how much he affects the other team.
• Young is doing things that haven’t been done in forever, if ever. His notoriety and ascension has been remarkable, and he should continue to get better as March approaches.

• In CBS Sports’ mock NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Trae Young with the No. 4 overall pick. Watching Young play with LeBron James would be stellar, to say the least.
• SB Nation also did a mock draft and have Trae Young going 6th overall to the Sacramento Kings. It’s really impossible to tell the order because of the lottery system, but in these mock drafts it’s interesting to see which teams will have a need.
• Baker Mayfield has signed with Waterhouse Hayes for off-the-field representation. Hayes has represented guys like NBA player Mike Conley Jr. and NFL great Dwight Freeney.
• Mayfield is also eligible to participate in the NFL combine next month. The reason some may have questioned whether he would be able to or not stemmed from his arrest early last year, but since it was a non-violent transgression, the NFL has allowed him to attend.
• So now that it’s officially the offseason in college football, what were the highlights and lowlights of the Sooners’ 2017 campaign? Also, who are the key departures and returners in regards to 2018, and what should the expectations be for next season?
• After taking Georgia to double-overtime, and Alabama needing OT to beat UGA, the Oklahoma Sooners showed they were rightfully among the best of the best.
• Lincoln Riley knows that the Sooners must improve their defensive talent through recruiting, first, if they want to compete in the College Football Playoff for years to come. Over the last week, it appears the tide is beginning to turn in Oklahoma’s favor.
• And maybe just maybe, the Sooners have found a hidden gem in Tulsa Union safety Patrick Fields. Fields has been all about the Sooners since day one, and that kind of commitment combined with this kind of work ethic should pay dividends for him.

• According to Sports Betting Dime, Kyler Murray has the second-best odds of any player in the Big 12 to win the Heisman, just behind UT’s Sam Ehlinger (???).
• Oklahoma’s game against Florida Atlantic is one of the more highly-anticipated matchups in 2018 of college football’s opening weekend.
• Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but several AP voters ranked Ohio State ahead of Oklahoma in their final polls.
• I gotta give this guy props, he believed in himself all the way. Remember, you miss all the shots you never take. In this case, he also missed all the shots he did take, but whatever.

Around the Sports World

• Milwaukee Buck Giannis Antetokounmpo pranked rookie guard Sterling Brown, and it was both brutal and buttery. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you rookie hazing at its finest:

• Jon Gruden’s pressers next season are going to be gold. Just take a look at some of his gems from his introductory press conference. Get ready to see the Raiders on your screen a lot more often, folks.
• Last season’s full-time starter Jacob Eason is expected to transfer to Washington after suffering a season ending injury in Georgia’s opener and losing his job to true freshman Jake Fromm. Eason was a five-star prospect in the 2016 class.
• This kid made an incredible shot and his dad totally kept his cool about it. Great stuff.

Stick to Sports!

• The Bonnaroo lineup was announced yesterday. This festival sold out years ago, but they still manage to bring in a few intriguing acts each year.

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