Happy Monday, friends and fans of the Oklahoma Sooners! Let’s get right into this thing.

So Dick Vitale shared some Monday Motivation this morning, and he used Baker Mayfield’s story of being a two-time walk-on turned Heisman Trophy winner turned No. 1 overall draft pick as his centerpiece. Dickie V is one of those figures in sports who has the ability to lift people up with what he says and how he carries himself, and for him to recognize Mayfield for his incredible story is a testament in and of itself.

On behalf of Baker Mayfield (aka the G.O.A.T.) and OU fans everywhere, thanks for the love, Dickie V.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! With the influx of Sooner talent, the Ravens and the Browns brought in some of the most collegiate “star-power” in the draft, Oklahoma Softball swept Texas in dramatic fashion, 2019 receiver Garrett Wilson put the Longhorns on blast by saying they need to step their game up when it comes to sending guys to the league and more!

OU Links

• What will be Baker Mayfield’s role in 2018? He’s never been the type of person to back down from a challenge, and he’s previously stated that he would like to win the job in Cleveland as soon as possible. However, Mayfield has now also stated that sitting for the 2018 season would be a “great thing” for him. I tend to agree. It would allow him to adjust to life in the NFL without putting too much on his plate at once.
• It turns out Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey had the names of the QBs he most closely considered on magnets and aligned them in a way to distinguish them from the rest. Ultimately, Baker Mayfield left the biggest impression on him back in mid-March.
• Check out the stories from each of the finalists for the #1OklahomaFan and vote for your favorite ‘There’s Only One’ design! Today is the final day to vote on the design, so make it count!

• The key for Baker Mayfield to have a more successful career in the league than Sam Bradford will come down to the offensive line that’s tasked with protecting him, says John Shinn of Diehards.
• If one were to grade the NFL Draft based on college star power, the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens should both be near the top of that list. A big reason for that is because of the Sooners that were selected by those teams.
• Dimitri Flowers and Jeff Badet are both included in this list of the top undrafted free agents following the conclusion of the 2018 NFL Draft.
• ‘Round these parts, we know him as ‘Superman’. Sooner legend Roy Williams is being inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. Yes, that’s for the Cotton Bowl game itself, in which Roy Williams and the Oklahoma defense absolutely annihilated Arkansas on New Year’s Day of 2002.

• Oklahoma softball completed its series sweep over Texas with this epic walk-off in extra-innings! There’s just something special about this team. They can go as far as they want to.

• Speaking of big plays against Texas, Jocelyn Alo knocked out the window of a TV van with one of her homers.

• The Opening was in Dallas this weekend, and many of the top performers were either current Oklahoma commits or recruits with the Sooners squarely on their radars, including Dax Hill, the impressive five-star safety out of Tulsa.
• In just a couple months, Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione will be the last remaining pillar of the Boren-Stoops-Castiglione trio. After 20 years of being the Sooners’ AD, Castiglione is ready to usher in a new era with Lincoln Riley and President Jim Gallogly.

Around the Sports World

• The Texas Longhorns haven’t put a prominent receiver into the NFL in quite some time, and that’s a big reason why highly-coveted Austin-area receiver Garrett Wilson chose Ohio State over Texas. That’s gotta sting just a bit for Tom Herman.
• Speaking of which, Bud Elliott talks about how coaches such as Herman have to fight NFL Draft stigmas inherited from the previous coaching staffs at a university. Fortunately, Lincoln Riley doesn’t have that problem.
• The first round of the 2018 NFL Draft was one of the most intriguing ones to date, so which five players taken in the first 32 picks could have the most impact on their teams in their rookie seasons?
• Orlando Brown may not be included in this particular list (he could turn out to be a major steal after seeing what he can do on the field), but check out the players who could turn out to be hidden gems and the ultimate value picks out of the 2018 NFL Draft.
• There’s about an entire year between now and the 2019 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to prognosticate on who may go in the first round. The way things are taking shape, Clemson could have a monster Day 1 come next April. No Sooners on this list, but Rodney Anderson appears on the way-too-early boards for The Sporting News, Bleacher Report and Walter Football.
• Victor Oladipo sent his trainer a text asking him when he can start working on getting better for next season just minutes after the end of Game 7. Oladipo’s Indiana Pacers came up short versus LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
• This sign and that expression says it all. Well done, Cavs fan. Well done.

Stick to Sports!

• At 13 years old, Kyle Jackson out of Kent, England is the youngest professional Fortnite player. The free downloadable video game has been a worldwide success, being downloaded over 40 million times. Now Jackson’s pockets are about to reap the benefits for being so skilled at the popular survival game.

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