What’s up, ladies and gents?

We’re right in the thick of football season, but let’s talk about what’s going on over on the hardwood, because the Oklahoma Sooners are cleaning up on the basketball recruiting trail. On Monday night, the 2019 class welcomed its fourth overall verbal commit and third in less than a week when Daytona State College center Corbin Merritt announced his commitment to OU.

Merritt, who will have three seasons of eligibility should he sign with OU, will be a bit of a project. However, the Tallahassee native should be a lot of fun to watch if and when he puts it together.

Before this latest commitment, Oklahoma’s class was ranked fifth in the nation, and with Merritt’s upside, this class figures to be one of Lon Kruger’s best. Which will pan out to be stars? That remains to be seen, but stay tuned, because the college basketball season tips off in less than two months.

Now on to some fiery Hot Links! Kyler Murray’s Heisman positioning dips by little to no fault of his own, two key Sooner D-linemen should return to the fold soon, Kawhi Leonard showed the world why his first laugh should be his last, and more!

OU Links

• Kyler Murray went from leading the Heisman discussion to fourth place in ESPN’s weekly Heisman Expert Poll. I don’t understand why he fell so far when he only had the ball for about 17 seconds (hyperbole, y’all), but still posted his second-most efficient game of the season. Oh well — as long as Oklahoma keeps winning, he’ll remain firmly in the race.

• After seeing what Army’s offense did to Oklahoma’s defense, Baylor might want to install some triple option looks into their game plan. That likely won’t happen to much of a degree on such short notice, and I’m pretty relieved for that.
• Now something that could help the Sooners combat any new wrinkles opposing offenses try to throw at them is the return of defensive linemen Marquise Overton and Tyreece Lott. Lincoln Riley said both players could be ready to re-enter the rotation as early as this weekend.
• Just how hyped was the internet about Baker Mayfield last week? The Cleveland Browns QB was the most tweeted about athlete on a global scale. Just think of how popular this man can become if he continues to perform at this level. He hasn’t even started an NFL game yet!

• Speaking of Sooners in the NFL, here’s Kartik’s rundown of Week 3.
• Yesterday was Joe Washington’s birthday, and his former head coach Barry Switzer wished him a Happy Birthday. Not even all that cake will slow down Little Joe!

• Today is OU Giving Day, and every little bit helps. The money raised goes towards the resources for all student-athletes to help them continue to achieve at the highest level in the classroom and on the playing surface. Whether you’re alumni or you simply love the Sooners, you are the key to keeping Oklahoma competing with the best of them. And for the record, you shouldn’t feel compelled or obligated to make a contribution, but it’d be great if you could at the very least pass along the message to your fellow Sooners.

Around the Sports World

• A properly executed stiff arm can be the most destructive move in football. Not only can a player shed a would-be tackler and go the distance, said player can also bury said would-be tackler in a shallow grave of humiliation and leave them there to rot for all of eternity.

• Oklahoma State Cowboys receiver Jalen McClesky has announced his decision to transfer following the 2018 season. McClesky cited not enough touches as his reasoning, so he plans to redshirt this year to keep from losing a year of eligibility.
• The press release folks at Virginia Tech weren’t prepared for the Hokies losing to Old Dominion, but it happened. How do we know they weren’t prepared? We know this because they released a memo about the 3-0 Hokies that came off a (insert score here) win over the ODU Monarchs. You had one job, VT.
• For those that can still achieve such a thing, what are the odds for each FBS team to finish the regular season either undefeated or with only 1-loss? Bill Connelly explores those odds and more.
• Kawhi Leonard’s laugh sounds like how an alien who is assuming human form and learning our ways would laugh to remain inconspicuous.

Stick to Sports!

• HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ is known for its riveting plots, complex relationships and substantial lore. Fans of the books and the series are also drawn to the various settings of GoT itself. Now people can actually visit some of the locations where the show has been filmed as tourist attractions. The eighth and final season is expected to release sometime in 2019.

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