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How are things, my good people?
Now that Kyler Murray has officially declared for the 2019 NFL Draft, where do mock drafts have him slotted? He has all the talent in the world, and with pro teams becoming more comfortable with employing QBs on the shorter side of the scale, there’s a great chance the Oklahoma Sooners could see another Heisman Trophy winner taken early in the first round once again.
After analyzing his football prowess (as well as his pro potential in baseball), people are gushing over Murray’s prospects in the league.
Mel Kiper Jr. says Kyler Murray is the most fascinating prospect the NFL Draft has ever seen. #Sooners
— Colby Daniels (@Colby_Daniels) January 15, 2019
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller sees Murray going seventh to the Jacksonville Jaguars. K1 and Dede Westbrook on the field at the same time and linking up? Talk about must-see TV.
Where does @TheKylerMurray land in my new mock draft? https://t.co/E0wiUiwRkA
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 15, 2019
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson projects Murray to be selected even higher at No. 6. The New York Giants currently hold that draft spot, and with the weapons NY has (Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., and another former Sooner standout in Sterling Shepard), that could be an offense waiting to explode with the possible addition of the former Oklahoma QB.
Our latest mock draft has Kyler Murray going sixth overall to the New York Giants: https://t.co/ZHpjkSxQs2 pic.twitter.com/G31xfl4KfZ
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) January 14, 2019
Take mock drafts with a grain of salt, it’s looking more and more like Murray is destined for a top 10 selection, which would be a first in sports history, considering he’s already a top 10 baseball draftee. Of course, much of this could change one way or another in the coming months with the NFL Combine and Pro Days happening around the nation. How he measures up against the competition will largely be determined by what happens during those events, but so far he’s looking like one of the hottest commodities available. I don’t picture
Now it’s time for some sizzling Hot Links! Christian James is about to cross a major milestone, Trae Young is trending upwards, Brady and Belichick are one in the same and more!
OU Links
- Just in case you recently woke up from a seven-month coma, here’s a quick little rundown of Kyler’s Murray’s ascension in the sports world.
Kyler Murray has a chance to make history. pic.twitter.com/1tmkmuXQSH
— ESPN (@espn) January 14, 2019
- Oh yes, and Murray is absolutely the real deal as a quarterback. In fact, his 2018 season gave him the all-time highest QBR since the stat was first tracked in 2004.
Kyler Murray is atop an impressive list of players with the highest single-season QBR. pic.twitter.com/7y7GO2xG2J
— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) January 14, 2019
- So now that there’s been some time since the end of Kyler Murray’s career at Oklahoma, what were the top 10 moments that defined the dual-sport Sooner athlete? The Norman Transcript’s Tyler Palmateer has the rundown.
- If you’re into placing early bets, the 2019 Heisman odds have been updated. As you might’ve imagined, Jalen Hurts is near the top, but Austin Kendall is also on the board at 25/1. However, certain folks don’t seem to like Hurts’ chances of ending up in Norman, as OU isn’t even on the board for his future destination.
9/1 Heisman odds for Jalen Hurts via @betonline_ag pic.twitter.com/peDcW0CbPp
— C&C Machine - Oklahoma SB Nation (@CCMachine) January 15, 2019
More odds (Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray) pic.twitter.com/SdmcntCx6b
— C&C Machine - Oklahoma SB Nation (@CCMachine) January 15, 2019
- Senior guard Christian James is 17 points away from joining the 1,000-point club. This season, he’s averaging 16.8 point per game and has scored 17+ in six of 16 games, with his last coming on Dec. 4 against Notre Dame. Make sure you tune in during Wednesday night’s matchup against K-State to see if he’ll become the latest Sooner to crack quadruple digits!
Chasing 1️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣...@The_underrated5 is up to 9️⃣8️⃣3️⃣ career points. pic.twitter.com/B5DZUVelKJ
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) January 14, 2019
- Speaking of Oklahoma hoops, the Sooners remain a No. 3 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology update. It’s obviously extremely early for this kind of thing, but with two of the toughest Big 12 games already out of the way, Oklahoma is poised to make a real run in the conference standings.
- Former Sooner superstar Trae Young has had an up-and-down first half to his rookie season, but as the Norman Transcript’s Clay Horning puts it, he’s undoubtedly trending in a positive direction. The Oklahoma City Thunder take on Young’s Hawks in Atlanta tonight.
Around the Sports World
- Now that FOX is no longer interested in carrying the Big 12 Conference Championship Game in odd-numbered years (2019, ‘21, ‘23), the Big 12 is on the market searching for a media company to take on its title game. Reportedly, the conference is seeking a $20 million offer.
- After Syracuse took down No. 1 Duke in OT at Cameron Indoor, Orange head coach Jim Boeheim found an opportunity to throw a jab at Charles Barkley. I love it when coaches have a little fun at press conferences.
"He’s like Charles Barkley was, except he shoots better ... and he’s not as fat.” @Cuse_MBB HC Jim Boeheim had some thoughts on Zion Williamson pic.twitter.com/PkfWnXIg31
— ESPN (@espn) January 15, 2019
- The reason why Tom Brady and Bill Belichick make such a dynamic QB-Coach combo is because they’re actually the same person. You want proof? Here’s your proof. Legos never lie, people, they never lie.
Guys, watch what happens when you walk to the other side of this mural made out of Legos. Mind blown.
— Liam Martin (@LiamWBZ) January 14, 2019
Students at Brown Elementary School in Peabody made it. CC @Patriots and @Edelman11 #WBZ pic.twitter.com/6DxVIaBd6M
- There will be a total lunar eclipse late Sunday night, and for a while the moon will appear quite red. Meanwhile, the Chiefs host the Patriots on Sunday evening. Is the universe making its prediction for this game? Probably not, but for the fans in Kansas City, an AFC Championship win over New England could the icing, while the red moon would serve as the cherry on top.
- Brooklyn Nets fans started
trollingchanting ‘Kyrie’s Leaving’ while the struggling Boston Celtics were being blown out. I mean yeah, if the C’s keep this up for the rest of the season, he gone.
Nets fans toying with the Celtics: “Kyrie’s leaving! Kyrie’s leaving!” pic.twitter.com/74V8Uwej6e
— SNY (@SNYtv) January 15, 2019
Stick to Sports!
- Last time anybody saw Peter Parker, he didn’t feel so good, but now our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back! Ned, MJ and Flash are also back in the mix, and it appears this next adventure has the squad posted up a long way from Queens. Now the timeline for this movie is a bit unclear at this point (in case you were confused why Spidey’s back to his web-slinging ways), but it’s entirely possible that this movie takes place just before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Spider-Man: Far From Home is set for theatrical release sometime this summer.
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