Happy National Signing Day, friends and fans!

While most of the recruiting excitement was felt during the Early Signing Period back in December for the Oklahoma Sooners, there is still a bit of movement today worth noting. You can check all of that out here.

As for a little entertainment, you absolutely need to watch Kevin Hart’s ‘Cold as Balls’ interview with Baker Mayfield.

Hart discusses Mayfield’s rise to becoming the first former walk-on to win the Heisman Trophy and eventual No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft. What makes this set up unique to other Q&A sessions is that it’s conducted entirely in an ice bath. Plus, Hart ribs Mayfield at every chance he gets, but it’s all in good fun, so the Cleveland Browns QB is a good sport about it.

Make sure you watch until the very end, when one of Harts’ guys on the side knocks down the ‘flag’ Mayfield ‘plants’. I can almost see his celebrity growing by the day. More ads, more interviews, more Mayfield, please.

Now onto this NSD edition of Hot Links! Lincoln Riley is pleased with the defensive signees, Bob Stoops and Patty Gasso are Hall of Fame classmates, Philly lands Tobias Harris in massive NBA trade and more!

OU Links

• Staying with Baker Mayfield for a moment, according to Pro Football Focus, the Browns QB had one of the best seasons in all of the NFL at No. 75. That ranking placed him ahead of players like Deshaun Watson and Ndamukong Suh.

• This should just be how Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray’s Heisman statues look. The two of them sitting on a bench, burger included. Am I serious? I don’t know, maybe.

• Today is National Signing Day, but it certainly isn’t the NSD of old as Oklahoma signed 23 players during the early period and have only signed one today. Additionally, it looks like OU is actually done (at least for the time being).
• An emphasis for Lincoln Riley last summer was increasing the overall talent and depth on defense, especially along the defensive line. According to OU Insider’s Sam Hellman, Oklahoma’s head coach feels confident about the direction of the defense after this latest recruiting haul.
• It’s almost hard to believe Adrian Peterson signed with Oklahoma nearly 15 years ago from this day, but the Tulsa World’s Bill Haisten details how a simple message from Cale Gundy helped seal the deal with this once in a generation player.
• Bob Stoops and Patty Gasso are part of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame class of 2019. Neither are native Oklahomans, but their impact on two major sports in the Sooner State warrants the high honor. Boomer!

• Trey Sermon graded out as the top performing running back in the Big 12 last season with a minimum of 125 rushing attempts. What’s also interesting is that those other two below him are now gone, while he returns for his junior season. In case you were wondering, Kennedy Brooks just barely missed qualifying for the list because he only had 119 carries.

• With the kind of wide receiver recruiting haul the Sooners have recently signed, this kind of thing was all but a guarantee. Redshirt freshman Jaylon Robinson has entered his name into the transfer portal and will explore his playing options outside of Norman. Good luck to the young man in whatever he decides to do, whether it’s to stay in Norman or pursue another opportunity.

• As far as star power goes, Oklahoma is well represented in the NBA with the likes of Blake Griffin, Buddy Hield and Trae Young. Those three former Sooners standouts will be on center stage during All-Star Weekend.

Around the Sports World

• It’s been a few years since Art Briles was fired from Baylor amid the fallout from the massive sexual assault cover-up scandal in Waco, but his name is starting to float around college football once again. Check out what Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson had to say about him and second chances. For the record, Briles is reportedly no longer a candidate for a coaching position with the Golden Eagles, but he shouldn’t have been interviewed in the first place.

• Luke Wentz is a German QB prospect who signed with Virginia as part of the 2019 recruiting class. It’s monumental for a number of reasons, one of which could see international football players legitimized should he succeed against Power Five competition.
• The Philadelphia 76ers could have the best starting five in the East now that they have acquired Tobias Harris from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team, six-player trade.
• As has become customary, there aren’t any bona fide superstars participating in this year’s Dunk Contest, but a player to keep an eye on is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Hamidou Diallo.
• Since Texas and Texas A&M split up their heated rivalry in 2012, what’s the back-and-forth been like over the years? These two just need to reform their schedules and play annually again.
• You’re right, Dickie V, Duke’s Zion Williamson tried to get a little too fancy with this breakaway reverse slam. I can’t really blame him for trying though. Hell, I couldn’t even do that on a trampoline.

Stick to Sports!

• For the first time since 1989, the Academy Awards will not have an official host for the ceremony. Instead, an increased number of presenters will be relied upon to run the show, as was the case 30 years ago. The Oscars will air live on ABC on February 24th, 7 p.m. CT.

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