Happy Hump Day, friends and fans!

The NFL Network’s Charley Casserly recently reported on a series of comments about Kyler Murray he claims to have received from teams while in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine last weekend. The main points were about K1’s leadership, study habits (film) and board work (x’s and o’s). Here is Casserly’s full statement:

Of course, this is all news to many of the people who have been the closest to Murray for the last few years. Take Lincoln Riley, for one, who should know how adept all his players are at each of these facets of the game after spending so much time with them.

Speaking of which, Riley was on the Dan Patrick Show Wednesday morning where he discussed Casserly’s comments. In summation, he does not agree with the reports and certainly does not believe in these issues himself.

Sure, a counter argument could be that Riley is going to bat for his player and defend him because that’s what he should to do, but that doesn’t explain why these supposed egregious problems haven’t been reported before or backed up by anything substantial. I think this being a smokescreen tactic, as Riley called it, is more on the nose than this sorry take out of left field. Front offices have agendas and frequently feed information to certain media members with the purpose of throwing people off, and that’s especially prevalent when the NFL Draft is factored in.

Here’s the full interview:

The closer one gets to the top, the more scrutiny is tossed their way. That’s what is happening right now with Kyler Murray. It happened with Baker Mayfield last year before he went on to go No. 1 overall in the draft and led the Cleveland Browns to a franchise-resurrecting campaign. Until more sources can credibly reinforce Casserly’s comments, it’s probably best to ignore them or at least take them with a grain of salt.

Here’s what Dan Patrick had to say about the whole thing, which includes a scout telling him that he thinks Kyker’s combine height is illegitimate (proving the entire point regarding scouts and agendas):

Now onto this Wednesday edition of Hot Links! Murray continues to rise to the top of mock drafts, Bill Self thinks Oklahoma should make the NCAA tourney, Mike Tyson can still destroy someone’s world with a single hook and more!

OU Links

• The latest NFL mock draft update from The Ringer has Kyler Murray projected as the No. 1 overall pick, with Cody Ford also going in the first round. The scouting breakdowns by Danny Kelly are tremendously detailed, so I recommend giving them a good look.
• Daniel Jeremiah also predicts Murray to be selected with the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He also sees Marquise Brown playing with a former teammate of his. I’d be very much on board with this if it were to happen.
• Lon Kruger and the Oklahoma Sooners took down the Kansas Jayhawks to thwart KU’s chances of winning a 15th consecutive Big 12 regular season title. OU is now in prime position to make the Big Dance, and any more wins the rest of the way would be gravy, or icing, if you prefer that analogy. Check out these game highlights from the special night.

• Following Tuesday’s games, including the Sooners’ win over the Jayhawks, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm moved Oklahoma up from a No. 10 to a No. 9 seed in his latest bracketology update.
• ESPN’s Joe Lunardi slots the Sooners as a No. 10 seed in his updated bracketology report, but it feels like a much more solidified spot then it was previously.
• Put Bill Self on the NCAA Tournament committee, because if you ask him, Oklahoma should be in without a doubt. For the record, the current committee will more than likely place the Sooners in the bracket, so no actual lobbying will be necessary.

• The Tulsa World’s Eric Bailey breaks down the key storylines and position battles to watch as the start of spring practice unfolds.
• Patty Gasso and the Oklahoma softball team took care of McNeese State, 6-1, on Tuesday. The No. 3 Sooners are now 16-2 on the season. Boomer!

• Former Sooner cornerback Zack Sanchez is making some game changing plays for the AAF’s San Antonio Commanders, like this sweet interception where you can almost hear him say ‘gimme that!’

• In case you missed it, seat (not seating capacity) expansion and increased Wi-Fi access in-stadium is in Oklahoma’s near future. There are both pros and cons to the decision, but overall it should enhance the experience of watching the Sooners play live and in-person.

Around the Sports World

• Paul George is really having his best season of his career in all parts of his game, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have certainly benefitted from it. I wonder which of these awards PG-13 will end up winning, because at this point it’d be a travesty if he didn’t win at least one of them.

• At this point in the long, drawn out saga between Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers, it appears the Oakland Raiders are now the betting favorite to land the superstar wide receiver.
• A Turkish soccer player is under investigation after allegedly attacking players on the field with a hidden razor blade he kept somewhere on his person. The players who claim to have been attacked have noticeable cuts and wounds on their arms, torsos, necks and faces.
• After 21 horses have died in the last two months as a result of injuries, the racing track at Santa Anita has suspended races indefinitely to re-examine the dirt surface.
• I wish I could have watched Iron Mike Tyson box in his prime. I can just feel the power of those punches emanating through my screen. Impeccable.

Stick to Sports!

• Named for its translucent skin, this new species of glass frog was recently discovered in Ecuador. What else was discovered in its natural habitat was a local gold mining operation that is threatening the animal’s very existence.

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