Happy Hump Day, friends and fans!

The start of the college football season is still a little under two months away, but the NFL Preseason begins in just a matter of weeks. That means fans of the Oklahoma Sooners can get an early glimpse at some former OU players at the next level, including the most recent No. 1 overall draft pick, Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.

On Thursday, Aug. 8, Murray’s debut with his Arizona Cardinals hosting the Los Angeles Chargers will be televised live on NFL Network at 9:00 p.m. CT. The following Thursday, K1 and crew will welcome the Oakland Raiders for a 7 p.m. CT kick on ESPN. Finally, the third televised opportunity to see Kliff Kingsbury and his vaunted offense will be Saturday, Aug. 24 on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. That game will air on NFL Network and is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT.

Kyler Murray has been one of the biggest talking points in the NFL since the college football season ended, and it’s nearly time to see what he can really do with and against NFL caliber talent. To quote Bart Scott: “Can’t wait!”

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Bob Stoops has his own book on the way, a prized recruit is set to make an announcement, Shane Bieber is named this year’s MLB All-Star Game MVP and more!

OU Links

• In case you missed it, the 2019 All-Big 12 preseason media picks were released on Tuesday, and a total of five Sooners were named to the team, giving Oklahoma the most of any school in the conference.
• Broken Arrow’s Andrew Raym, the blue-chip offensive lineman who was once committed to Oklahoma, has a big announcement on the horizon.

• Jack and Kamiar are recording a podcast this evening, so send them your questions!

• Bob Stoops has a book titled ‘No Excuses: The Making of a Head Coach’ that is set to hit the shelves this September. The up-close and personal account was put together in collaboration with ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski, and apparently the former Oklahoma head coach recorded the audio version himself. This appears like it’ll be quite the insightful look into the career and personal life of the winningest coach in OU football history.

• Over the course of his career, Jalen Hurts developed incrementally as a passer at Alabama, but now that he’s learning under the tutelage of Lincoln Riley, scouts are giving him longer looks towards the next level than ever before. So what’s his ceiling look like right now when it comes to the 2020 NFL Draft?
• In case you missed it, a report from The Athletic’s Jason Kersey revealed redshirt sophomore running back Kennedy Brooks has returned to the team following a Title IX investigation. His absence from the team was originally reported by OU Insider’s Brandon Drumm. OU has since released its own statement:

Around the Sports World

• Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and the 2019 USWNT World Cup Champions are having a parade and living their best life in New York City. This has been one of the most fun teams to watch in any sport over the last several years in my opinion.

• After entering the MLB All-Star lineup as a late addition, 24-year-old Cleveland Indians pitcher Shane Bieber struck out the side in the fifth inning and was named the game’s MVP in front of his home crowd. I can’t make this stuff up. Great job, young fella.

• NBA veteran Amar’e Stoudemire, 36, says he still has intentions of landing a roster spot somewhere despite not having played in the association since 2016. More power to you if you can make it back, man, but Father Time is undefeated for a reason.
• Speaking of NBA-related news, starting next season, coaches will be allowed to challenge certain calls with... flags? I’m guessing it’s a similar approach to how they do it in the NFL, but honestly, this seems strange and unnecessary.

• The ESPYS Awards Show airs live tonight at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Check here for a complete list of all the awards and nominees. Tracy Morgan hosts, so if for nothing else, at least that should be quite entertaining.

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