Happy Hump Day, friends and fans!

After officially announcing Jalen Hurts as the Oklahoma Sooners’ starting QB on Monday, Lincoln Riley has finally revealed the order of the back ups.

With redshirt freshman Tanner Mordecai and true freshman Spencer Rattler going second and third in the pecking order, we can also assume redshirt junior walk-on Tanner Schafer is the fourth man up.

The way this shakes out combined with the timing of this makes a lot of sense when you really dissect it, too. By naming Mordecai the backup, it helps keep him engaged in a climate that sees quarterbacks routinely keeping one foot in the door. Who knows, maybe he’s not that type of guy, but he is a talented player who adds serious value (or at least depth) to the team. Also, with classes underway since Monday, that limits the possibility of attrition by decision and bolsters the chances of keeping the QB room intact through the 2019 season.

If Hurts has to miss a small amount of time for whatever reason, or it’s a blowout in the second half, expect to see Mordecai before you see anybody else. However, if for some reason Hurts is unable to go for an entire game or two, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Rattler as the guy Riley hands the keys to. Not saying it would happen like that, but you won’t see my shocked Pikachu face if it does.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Alex Grinch talks Houston, Jordan Parker is feeling better than ever, Cody Bellinger almost does AD dirty and more!

OU Links

• Lincoln Riley spent some time breaking down what led him to name Jalen Hurts the starting QB heading into the season opener. In the full interview, what stood out to me was hearing how Hurts’ off days weren’t as bad as his other competitors’. That speaks to the level of consistency he brings to the offense.

• Speaking of Jalen Hurts, ESPN’s Bill Connelly listed the former Alabama QB as the nation’s third most important player going into the 2019 college football season.
• In case you missed it, go ahead and check out this week’s Oklahoma Breakdown Podcast. Jack and Kamiar were joined by Brady Trantham to talk about Jalen Hurts, Spencer Rattler on the QB1 show, the defense, the history of the Stoops Bros., and more! Also, as usual, there’s a bit of NSFW language.

• DC Alex Grinch recently spoke about the challenges of preparing for this particular Houston Cougars team, especially when considering that talented, returning personnel is being paired with a new and inventive head coach. He also shed some light on the cornerbacks situation following the news that Tre Norwood would miss the season (via The OU Daily’s Caleb McCourry).
• Going into his final collegiate season, DT Neville Gallimore is expected to anchor Oklahoma’s defensive line and play a huge part in Alex Grinch’s aggressive concepts. Even before this new era of OU defense, ‘Big Canada’ was the most successful returning player in the Big 12 when it came to pass-rush win rate. Now he’s leaner and meaner, which could spell a lot more trouble for opposing backfields.

• CB Jordan Parker had a promising freshman campaign in 2016, but a season-ending injury in the 2017 opener set him back a long way. Last year he was back in the fold but saw limited action as a reserve, but as the OU Daily’s Vic Reynolds reports, he’s now feeling great about where he’s at physically and mentally.
• After a rough showing against the Oakland Raiders in the second game of the preseason, Kyler Murray is having to deal with a kind of adversity he’s not all too familiar with. He’s not only won at every level prior to the pros, it’s pretty much all he’s ever done. Still, he’s rolling with the punches, and his confidence remains unshaken.
• Former Oklahoma QB Austin Kendall turned Mountaineer was named West Virginia’s starting QB on Tuesday. I hope he’s still the starter by the time WVU comes to Norman. It would make for some juicy storylines. Nevertheless, congratulations to AK on this major opportunity!

• As it turns out, Bob Stoops’ XFL team will be called the Dallas Renegades. Boy oh boy, check out this description from the XFL:

Around the Sports World

• Two-time FIFA World Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Carli Lloyd recently attended the Philadelphia Eagles’ training camp and kicked a 55-yard field goal for fun. I bet with a solid mechanics workout, she could easily crush it from 60 or more. What a total boss.

• With less than two weeks until the first season kicks off, CB Ja’Marcus Ingram has joined the Texas Tech Red Raiders as a grad transfer from Utah State, where he played for current TTU head coach Matt Wells. Since he’s a grad transfer, he’s immediately eligible.
• Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger almost left the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis hanging, but he managed to get the dap in eventually. Still, I think this might be just as cringeworthy.

• I heard about this story and my initial thought was that Larry Bird was just being crotchety, but after seeing this poorly done mural, I don’t have a problem with his distaste.

• Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and former NBA forward Lamar Odom will both compete in the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. Also, Kel Mitchell is in the lineup, and if he doesn’t say “I do, I do, I do-oo!” I will be very disappointed.

Stick to Sports!

• So lots of people are crying about Marvel Studios and Sony not reaching a deal to extend their partnership, which means the current iteration of Spider-Man (Tom Holland) cannot appear in movies outside of the ones produced by Sony. First of all, it’ll be a long time before any of that would have happened anyway, and with so much whining from every fan on earth, there’s no way they won’t reach some common ground. Don’t believe me? Just watch. Anyway, here are some future titles and projects you can expect to see down the pipe in Sony’s Spider-verse.

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