Happy Hump Day, friends and fans!

On Wednesday, the Oklahoma Sooners announced the date for the 2020 OU Spring Game. The annual offseason event is officially scheduled for Saturday, April 18.

A kickoff time has not yet been determined, but judging by last year’s near record-breaking turnout (50,228 official attendance), and despite a schedule change at the eleventh hour, another night game feels like what most fans are hoping for.

A possible pre-game performance from a musical guest has also not yet been revealed. In 2018, Trace Adkins headlined the festivities, while Lee Brice opened on Owen Field in 2019. My vote for this year goes to TCU head coach Gary Patterson. It would be extremely weird, but cheaper than most. Also, he’s really not bad with a guitar, and his voice is good when he hasn’t completely lost it (like he typically does during games).

Stay tuned right here for more updates on the 2020 OU Spring Game and everything else Oklahoma Football related.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! An Oklahoma commit makes an exciting announcement, Lon Kruger’s guys gear up for an important basketball game, Myles Garrett is back and more!

OU Links

• Four-star LB Kobie McKinzie has been verbally committed to Oklahoma since Jan. 15, and is currently the top outside linebacker and No. 38 overall recruit nationally in the 2022 class. That appears to be changing, however, as the talented Lubbock prospect announced he will be graduating an entire year early, which would reclassify him for the upcoming 2021 class. The sooner OU can potentially receive his signature, the better, so this is unexpectedly positive news.

• There’s a critical OU men’s basketball game on deck as Iowa State comes to Norman. The Sooners are coming off a huge win over a ranked West Virginia squad last Saturday, and now need to continue their strong play at home over a Cyclones team that can be had. Earlier this season, ISU gave Oklahoma one of its toughest defeats of the season, winning 81-68 in Ames. Tonight’s tipoff for is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN2.

• OU Insider’s Joey Helmer recently took a look at Oklahoma’s 2016 signing class. Where are they now? Which players are still with the Sooners in 2020 and which aren’t? Who lived up to expectations and who came up short?
• ESPN’s Alex Scarborough put together the college football games he’s most intrigued to watch in 2020, and two of Oklahoma’s non-conference contests made the cut — the trip to Army, and the home game against Tennessee.
• Oklahoma Softball is traveling away from the comfy confines of Marita Hynes Field this weekend as the team sets out for Tucson for the Hillenbrand Invitational. Play begins on Friday, Feb. 14 and will last through Sunday, Feb. 16. Of the five games the Sooners are set to play, one of them will come against the host team in No. 4 ranked Arizona. You can catch the action streaming live on FloSoftball with a subscription or listen for free on the radio using the details below.

• Oh, this? This is just Orlando Brown Jr. spending some quality offseason time away from the Baltimore Ravens in Aspen, Colorado. I see he still rocks those fancy fox tails. Keep doing your thing, my brother.

Around the Sports World

• After Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett was suspended for the final six games of the 2019 regular season following the viral altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph, on Wednesday morning he was reinstated by the NFL, allowing him to rejoin the active roster.
• Former Colorado Buffaloes head coach Mel Tucker recently stated he would be staying in Boulder, but now it’s being reported that he will indeed take on the opening with the Michigan State Spartans after once season at CU.
• New Orleans Pelicans rookie sensation Zion Williamson scored a career-high 31 points in a win over the Portland Trailblazers on Tuesday night. In just 28 minutes, the wrecking ball forward reached his total on 10-17 shooting from the field, 11-14 from the stripe.

• Have you ever wondered what those armbands that softball players wear have printed on them? Check out this up-close look to see the exciting reveal of one of the sport’s greatest mysteries. I hear UCLA won the national championship last year with ‘There’s no place like home’.

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