Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

The 2020 NFL Combine workouts are kicking off today in Indianapolis, but the real work that the Oklahoma Sooners and all other participants have been putting is has already been going on for better part of the past two months. Check out what it’s been like for first round hopeful WR CeeDee Lamb, who’s journey is a prime example of how many of these elite athletes have prepared for one of the most important days of their lives.

The group Lamb linked up with certainly has an impressive track record of getting the most out of the athletes they train. Their focus on explosiveness is critical, and the emphasis on maximizing one’s 40-yard dash time is where a lot of these players can either rise or fall come draft day.

CeeDee has undergone quite the physical transformation since he began his collegiate career at Oklahoma in 2017. Not only has he added about 25 pounds of lean mass, he’s improved his tackle-breaking skills, upped his leaping ability, and of course increased his overall speed and agility. Today, those improvements will be put to the ultimate test to see where he stacks up from a measurable standpoint among his fellow receivers in this year’s draft class.

If you don’t want to miss any of Lamb’s results at the combine, check here for more information on how and when you can catch him and the other Sooners who are doing their thing in this annual rookie showcase.

Now for today’s Hot Links! Trae Young blocks a shot blocker, Cody Thomas busts the guts out of another ball, Tom Herman meets with Brian Kelly for advice from one underachieving college football program to another and more!

OU Links

• On Thursday, the OU Baseball program announced that it has received a $1.1 million gift from the Brian Kimrey family that will go towards upgrading the Sooners’ home — L. Dale Mitchell Park. It’s people like the Kimreys whose donations help OU keep up with the Joneses across all athletics. Boomer!

• Neville Gallimore has one of the more worldly backgrounds in this year’s draft class. Coming from a Jamaican household in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, he’s made quite the journey to reach this moment in his football playing career. All things considered, it’s no wonder this opportunity means so much to him.

• Kenneth Murray has never been the type to say things he doesn’t mean or can’t back up. If he says he’s the best, then he genuinely feels that way. Hopefully for him and his family an NFL GM out there also shares his sentiments during Round One of the 2020 NFL Draft.

• Speaking of ‘K9’, a lot of folks around these parts have already heard of the incredible story from last year when he saved the life of a critically injured deaf woman moments after a car accident. He was asked about the story again this week at the combine, and it’s still amazing to hear about.

• Fox 25’s Danielle Dwyer recently caught up with senior forward Kristian Doolittle to discuss his role as the team leader this season, as well as his prolific playing career at Oklahoma that’s nearing its end.
• This Friday, OU Softball opens the season’s home schedule with a double-header against Northwestern and Abilene Christian. If you’re coming to the game, you’ll receive this sweet poster featuring the team and 2020 schedule. That’s quite the recruiting pitch if I say so myself.

• Atlanta Hawks All-Star PG Trae Young is known for his absurd range as a three-point shooter, but on Wednesday night this second-year pro showed he can also block a 7’1” Orlando Magic C Mo Bamba. To add insult to injury, Young, a former Sooner, did this to Bamba, a former Longhorn. You love to see it.

• Former OU QB and OF Cody Thomas continues to ball out for the Los Angeles Dodgers during spring training. This time he sent a Los Angeles Angels pitch about another 50 feet beyond the wall for a three-run bomb.

Around the Sports World

• Philadelphia 76ers C Joel Embiid suffered a left shoulder injury in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday that sidelined him for the night. The All-Star is set to have an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury.
• LeBron James will sit out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday with a sore groin. Fortunately for L.A., it appears to be just a minor setback.
• For a while it’s looked like former New England Patriots QB Tom Brady was going to test out the NFL free agency waters this offseason, but now it’s become clear that his intentions are not to return to Foxborough.
• Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman is meeting up with Notre Dame Fighting Irish lead man Brian Kelly in South Bend today to reportedly seek advice for going into a season with a completely revamped coaching staff.
• I can’t say I didn’t see this coming, but Houston Astros batters have already been hit seven times in spring ball. That number currently leads the MLB. At some point an enormous brawl is going to break out, and I’ll have my popcorn extra buttery.

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