Happy Friday, friends and fans!

The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft was another great night for the Oklahoma Sooners. Check out the reactions from wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons, linebackers coach Brian Odom and their families as they watched OU’s CeeDee Lamb and Kenneth Murray become the newest members of the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively.

Both Lamb and Murray were part of the 2017 recruiting class, and both became household names among Sooner Nation as true freshmen. Today they’re celebrating their commitment to their craft, and a large portion of the credit has to go to the position coaches that helped them rise to where they are now. Both Simmons and Odom expressed their excitement via congratulatory messages to their latest pro pupils.

Thursday night’s draft results are going to go a long way on future recruiting trips. Going into this next decade with Lincoln Riley at the wheel, OU has established itself as one of the premier programs in all of college football for reaching the next level. The players will attest to that, the coaches can back it up, and the results speak for themselves.

Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! Mike Stoops salutes K9, the Sooners and Horned Frogs lead the way in Big 12 draft picks through opening night, the SEC dominates the first round and more!

OU Links

• CeeDee Lamb has a message for Cowboys fans everywhere. He’s already a fan favorite for much of the Dallas fan base, and AT&T Stadium is basically his home away from home. I can hardly wait to see what this man does against the competition in the NFC East.

• Kenneth ‘K9’ Murray also has a message for the LA faithful. Bolts fans, no rookie will work harder than this man right here. He’ll live up to his highly respected reputation and then some, that I’m sure of.

• Murray has plenty of sources for inspiration, but his adopted siblings are definitely at the top of that list.

• Former OU DC Mike Stoops congratulated Murray for being drafted. The ex-Sooners assistant coached the first round draft pick for a season and a half before being dismissed in 2018 mid-season, but it’s nice to see the two share a moment of respect and appreciation.

• As many of you know, Murray is about as humble as they come, so it was probably safe to assume that he meant business when he made this proclamation on Jan. 10, 2017.

• ESPN’s Rece Davis caught up with Lincoln Riley shortly after he saw two of his players picked in the first round of the draft. For all parties involved, it’s definitely a win-win situation. Boomer!

• David Fucillo of SB Nation’s Draft Kings Nation breaks down the betting odds for which team will draft Jalen Hurts. According to the odds, there’s a good chance he could be joining the Colts, Steelers, Jaguars or Patriots.
• Oklahoma, TCU and Texas Tech combined for five first round draft picks on Thursday night, tying the best mark for the Big 12 in eight years.

Around the Sports World

• Nearly half of the 32 players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft were from the SEC. The previous record for most players from one conference taken in the first round was 12, so 15 is a huge record-breaking jump. The Big 12 and the Big Ten also did relatively well for themselves, while the ACC struggled outside of Clemson.

• Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul recently stated that NBA teams would need several weeks of practice before resuming play in order to minimize injury risks. I’m no athlete, but that sounds right to me.
• Reportedly, a documentary film crew followed the late Kobe Bryant throughout his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers ala ‘The Last Dance’. As of now there’s no word on when the doc could be released, but the Mamba himself was closely involved in the production of the project before his sudden passing.
• UNLV has hired former Baylor Bears co-offensive coordinator and QB coach Glenn Thomas as the Rebels’ next OC.

Stick to Sports!

• In devastating news, the iconic KT adult video store located just south of the Oklahoma-Texas border has been demolished. It was a place that created many memories for different folks with different strokes (no pun intended). Some say money can’t by happiness, but KT said happiness could be purchased on VHS for $9.95. Don’t ask me how I know this, I’m in my feels right now. In all seriousness, this landmark is associated with trips to Dallas for OU-Texas, as you always knew you were in the Lone Star State when you saw this place on I-35.

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