Happy Monday, friends and fans!

During an explosive Independence Day weekend on the recruiting front, 2021 five-star QB Caleb Williams announced his decision to verbally commit to the Oklahoma Sooners. On Monday, the nation’s top ranked dual-threat released his first blog entry as an OU pledge for SI’s ‘All on the Line’ series.

In this latest entry, Williams talked a little about his experience at the Elite 11 QB camp, where he took home MVP honors. He also opened up about what led him to choose Oklahoma over everyone else who has recruited him since he was a freshman in high school. With his announcement now behind him, he can focus on making the most of his senior season before moving to Norman to further his tutelage under Lincoln Riley.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! Oklahoma has won 14 of its last 21 meetings with nemesis Texas, one former OU RB is arguably a top three player on his current NFL team, folks are still sleeping on the Oklahoma City Thunder and more!

OU Links

• Over the past two decades, Oklahoma has as strong a case as anybody for claiming the unofficial title of ‘QBU’. Since Lincoln Riley arrived in 2015, quarterback play for the Sooners has been running at all-time efficiency rates, and with how he’s recruited the position over the last few years, this reign of dominance doesn’t appear to be slowing down one bit.

• Speaking of Riley, 247Sports’ Matt Howe broke down just how incredible of a run he’s been on since becoming the head coach at Oklahoma. From Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray each winning the Heisman Trophy and being drafted first overall in back-to-back years to elevating the stock of a proven champion like Jalen Hurts, it all points back to the fast-rising QB whisperer.
• Sooner Scoop’s Bob Przybylo ran through the timeline that saw Oklahoma lose the commitment of one of the nation’s top QB prospects to start 2020 only to gain the commitment of the No. 1 guy at the same position.
• As of this Monday, the Sooners now have 11 total commits for the 2021 recruiting class. OU Insider’s Joey Helmer recently broke down the current class as it stands by the numbers.
• Over the weekend, Football Scoop’s Zach Barnett offered his take on why Oklahoma has outperformed the Texas Longhorns on the field so significantly since the turn of the century. When it comes down to it, more times than not, the Sooners have held the edge over UT at two key spots in each of their 21 matchups since 2000 — head coach and QB.
• Cincy Jungle’s Nick Manchester ranked Joe Mixon as the Cincinnati Bengals’ third best player on the team. Boomer!

Around the Sports World

• CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd says time is running out for college football as it continues to figure out how it can carry on with the 2020 season as originally scheduled.
• After MMA welterweight challenger Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID-19 one week ahead of his headline bout versus champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 251, Jorge Masvidal has officially been named the card’s replacement and will now have the chance to claim the belt. I hope Burns recovers and returns to the Octagon soon, but with all due respect, this is the matchup most fight fans actually wanted to see.

• The New England Patriots are offering free parking for all home games during the upcoming 2020 season. The decision was motivated by the financial strain that has affected millions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
• ESPN’s NBA Power Rankings are back, and this time only the 22 teams that will be in Orlando later this month for the 2019-20 season restart are ranked. Of course, the Milwaukee Bucks hold onto the top spot, while the Washington Wizards are looking up at everyone else from bottom.

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