Happy Tuesday, friends and fans!

247 Sports’ Clint Buckley recently rated former Oklahoma Sooners QB Tanner Mordecai as the No. 1 transfer quarterback this offseason. In December, the ex-OU signal caller announced his intention to join the SMU Mustangs.

Over the years, Lincoln Riley has had the privilege of coaching some of college football’s most captivating QB talent with the help of the NCAA Transfer Portal. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts all kicked-off their careers elsewhere before ultimately signing off as Sooners. On the flip side, there have also been others who started out at Oklahoma only to wind up somewhere else, like Chris Robison at FAU, Austin Kendall at West Virginia, Chandler Morris at TCU and the aforementioned Mordecai now at SMU.

Basically, I see all of this as a net positive in OU’s favor. Whoever comes or goes, they’re usually much better off for their time in Norman. As the seasons go by and the results are produced, this program has clearly become college football’s premier factory for QB talent.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Lon Kruger’s crew picks up steam as a potential top three seed, several class of ‘22 commits rise in the rankings, H-Town tells DC to boogie and more!

OU Links

• Tonight, No. 7 Oklahoma is on the road for a pivotal matchup with the Kansas State Wildcats. The red hot Sooners are seeking their first win inside Bramlage Coliseum since 2012. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

• In other schedule news, OU’s game against Texas (which was supposed to be played last week but was postponed due to weather) will be played next week.

• Speaking of OU hoops, according to USA Today’s Scott Gleeson and Shelby Mast and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm, Oklahoma is now being projected as a two-seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, ESPN’s resident bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently predicts a three-seed for the Sooners.
• The folks over at Pro Football Focus recently rated the freshmen from Oklahoma’s 2020 squad as the third best in the nation. That includes studs like H-back Mikey Henderson, WR Marvin Mims and RB Seth McGowan.

• Sooners Wire’s Patrick Conn recently rated Oklahoma’s group of QB Spencer Rattler, RB Kennedy Brooks and WR Marvin Mims as the Big 12’s top offensive trio. Hard to argue with that.
• 2022 OU four-star verbal commits Talyn Shettron, Kobie McKinzie and Jordan Hudson each recently received significant boosts to their Rivals prospect rankings. Currently, Oklahoma has the No. 4 class in the nation according to the recruiting service.

• Winter workouts are winding down as spring camp draws ever closer at Oklahoma. Check out RB Kennedy Brooks and LB Caleb Kelly grinding it out with their teammates in this quick training montage. Neither of them played a down last season, but both Sooners bring heaps of talent and experience to the table. Man, I can hardly wait for football season. Boomer!

Around the Sports World

• As I’m sure you all are aware, Tiger Woods was in a serious single-car accident this morning and was taken into surgery in Los Angeles. Fortunately, the injuries — while serious — are not thought to be of a life-threatening nature. Today’s outpouring of support for the living legend has been comforting.

• On Monday, former Oregon Ducks starting QB Tyler Shough officially announced his decision to transfer to Texas Tech to become a Red Raider. Upon arrival, he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

• In a since deleted tweet, Tennessee Titans DL Isaiah Wilson stated that he is ‘done with football as a Titan’. What’s most maddening about this ordeal is how highly touted Wilson was after Tennessee selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
• After 25 games, the Houston Rockets have waived veteran forward Demarcus Cousins, officially making the big man an available free agent.
• Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. While he recovers in isolation, the rest of the coaching staff will transition to working remotely until the team facility re-opens.
• Six-time NBA All-Star big man Paul Gasol is reportedly returning to Spain to play for Barcelona in hopes that he will be ready to compete in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.

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