Happy Hump Day, friends and fans!

After one season with the Oklahoma Sooners, redshirt senior WR Theo Howard has reportedly entered the NCAA Transfer Portal per OU Insider’s Brandon Drumm and others.

Before transferring to Oklahoma ahead of the 2020 season, Howard spent four years with the UCLA Bruins. At OU, his practice time was limited as he recovered from an Achilles tendon injury. In 10 games as a Sooner, he caught 13 passes for 163 receiving yards with no touchdowns. For his collegiate career, the big-play threat has hauled in 132 catches for 1,522 yards and nine scores.

As a graduate transfer, Howard now joins Charleston Rambo and Trevon West as Sooner wideouts to enter the transfer portal this offseason. Rambo has since declared for the Miami Hurricanes, while West and Howard have yet to finalize their next destinations.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Oklahoma could send another defender in the first round of the NFL Draft for the second year in a row, the future of OU’s QB room is extremely bright, the NBA All-Star reserves have been announced and more!

OU Links

• You won’t find Ronnie Perkins taking any days off as he prepares for the 2021 NFL Draft. In my non-expert opinion, the man has first round talent. Hope to hear your name called on Day One, Seven!

• Speaking of Perkins, NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah ranked this star defender as the sixth best edge rusher and No. 38 overall prospect in this year’s draft class. If he goes a bit higher and is off the board by pick 32, he’ll be the second Sooner taken in the first round in as many years. Kenneth Murray, of course, went in the first round in 2020.
• Bleacher Report’s Brad Shepard recently took a look at ten national title contenders in 2021 and pointed out the key piece that could push each team over the top. For Oklahoma, that piece might be found within the secondary.
• ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg updated his Future QB Room Top 25 Power Rankings, and Oklahoma checked in at No. 1 with Spencer Rattler returning in 2021 (and theoretically 2022, but that seems highly doubtful) and five-star Caleb Williams also in the fold for at least the next three seasons. You will need a subscription to ESPN+ to read the article in its entirety.
• At 6-0, OU Softball has climbed up to No. 2 in this week’s top 25 rankings by the NFCA. Patty Gasso’s Sooners are also ranked second in USA Softball’s weekly poll. Boomer!

Around the Sports World

• After being involved in major single car accident, Tiger Woods is reportedly awake and responsive following emergency surgery on his right leg. Get well soon, TW.
• The 2021 NBA All-Star reserves have officially been announced. On Thursday, Mar. 4, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will draft from the pool of starters and reserves to complete the rosters for each side before the ASG itself tips off on Sunday, Mar. 7.

• WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) recently stated that he plans to fight twice this year with hopes that one of those bouts comes against Anthony Joshua.
• The NHL’s Montreal Canadiens have reportedly fired head coach Claude Julien and associate HC Kirk Muller. In their place, Dominique Ducharme has been appointed as interim head coach and Alex Burrows has been added to the staff.
• Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh recently paid for every customer’s meal at a local seafood restaurant. The Super Bowl XLVII champion credits his wife for coming up with the idea to pay the bill for all the dining families. Good stuff.

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