Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

With spring practice kicking off next week, Lincoln Riley addressed the media on Thursday to provide offseason updates on his Oklahoma Sooners.

• As of today, a majority of the coaching staff, along with a number of players, have already received COVID vaccinations. The expectations is that most of the team will be vaccinated before the start of the 2021 season.

• The official spring roster was also released on Thursday. Notably, redshirt junior RB Kennedy Brooks, redshirt freshman OT Stacey Wilkins and redshirt sophomore DL Jalen Redmond are all back with the team after each player opted out of the 2020 season.
• Speaking of Redmond, he’s apparently packed on nearly 20 pounds since he last played a down for Oklahoma. If the bulk of that added weight is muscle, he could be in for a special season.

• Coming out of the high school ranks, true freshman Billy Bowman was rated the second-best athlete in the 2021 class. With what he showed at Ryan HS, he has all the tools to shine on either offense or defense. So far, it appears his Sooner career will begin on the defensive side of the ball as he’s currently listed as a DB.

Now for today’s Hot Links! The Belldozer is back in KC, Paw Paw Perine inks extended deal with Cincy, the ACC POY will miss the first round of the Big Dance and more!

OU Links

• On Wednesday, Lon Kruger announced that sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon will not be available for this weekend’s game against the Missouri Tigers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on account of a positive COVID-19 test. The Norman Transcript’s Joe Buettner has more.
• Lincoln Riley recently announced that starting senior safety Pat Fields will miss most of the Sooners’ upcoming spring practice after undergoing minor surgery this offseason. The OU Daily’s Mason Young has more.
• Former OU QB turned TE Blake Bell has returned to the Kansas City Chiefs organization after spending the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys.

• Oklahoma’s all-time leading RB Samaje Perine has been re-signed by the Cincinnati Bengals on a two-year deal.
• Through nine weeks, the OU men’s gymnastics team maintains its hold on the No. 1 ranking in the nation.

Around the Sports World

• Due to undisclosed reasons, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets star and 2021 ACC Player of the Year Moses Wright will reportedly be unavailable for this weekend’s first round NCAA Tournament game against Loyola Chicago.
• The Milwaukee Bucks have recently acquired P.J. Tucker from the Houston Rockets in a multi-player trade that also includes Houston’s Rodions Kurucs and the Bucks’ D.J. Augustin and D.J. Wilson.
• Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has confirmed that pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will receive the Opening Day start after he missed the 2020 MLB season with health complications stemming from a bout with COVID-19.
• After a 12-year career primarily with the New England Patriots, safety Patrick Chung has officially announced his retirement from the NFL.

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