Happy Tuesday, friends and fans!

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach recently released his post-spring college football power rankings, and the Oklahoma Sooners have moved all the way up the chart and into the No. 1 spot.

One of the biggest reasons why OU is receiving so much respect going into the 2021 season is the fact that its the only projected CFP contender that returns a full-time starting quarterback. Also consider the fact that Spencer Rattler is regarded as one of the best QB prospects in the nation, along with Lincoln Riley’s proven track record of producing elite offenses and the defense’s climbing success under Alex Grinch, and it’s not unreasonable to conclude that the Sooners are in an ideal position on paper at the moment.

Of course, the games are not played on paper. Like every team, Oklahoma will have a chance to prove itself as a legitimate title contender later this fall. Until then, talking season is here for the next four months.

Other teams from the Big 12 in ESPN’s power rankings include the Iowa State Cyclones at No. 6 and Texas Longhorns at No. 22. As the release of the official preseason polls draws closer, it’ll be interesting to see how the national narrative on OU evolves over time.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Pete Carroll likes Tre Brown as a corner, Russ West is not human and more!

OU Links

• According to multiple reports, OU and Porter Moser have secured the services of Arkansas assistant David Patrick, who will serve as an associate head coach in Norman. Patrick has quite the resume, including experience as a current assistant coach with the Australian National Team. With KT Turner and Emmanuel Dildy already in the fold, this is looking like one of the most promising staffs in the country — both from a coaching and recruiting standpoint.

• According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Oklahoma currently has the fifth-best betting odds to win college football’s national championship.

• After selecting Tre Brown in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll recently clarified that his team’s plan for the former Sooner DB is to play him at cornerback to best utilize his strengths and skills.
• Former OU men’s basketball forward Anyang Garang has reportedly committed to the UMBC Retrievers as a transfer. Good luck in the America East Conference, AG!

Around the Sports World

• The Brodie did it again. On Monday night, Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook recorded just the third-ever triple double consisting of more than 20 rebounds and assists each. In fact, out of the three times it’s ever happened, two of those performances now belong to RW. In total, he finished the 154-141 win over the Indiana Pacers with 14 points, 21 boards and 24 helpers. My goodness that’s just an absolutely absurd stat line.

• Former Texas Longhorns linebacker Juwan Mitchell has transferred to UT of the SEC where he’ll join the Tennessee Volunteers. The hard-hitting defender led the Burnt Orange with 62 total tackles in 2020.
• The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to terms with former Pittsburgh Steelers OL Alejandro Villanueva. The reported contract is a two-year deal for $14 million.
• New York Jets DL Quinnen Williams has reportedly suffered a broken bone in his foot that will require surgery. The team expects the recovery process to sideline Williams for the next eight to 10 weeks.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed former Cavs fan-favorite Anderson Varejão to a 10-day contract that will ultimately keep him on the team through the end of the regular season. The 38-year-old forward last competed on an NBA floor in 2018.

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