Past winners include Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, Gerald McCoy, Jason White and Brady Manek.

Happy Monday, friends and fans!

Just a few days after winning the national championship, Oklahoma Sooners star softball slugger Jocelyn Alo was named the Jim Thorpe Oklahoma Athlete of the Year by the Oklahoma District of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

Past Sooner recipients of the Jim Thorpe Oklahoma Athlete of the Year award include Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, Gerald McCoy, Jason White and Brady Manek.

The first half of this year has been a wild ride for Alo. In addition to her most recent honor, she won a Big 12 Championship, broke the program record for most home runs in a season with 34 dingers, was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as well as an NFCA First Team All-American, and she helped lead OU to its fifth national title.

It would be a tall task to top the kind of season Jocelyn Alo has just put forth, but fortunately for Oklahoma, she’ll be back in 2022 for a potential encore.

Now onto this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! The Sooners lose a 2022 pledge, Hollywood Brown is once again wearing No. 5, Kyrie goes down as the Bucks tie up the series and more!

OU Links

• On Monday, class of 2022 four-star WR prospect Jordan Hudson withdrew his verbal commitment from Oklahoma.

• Although an official announcement has yet to be made, former LSU Tigers RB Kevontre ‘Tre’ Bradford is reportedly expected to transfer to Oklahoma. OU’s running back depth took a hit this spring with the departure of Seth McGowan, so adding a talent like Bradford should help mitigate that loss of production.

• Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan recently provided his in-depth Big 12 preview, and of course he projects OU to win a seventh conference championship. Additionally, he shared each team’s strengths and concerns heading into the 2021 season.
• OL Brey Walker is entering his fourth season at Oklahoma, and with all that time in the program, he should be poised to finally break through and make an impact along the offensive line. SI Sooners’ John Hoover has more.
• Baltimore Ravens WR Marquise Brown is back to repping his old jersey number that he wore when he donned the Crimson & Cream. Looking good, Hollywood!

Around the Sports World

• Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving went down with an apparent right ankle injury during a 107-96 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
• In other Nets news, assistant Mike D’Antoni is reportedly interviewing for the vacant head coaching position with the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
• Cleveland Browns WR Jarvis Landry recently stated that he saw Odell Beckham Jr. working out and it appears he’s back to full strength after suffering a torn ACL during the 2020 NFL season.
• In a 2-0 win over Scotland, the Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick scored from nearly 50 yards out. Sensational stuff.

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