Also, Jeremiah Hall and Nik Bonitto will represent OU at Big 12 Media Days.

Happy Thursday, friends and fans!

After joining the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2019, former Oklahoma Sooners QB Austin Kendall is reportedly transferring for the second time in his collegiate career. Now, the ex-OU signal caller is expected to suit up for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. This also means that we should get a showdown between Kendall and now-SMU QB Tanner Mordecai this season.

Kendall’s extensive journey as a college quarterback continues to grow with this latest development. After starting nine games for WVU, the Waxhaw, North Carolina native was eventually surpassed on the depth chart by Jarret Doege. Including his redshirt season, Kendall is now embarking on his sixth collegiate season as he heads to Ruston, Louisiana.

In total, Austin Kendall has completed 226 of 366 (61.7 percent) passes for 2,418 yards and 17 touchdowns while also throwing 10 interceptions throughout his career.

Now for today’s Hot Links! Oklahoma tops annual preseason poll, OU names its Big 12 Media Days participants, the Olympics will host zero fans this summer and more!

OU Links

• On Thursday, Oklahoma was picked as the overwhelming favorite to win the Big 12 this fall after receiving 35 out of 39 first-place votes from the media’s annual preseason poll.

• On Wednesday, media members who cover the Big 12 Conference tabbed a total of 10 Sooners with preseason honors. QB Spencer Rattler, H-back Jeremiah Hall, WR Marvin Mims, OL Marquis Hayes, OL Wanya Morris were each named to the All-Big 12 Offensive Team. Meanwhile, DL Isaiah Thomas, DL Perrion Winfrey and EDGE Nik Bonitto were selected for the All-Big 12 Defensive Team. Additionally, PK Gabe Brkic was chosen as the league’s top kicker, and RB Eric Gray is the choice for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

• Speaking of redshirt senior H-back Jeremiah Hall and junior EDGE Nik Bonitto, the two team leaders will join Lincoln Riley at AT&T Stadium next week for the 2021 Big 12 Media Days. The OU crew will field questions from the media on Wednesday, July 14.

• Two of four PFF analysts have picked the Sooners to win it all in 2021. With the way things are shaping up, this certainly appears to be the best chance for a national title in quite some time.

• CBS Sports’ Ben Kercheval ranked Lincoln Riley as the Big 12’s top head coach entering the 2021 college football season, but says Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is beginning to close the gap.
• During the 2022-23 season, the Oklahoma men’s and women’s basketball teams will compete in the first-ever Jumpman Invitational. The All-Jordan Brand event will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Around the Sports World

• Because of a recent state of emergency declaration in Japan, no fans will be allowed to attend any of the events during the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
• Former five-star WR prospect Demetris Robertson is now teaming up with the Auburn Tigers as a ‘super senior’ after beginning his collegiate career with at Cal before transferring to Georgia.
• After tabling partnership talks with the CFL, the XFL is reportedly planning on making its official return in the spring of 2023.
• Coming off the team’s first postseason appearance in 17 years, the Miami Marlins have picked up manager Don Mattingly’s contractual option to retain him for at least another season.

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Oklahoma has received five verbal commitments in as many days.

Lincoln Riley is reconnecting with a pipeline that has been good to Oklahoma in the past, as the Sooners now have another commitment from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Of course, probably the most impressive figure to play for the Sooners from Bishop Gorman is Demarco Murray, but now Lincoln Riley and Bill Bedenbaugh have secured the commitment of Jake Taylor, another high-profile offensive lineman. Taylor is nationally respected and committed to the Oklahoma Sooners over other institutions such as Alabama, Notre Dame, USC and several others.

Taylor stands tall at a frame of 6’6, 290lbs with a commitment to play in the HS All-American Bowl. The talented athlete will play tackle and despite being already massive, still has plenty of room to fill out and lose bad weight. He has very long arms, is a punishing force in the run game, and has quick enough feet to secure the edge. It’s no shock that he’s very well coached and technically polished, coming from one of the more premier private schools in the country.

Taylor is now the Sooners’ 13th commit of the 2022 recruiting cycle and is the second offensive lineman that Bedenbaugh has been able to secure since the holiday weekend. Currently, Jake Taylor is rated as the No. 286 overall player in the country, the No. 27 offensive tackle, and the No. 8 player in the state of Nevada according to 247Sports Composite rankings.