2018 OU Football Preview magazine

3 2 - P A G E S P E C I A L E D I T I O N | C O V E R A G E A L L S E A S O N A T O U D A I LY. C O M

FOOTBALL OU DAILY PREVIEW18

Key Games UCLA 2 TEXAS 3 TCU 4 WVU 1

MURRAY MOVES Dual-sport athlete Kyler Murray looks to make most out of 2018 season

6 Brendan Radley-Hiles

“Bookie” ready to lead Sooners

12

Who runs the world?

Meet the women of OU football

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FOOTBALL OU DAILY PREVIEW18

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S SEASON SCHEDULE

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KYLER MURRAY

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RILEY 4-PEAT

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“BOOKIE”

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JORDAN BRAND PHOTO GALLERY

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OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART

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DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART

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OU WOMEN IN FOOTBALL

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POLLS/PREDICTIONS

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...

E D I TO R I A L S TA F F EDITOR-IN-CHIEF nick hazelrigg

VISUAL EDITOR archiebald browne

PRINT EDITOR mahmoud mousa hamad

DESIGNERS mahmoud mousa hamad abbie sears sonam gurung

SPORTS EDITOR kegan reneau COPY MANAGER kelci mckendrick COPY EDITORS daniella peters amanda johnson haley harvey lindsi unsell WRITERS george stoia abby bitterman kegan reneau kelli stacy CAITLYN EPES / THE DAILY

PHOTOGRAPHERS caitlyn epes, paxson haws, jordan miller, field parsons, siandhara bonnet OU Daily’s football preview magazine is a publication of University of Oklahoma Student Media. Nick Jungman, director of student media, authorized printing of 10,000 copies by University Printing Services at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.

SEASON SCHEDULE

F L. ATL AN T IC @ H OM E

UCLA @ HOME

SEPT. 1

SEPT. 8

Oklahoma opens its schedule with Lane Kiffin and Florida Atlantic, who should give the Sooners a good challenge after coming off an 11-3 season.

With new coach Chip Kelly and no official starting quarterback, UCLA will be one game into a new era when the Bruins come to Norman. Last year’s UCLA team was 6-7, getting outscored by opponents by an average of about four points. The Bruins’ defensive weakness last season was stopping the run, something that could prove difficult for them against Oklahoma and its more seasoned stable of running backs.

IOWA ST. @ I OWA

AR M Y @ HOM E

SEPT. 15

SEPT. 22

After falling to the Cyclones at home last season, the Sooners will be out for revenge in Ames this year.

A game between a blue blood against a historic program. Army will bring its triple option offense into Norman for the first time since 1959.

BAYLOR @ HOM E

T EXAS @ T EXAS

SEPT. 29

OCT. 6

Baylor was the first team to push Oklahoma towards defeat last season, but the Sooners pulled out a 49-41 victory. The Bears are still in a rebuild and have to travel to Norman.

4 CAITLYN EPES/ THE DAILY

Throw out the record books, throw out the projections, the statistics, the history — none of it matters. When Oklahoma meets Texas in the heart of Dallas at the Cotton Bowl, anything can happen. In 2015, during the Sooners’ first run to the College Football Playoff, they were handed their first loss.

Last season, a Baker Mayfield to Mark Andrews touchdown in the fourth quarter sealed a 29-24 win. It should be another wild Red River Showdown in year two of Lincoln Riley and Tom Herman.

TC U @ TC U

KANSAS ST. @ HOME

OCT. 20

OCT. 27

The Sooners will have a bye to prepare for arguably the second-best team in the conference in TCU. Gary Patterson will have his team ready for the Sooners with maybe the best defense in the league.

TCU will more than likely have a dangerous offense led by dual-threat quarterback Shawn Robinson.

Expect this one to come down to the end in Fort Worth.

Last year, the Sooners topped the Horned Frogs twice, winning the first time 38-20 and the second — in the Big 12 Championship — 41-17.

Kansas State gave the Sooners lots of problems last year before Rodney Anderson saved the day.

The Wildcats have a veteran squad again this year and will be looking for revenge against the Sooners.

T EXAS TECH @ T EXAS TECH

NOV. 3 Lubbock is always a difficult place to play, and that will be no different this year. Expect lots of points early from these two teams, just like every year. Tech won’t be the most talented team in the world, but they will be looking for an upset.

OSU @ HOM E

NOV. 10 Last year was truly Bedlam, and although both teams have lost their star quarterbacks, this game has the potential to be just as good.

K ANSAS @ HOM E

W VIRGINIA @ W. V I R G I N I A

NOV. 17

NOV. 23

Don’t expect this game to have as much going on on the sidelines as last year’s did.

The Sooners are heading to Morgantown the day after Thanksgiving.

With Will Grier in his senior season and the Mountaineers already launching his Heisman campaign, West Virginia’s offense may give Oklahoma some trouble. The last few meetings between these two teams have gotten chippy, and this year’s game should be no different, with the Mountaineers coming in second in the preseason Big 12 rankings and seemingly having the best chance to beat the Sooners this season.

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IN THE

SPOTLIGHT 6

KEGAN RENEAU • @KEGANRENEAU

| PHOTOS BY CAITLYN EPES

THERE’S AN AURA ABOUT HIM.

T

he way he walks, the way he talks and the quiet, calm confidence he boasts — anyone can feel Kyler Murray’s presence.

Oklahoma’s junior quarterback is a well-known athlete across the country, but he carries a calm, cool and collected attitude.

Murray holds a 43-0 high school record at Allen High School in Texas. He won three straight Texas State Championships, was awarded the 2015 Male Gatorade Player of the Year, and then was eventually drafted No. 9 overall in the 2018 MLB FirstYear Player Draft by the Oakland Athletics in June.

Just under 52,000 people follow him on Twitter, and another 94,000 on Instagram. A highlight video chronicling his record-setting senior high school football season has over 1 million views on YouTube.

It all started with his demolition of opposing Texas high school football teams, where he is seen as one of the best to ever play in the state.

“I will say this, if you’re making a list of the top five Texas high school football players of all-time and it doesn’t include Kyler Murray, I think your list is bunk,” said Greg Tepper, managing editor of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. “I think what he did on the field was so spectacular and so singular and in many ways you could say that he was the first of this generation to do what he’s done.”

HE KNOWS THE ENDING TO THIS MOVIE Murray moved to Allen High School just a week before his sophomore season in 2012.

He wasn’t the starter. He had to sit and watch, but the plan was for him to play in the third series of the first and second halves during the first five games of the season

in non-district play.

In the season opener, two and a half weeks after Murray’s arrival, the current starting quarterback came out of halftime with cramps.

Murray was forced to play, despite knowing only half the offense, throwing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns.

“You just are amazed that this kid that, he gets thrown in in front of 24,000 people at 15 years old, and it’s like nothing,” said Jeff Fleener, Murray’s former offensive coordinator at Allen. “He’s calm, he’s cool — he barely knows half of the offense, we kind of have our own little game plan just for him because he’s really only been with us for two and a half weeks at camp, and then we’re in the first game. For him to just go out there and show us that nothing’s going to bother this kid, nothing was freaking them out or making him play nervous or anything like that, and he was just going to go ball, it was impressive to watch.”

Before non-district play was over, he emerged as Allen’s starting quarterback.

In the final non-district game against Coppell, Murray got the nod after halftime. It was a backand-forth game, he gave Allen a chance to win, but they ultimately fell in overtime — the last time he would lose a football game in his high school career.

He was named the starter the following week, and his rapid development garnered the attention of college coaches.

One of those coaches was now-Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who spent one season at Texas A&M in 2012. Out of all the qualities — his elite speed, his arm talent — his supreme confidence is what stuck out, the same confidence that made him the starter.

“The thing that jumps out at you is the supreme confidence — I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a confident young man in his abilities,” Kingsbury said at Big 12 media days. “He’s very quick, a very accurate thrower, a very natural passer — so he’s kind of got everything you want, and he’s never even focused on either sport, so the sky’s the limit if he ever focused on one or the other. And he’s done

pretty dang good at splitting them as well.”

Murray’s high school ‘resume’ speaks for itself. He is allowed to walk the walk and talk the talk because he’s done it, and that resonates to everyone who is around him.

“When you talk with him and when you’re around him, there’s this kind of quiet confidence, even though he’ll show a little bit here and there, but this kind of just knowing that when you’re around him you’re like, ‘alright, something special is about to happen,’” Tepper said. “Partially because I’ve already seen something special happen, and partially because we just get this feeling that he knows that he knows the ending to this movie. He knows how this thing ends, and it ends positively for Kyler Murray.”

EVERYTHING HE TOUCHED TURNED TO GOLD In his second to final high school game, Murray’s perfect legacy was up in the air.

Dallas Skyline High School came out of halftime throwing the first punch in the 2014 6A State Semifinal. They backed Allen into a corner, landing blow after blow.

With a chance to flip the script, Murray threw a pick-six to go down 28-10. Skyline had Allen by the ropes, its 41-game win streak was in jeopardy and Murray’s lasting legacy was in flux.

Down 34-17 with 15 minutes to go, something changed. Murray found a new gear, the tide had turned, and Allen went on to win their 42nd straight game 52-34 behind his 521 total yards and five touchdowns.

“I don’t know if Skyline was the better team, but they were probably the better team on that day and suddenly it clicks for Kyler that, ‘alright if this is going to happen, I’m going to have to do it,’ and he went on this tear where everything he touched turned to gold,” Tepper said. “Where every single decision he made was right.

Where every single run that he made, he got those extra six, seven yards.

“It was really something to behold that he just — for a guy that we thought we’ve seen everything, he suddenly had this extra gear and that’s frightening. When you’ve got a guy who’s already one of the great players in Texas high school football history, and then he just shifts it into a fifth gear, that is something that you don’t see, you really don’t. … That game really stands out to me as, I would say, probably solidifying his spot as one of the great Texas high school football players of all time.”

The following week, Murray led Allen to a third straight Texas State Championship over Cypress Ranch and a perfect record as a starting quarterback. He went on to Texas A&M the following fall, staying there for a lone season after an up-and-down year where he was in-and-out of the starting lineup.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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FROM PAGE 7:

BOTTLED UP ENERGY IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE Murray’s resume in football is almost complete.

The only blemish is his one season in College Station. After being selected by the A’s, he may only get one shot to right that wrong.

“Obviously right now, I’m going to play baseball, but like I said, I’m

focused on the season,” Murray said.

“Whatever happens, happens. But right now, my destiny — we already know what’s happening. For me, go out here this season and be successful is the plan.”

All the work, the sweat, the long hours of preparing comes down to this one final season if he pursues professional baseball. He has one final opportunity to leave a lasting football legacy.

The spotlight has been shining bright on Murray since taking over as the starting quarterback for Allen in the second half of an overtime loss to Coppell in 2012. It continued to shine on him as he got better and as

the spotlight got brighter, whether he liked it or not.

“Not playing hurts, but you know, just being able to learn and like I said, sit behind Baker (Mayfield) and just learn from coach Riley — I don’t really care too much for the spotlight,” Murray said. “But just not being able to play is the worst part about that.”

Murray stepped away from the spotlight the last two years. He’s been living in the shadows, living away from people who dissect his every move, and that might be the reason he leaves football with a lasting legacy.

“I think (sitting out the last two years) was hard for him and

definitely as far as just being as competitive as he is and wanting to be in those situations, but I think what you’re going to see this year is all of that having been bottled up for two years is about to explode on the field,” Fleener said. “I think because he doesn’t have the same personality as Baker, there’s just so many people that don’t know him outside of the highlights and so they don’t know what to expect because he’s not out there in the middle of the media talking about it a lot.

“But I think what people are gonna realize is having all of that energy and electricity bottled up for two years is about to explode.”

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PHOTOS BY CAITLYN EPES

BACK-TO-BACK-TOBACK-TO-BACK?

S

ince Lincoln Riley’s first season with Oklahoma in 2015, the Sooners have won the Big 12 Championship every year. This season, Riley will be attempting to lead the team to an unprecedented fourth straight conference title in football.

Oklahoma is favored to win the Big 12 again this year, according to the Big 12 preseason media poll, but winning the conference for a fourth year in a row won’t be an easy task for the Sooners. Since the conference formed in 1996, no team has ever been crowned champion four seasons in a row — the only team to come close was Oklahoma in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

“To be consistently good when you’re the one everyone is taking shots at — it’s hard to do.”

LINCOLN RILEY, OU FOOTBALL HEAD COACH As offensive coordinator, Riley and Oklahoma were named Big 12 champs two years in a row, and, in his first season as head coach, the Sooners won the title in the return of the championship game.

“I think it’s hard to win,” Riley said. “People are getting better, everybody’s investing.

It’s good ball, good league, hard to win, especially with the championship game now, too, it’s even harder to win.”

Winning the conference for a fourth year in a row will be a tall order for Oklahoma.

There are a few factors that make a four-peat in the Big 12 challenging, but there are also some things that the Sooners have working in their favor this season.

Since Nebraska and Colorado departed from the conference after the 2010 season, the Big 12 has been the only FBS conference without divisions.

Instead, the conference plays a round robin tournament, with each school playing all nine other teams.

“We play nine conference games,” said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder. “Nobody else plays nine conference games — they do, but they can do it division-wise, so they still have an opportunity to win a division with five teams in it or six teams in it and still compete for a championship.”

Without two sides to the conference, the Big 12 Championship game is determined by the two teams with the best records. Snyder said he’d welcome a return to divisions, where the winner from each side would go to the title game.

The strength of the conference makes the round robin even harder. Teams such as West Virginia and TCU have been consistently near the top in recent years, with almost every other team posing a threat.

“It’s got so much parity that we hurt ourselves,” said TCU coach Gary Patterson. “Because you’ve got to go undefeated, you’ve got to be on your game, and you have to have some luck on your side, no injuries and just go down the list of things that have to happen for you to be successful.”

No team has made it easy for the Sooners. Oklahoma State and Texas typically give Oklahoma its toughest challenges because of the rivalries, but other teams take good shots at the Sooners, too. West Virginia and Oklahoma have been chippy in recent years, and Baylor — a team that went 1-11 last season — came close to upsetting the Sooners last year in Waco.

Every team in the conference gives Oklahoma its best look because they all want to knock off the top team. Five of the Sooners’ nine conference games last season were decided by 10 points or fewer.

“To be consistently good when you’re the one everyone is taking shots at — it’s hard to do,” Riley said.

While the Sooners typically falter at least once every year

in conference play, it’s hard to look at the schedule and pick which game that will be this season.

Last season, Oklahoma reloaded with a lot of young and unproven talent, but this season, the experience and skill of the Sooners’ roster makes them a favorite in every game on the schedule. Riley’s offensive play calling skills have also proven that Sooners have the ability to outscore teams, no matter how many points the defense gives up.

Winning four conference titles in a row is not easy. Of all the teams in the power five conferences, only one has ever won four straight conference championship games — from 1993 to 1996, Florida dominated the SEC title game.

While the Sooners have a difficult schedule ahead of them, they are still the favorite to win the conference, a distinction that seems well-deserved.

“Playing everybody now and then adding the championship game has even taken it up a level,” Riley said. “And then I just think you’ve got a lot of programs that are on the rise.

It’s hard to look at any of these programs and say they’re not on an upward trajectory right now.

The quality of the offensive ball is going to be a challenge each and every week.”

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THE STORY OF

“BOOKIE” N

GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA

ine-year-old Brendan Radley-Hiles jogs onto the field with his team, the Reseda Bucs, trailing by 5 with just under 40 seconds to play.

His coach and older brother Brian Webb has called the perfect play, but as Radley-Hiles lines up 80 yards away from the end zone, he turns to Webb, smirks and changes the play call.

Eighty yards and a touchdown later, Webb knew in that moment his little brother was different.

“I told him, ‘You’ve got good players, great players, and then you’ve got special players,’” Webb said. “He gave me that look and

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PHOTOS BY CAITLYN EPES

took it 80 yards. That’s when I knew he was something special.”

Now, 10 years later, Radley-Hiles is already making his mark at Oklahoma, despite not playing a game yet. And that’s why his voice is not in this story, with freshmen having to earn the right to speak by playing in a game.

His infectious personality combined with his elite football skills have made him one of the most talked about Sooner players in recent history. He has a smile that can light up a room, hair that’s larger than his personality and a maturity beyond his years.

Sooner Nation has high hopes for

the five-star defensive back, but few know the tale of the kid nicknamed “Bookie.”

He carries a weight on his shoulders embodied by the number over his heart, the chain around his neck and the tattoo written across his back. He’s a natural-born leader who feeds off pressure and thrives in the spotlight. He chose his new home thanks to a friend’s debt and a fading coach’s advice to join a rising one. And those who know him best say he’s primed and ready to be the saving grace of the Sooner defense.

This is the story of Brendan “Bookie” Radley-Hiles.

No. 44 A football has been in Radley-Hiles’ hands since he was 4, joining his brothers Brandon Webb, Brian Webb and Lucky Radley, who all played football from a young age.

“We’ve always had a really strong football household,” said Brian, who now works as a real estate broker in Las Vegas. “With each stair step of a brother, we got better. Lucky was better than me, I was probably a little better than (Brandon), and Bookie is better than all of us.”

“He’s like the finishing masterpiece,” added Lucky, who’s a financial planner in Beverly Hills. “He benefited from watching us his entire life.”

Radley-Hiles was born Aug. 4, 1999.

He’s the youngest of six, with his mother and older brothers and sisters raising him for the majority of his life. He was given the nickname “Bookie” — pronounced “BOO-kie” — by his mom, Brenda Radley, when he was young, with no real reason behind it.

“We just always called him that — I really don’t know why,” Brenda said with a laugh. “He was just our ‘Bookie-man.’”

But to truly understand Radley-Hiles’ path, go back four years before he was born — June 19, 1995.

Seventeen-year-old Brandon Webb, the oldest of the four brothers, had just graduated from Serra High School in Gardena, California. Sporting No. 44 and nicknamed “CISCO,” he was known as one of the best football players in the Los Angeles area and had received a scholarship to play at Grambling State.

On the morning of June 19, 1995, he was out with a couple friends in Inglewood, riding in the back of a blue Chrysler when a white van pulled alongside as they stopped. The driver stepped out of the van and opened fire on his friend’s car.

Brandon was shot and killed, with his two friends suffering minor injuries. The motive was unknown.

Since that day, Brian, Lucky and Radley-Hiles have worn No. 44.

Brandon and Brian wore No. 44 at Serra High School. Lucky wore No. 44 at Taft High School and the University

of Utah. Radley-Hiles wore No. 44 at Bishop Gorman, Calabasas and IMG Academy.

And now, he’ll wear No. 44 at the University of Oklahoma.

“Our brother never got the chance to fulfill his dreams and got cut short of that,” Lucky said. “We decided to do it for him, we carried his legacy ... It wasn’t even an option. Everyone in the family wore 44.”

Four years and four days after Brandon’s death, Radley-Hiles was born. Today, Radley-Hiles has the name “CISCO” tattooed between his shoulders, hidden beneath his pads. Around his neck, sits a gold chain with Brandon’s baby picture dangling on his jersey.

The number on his chest, the picture on his necklace and the name on his back are a reminder of who — and why — he plays the game.

“He can look down at that number in the middle of games and know he’s not just doing it for himself,” Brian said. “He does it for all of us.”

The Pied Piper Kevin Wright stood on the sideline watching his team practice when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

“Need some water, coach?” the player asked.

The IMG Academy head coach turned around and, to no surprise, found Radley-Hiles holding a water bottle.

“That’s just the type of kid he is. That’s him being him, that’s him being real,” said Wright, who’s coached some of the best high school football players in the country. “He’s a very unselfish kid in regards to his teammates, his coaches and all the people around him.”

Wright has seen a lot of talented players come through IMG Academy, but none quite like Radley-Hiles. He’s a leader, and the moment he offered his coach that water, Wright knew all the stories he had heard of Radley-Hiles were true.

During Pop Warner, Radley-Hiles would call his own plays and even point out coverages. His teammates referred to him as “coach,” listening more to him than their actual coach, said Brian.

Brian recalls coaches having conversations during his practices and there was Radley-Hiles, at 9 years old, right in the middle of it, no matter the topic.

“He was always right there in our coach’s huddle,” Brian said. “He’s always been a kid that just gets it, whether it’s football or just life.”

Radley-Hiles became a local celebrity in high school, starting his career at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Brenda says she wanted the best for her son, and at the time, Gorman was one of the best high school football programs in the country.

But after two years of struggling to find a role, with the coaches believing he was better suited as a receiver than a defensive back, Radley-Hiles transferred to Calabasas High School.

Radley-Hiles shined at Calabasas, becoming one of the top-rated defensive backs in his class and collecting 26 offers before deciding to spend his senior season in Bradenton, Florida, at IMG Academy — an academy that has trained players such as Cam Newton and Russell Wilson.

Brenda said he wanted to play alongside the best and knew he had proven everything he could on the West Coast.

Moving schools three times was no problem for Radley-Hiles and his mom.

Las Vegas was only four hours away — Brenda works as a real estate broker in both LA and Vegas — and the move to Florida was only going to make him better. By the time his senior year rolled around, making the move to Florida by himself, everyone in the recruiting world knew of the kid nicknamed “Bookie.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Photo courtesy of Brian Webb

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“He’s kind of like the Pied Piper,” Wright said. “You don’t exactly know why people follow the Pied Piper, but you just know they do — but for Bookie, once you know him, you know why. He gives off this aura of wanting to be great and bringing those around him with him.

Goosebumps

Photo courtesy of IMG Academy

14

“He’s never been a follower,” Lucky said.

“He’s never been afraid to be different.

Even if it’s not the norm, he’s not afraid.

That’s what makes him stand out.”

Wright used to have to pull Radley-Hiles off the field before and after games. Kids would be chanting his name, wanting autographs, while reporters tried to get the latest insight on where he was going to go to school. Wright and Radley-Hiles’ family remember opposing stadiums having to turn off their lights so people would go home.

“He was a rock star,” Wright said. “No matter where we went around the country, he had that cult following ... I’ve never seen anybody at that level have that type of following, and I think it’s because he’s real with people. He’s sincere and means what he does. I think a person’s personality reflects what they’ve been through, and for Bookie, he’s been through a lot of adversity and picked himself up.”

Today, Radley-Hiles has 66,000 Twitter and 142,000 Instagram followers — that’s more than Kyler Murray and CeeDee Lamb have combined.

Radley-Hiles isn’t the typical true-freshman football player.

Wright, who has coached recent talents Bo Scarbrough (Alabama RB), Deondre Francois (Florida State QB) and Kellen Mond (Texas A&M QB), called Radley-Hiles the “ultimate competitor” 10 times in a 15-minute phone interview. He recalled all the clutch plays Radley-Hiles made during the single season they shared, but next to the water bottle scene, one other moment stood out most.

IMG was playing Venice High School, the defending California state champions.

They were going right at Radley-Hiles — who is 5’9” — with a 6’3” receiver. After getting beat a couple times, Radley-Hiles came to the sideline to talk to Wright.

“I can’t wait to practice Monday so I can get better and learn from this,” Radley-Hiles told Wright.

“In the middle of a game to even think about that — that’s amazing,” Wright said.

“He understands how to learn and process things to get better and improve. Not many players look forward to practice like that.”

Just months later at Oklahoma, Radley-Hiles had a similar experience with defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. He had made a mistake during practice, and Stoops let him know he needed to do better.

“He handled it way better than I did,” said Sooner linebacker Caleb Kelly. “He was like, ‘Coach, talk to me — I understand what you’re trying to tell me.’ ...

Bookie has a mentality where he can’t be touched. Bookie is a guy who has been through so much already, there’s nothing that you could do that would make him who he is not.”

This is what separates Radley-Hiles — it’s what makes him the type of leader everyone talks about. Now, he’ll join a team searching for defensive leaders.

He’s now on a team that features a loud Parnell Motley, an intense Kenneth Murray and a humble Kelly. Radley-Hiles brings all three — something Oklahoma hasn’t seen in the recent past.

Radley-Hiles and Brenda sat on a couch in Lincoln Riley’s 1,800-square-foot office last fall ahead of the Texas Tech game.

He wasn’t supposed to be there — he was just paying a debt to his friend and IMG teammate T.J. Pledger.

He’d been committed to Nebraska for seven months, but he listened intently to the Sooners head coach. He knew the Nebraska coaching staff might make changes, but he wasn’t concerned — he was still strongly committed to the Cornhuskers.

And the only reason he was in Norman was because Pledger said he’d go on a visit to Nebraska if Radley-Hiles went on a visit to Oklahoma.

This didn’t matter to Riley. He and the Sooners blew Radley-Hiles and his mom out of the water that day, along with Pledger, who also ended up in Norman.

By the end of Riley’s hour-long conversation, Radley-Hiles had only one word to describe his feelings.

Goosebumps.

“You can’t fake that,” said Radley-Hiles as he showed his mom the goosebumps on his arm. “This is where I want to be.”

Radley-Hiles silently committed to Oklahoma that day, Oct. 28, 2017. He decommitted from Nebraska three days later on Halloween.

He was upfront with the Nebraska coaching staff, and they were with him, as well. Brenda recalls then-head coach Mike Riley telling Radley-Hiles after his decommitment, “If you were my son, I’d tell you to go to Oklahoma.’”

“We weren’t really interested — we were just paying (Pledger’s) debt,” Brenda said about visiting Oklahoma. “But when we got there, we were pleasantly surprised that it was everything we wanted in a school.

“I personally fell in love with Lincoln Riley and how personable he was. He was young enough to relate to the players, but was also taught by Bob Stoops. He was the best of both worlds.”

Radley-Hiles and Brenda made a pros and cons list after every college visit. They would list everything they wanted in a college, starting with the pros and finishing with the cons.

Oklahoma’s went like this: Pros: Education. Head coach. Teammates. Facilities. Opportunity to play. NFL potential.

Cons: None.

“We fell in love with OU,” Brenda said.

“There was nothing on the cons list. We couldn’t believe it.”

Radley-Hiles committed that day and never looked back. USC and Florida State recruited him hard later, but Radley-Hiles never wavered. Brenda said she was so committed herself that she sent her son’s furniture and small belongings to Norman in December.

Finally, it was time to make it official.

As his mom stood to his right, Radley-Hiles prepared to make his decision public. Four hats sat in front of him — Florida State, USC, UCLA and Oklahoma.

While the rest of the country watched the Army All-American game — which showcases some of the best recruits in the country — on NBC with anticipation of his decision, Radley-Hiles had already made his decision two months ago the moment he got those goosebumps in Riley’s office.

“It’s just a great feeling, man,” Radley-Hiles told the reporter after putting on the crimson and cream hat. “The coaching staff is great people. It’s the place for me to do what I got to do and get to the league.”

Radley-Hiles knew the weight of that hat was much more than it seemed. He knew he was entering a conference that feasts on defensive backs and joining a team known for struggling in the secondary, but he doesn’t care.

“All you gotta do is put the ball in the air,” Radley-Hiles told the reporter, “I’ll take care of the rest.”

“There’s two things you need to know about Bookie,” Wright said. “One: he’s always going to be the most competitive guy on the field. Nobody is going to out compete him. And two: he’s going to make your locker room better. Those two things are as good as it gets. What more could you ask for? There aren’t many players that offer both. Bookie does.”

Radley-Hiles got to work quickly, enrolling in the spring. His impact was felt immediately with praise coming weekly from defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks and defensive coordinator Mike Stoops.

“He has a lot of talent,” Stoops said in the spring. “Just his creativity on the field, his ability to see the game the right way and never sweat anything. He never seems like it’s hard for him. He makes the game look easy.”

“He’s got those things — you only have to coach him one time on something, and you love guys like that,” Cooks said.

“I haven’t been around a guy like that in a long time, with just how naturally the game comes to him ... He just understands football.”

Off the field, Radley-Hiles has already started forming bonds with his teammates.

He’s become close with fellow defensive backs Tre Norwood and Robert Barnes, who’ve taken him under their wing.

“That’s my brother,” Barnes said. “Since he’s been here, it’s been really me, him and Tre Norwood, along with the other guys.

But I mean, Bookie’s stayed at our crib,

ever since he’s moved in, really. It’s definitely like a brother atmosphere with me and him, for sure.”

Within the first five minutes of the Army All-American game, Radley-Hiles showed the type of playmaking ability he brings.

The ball was thrown his way down the sidelines, and he jumped up and batted the ball into the air, which was then picked off by his teammate.

That’s who he is. He’s a ballhawk who brings big play ability to a team that only forced 18 turnovers last year. He brings a fierceness to the field like prior Oklahoma greats Tony Jefferson or Roy Williams did.

He exudes confidence in his game, perfecting his craft with each opportunity.

“On the field, he can be perceived as arrogant, but he just plays with a swagger,” Lucky said. “He plays with a savage mentality on the field, but off the field, he’s different.”

Radley-Hiles isn’t just a 19-year-old kid with thousands of Twitter and Instagram followers or just a five-star recruit with loads of potential.

He’s a 19-year-old kid driven by his family’s past and ready to seize an opportunity that will begin Sept. 1, when Oklahoma opens the season against Florida Atlantic.

“There’s a lot of pressure in his life, but it’s nothing he can’t handle,” Brenda said.

“Some kids get nervous or whatever — he goes to work ... And he’s worked his entire life for this.”

Ready Radley-Hiles’ commitment came five days after the Sooners’ double overtime loss to Georgia, an instant classic Rose Bowl, which saw Oklahoma’s defense give up 54 points and 527 yards.

His commitment gave Sooner fans something to smile about — a reason to hope.

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FOOTBALL OU DAILY PREVIEW18

PROJECTED

O F F E N S I V E DEPTH CHART GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA

O F F E N S I V E S TA R T E R S

22

RUNNING BACK Rodney Anderson

RUNNING BACK Trey Sermon

WIDE RECEIVER CeeDee Lamb

TIGHT END Grant Calcaterra

LEFT TACKLE Cody Ford

LEFT GUARD Ben Powers

RIGHT GUARD Dru Samia

RIGHT TACKLE Bobby Evans

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

QUARTERBACK Kyler Murray

WIDE RECEIVER Marquise Brown

CENTER Jonathan Alvarez

Murray has waited long enough.

The former five-star recruit will finally get his chance to lead the Sooners’ high-powered offense.

After transferring from Texas A&M, Murray had to sit out a year, and last year, he played backup to Heisman Trophy-winner Baker Mayfield. Murray’s decision to come back to Oklahoma after being drafted No. 9 overall by the Oakland Athletics was a big one.

Murray’s dual-threat ability will bring a new twist to an already impressive offense.

Widely considered the fastest player on the entire team, Brown is sure to make a big impact this season.

Nicknamed “Hollywood,” Brown is one of the flashiest players on the field, with or without his grill. Last season, Brown didn’t see much playing time until about halfway through the season. He caught 57 passes for 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns. Expect similar production out of Brown this year as he’s one of the biggest deep-ball threats in college football.

Alvarez has seen it all in his five seasons with the Sooners. In 2015, Alvarez started 10 games, helping Oklahoma make its first ever College Football Playoff. He suffered injuries in 2016, only playing in eight games, and he redshirted last season. This year, he’s the expected starter, being one of the most experienced linemen on the team, but don’t be surprised to see redshirt freshman Creed Humphrey get some snaps. Either way, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has a good situation on his hands.

PROJECTED

FOOTBALL OU DAILY PREVIEW18

D E F E N S I V E DEPTH CHART ABBY BITTERMAN • @ABBY_BITTERMAN

D E F E N S I V E S TA R T E R S DEFENSIVE END/OUTSIDE LINEBACKER Mark Jackson

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Neville Gallimore

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN Marquise Overton

DEFENSIVE END Amani Bledsoe

MIDDLE LINEBACKER Kenneth Murray

CORNER Parnell Motley

FREE SAFETY Robert Barnes

STRONG SAFETY Kahlil Haughton

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

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JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY

WILL LINEBACKER Caleb Kelly

CORNER Tre Norwood

NICKELBACK Brendan Radley-Hiles

Kelly has been a leader for the Sooners on defense, and he’s proven to be a key playmaker. After missing spring practice while he recovered from shoulder surgery, Kelly will look to make the same impact this season as he has in his first two seasons at Oklahoma. A former-five star recruit, he recorded 56 total tackles, forced two fumbles and made one interception last season as the Sam linebacker. Kelly’s leadership on and off the field will be important this season for an Oklahoma defense that has lost some key faces.

The Sooners’ secondary was an issue last season, with Oklahoma having trouble finding consistent play at corner. Norwood saw some of his first real playing time on a big stage in last year’s Bedlam game, and he, along with Tre Brown, delivered some of team’s best defense in the game. Norwood’s development will be important for the Sooners.

A true freshman, Radley-Hiles is expected to have an immediate impact for the Sooners. There is a lot of hype surrounding him so far, and his teammates have been talking him up since he stepped on campus in the spring as an early enrollee. With the departure of a number of seniors, Radley-Hiles looks poised to fill in the potential hole in the Sooners’ secondary.

23

WOMEN OF

OU

WHO RUNS THE WORLD? The stories of four women who work with or around the OU football program B Y KELLI S TACY • @ASTACYK ELLI

PAXSON HAWS / THE DAILY Pictured is Annie Hanson

F

Football is a male-dominated sport, from the coaches who call the plays to the athletes taking the field to the administration overseeing the program. And Oklahoma is one of the elite football programs in the country. Coming off two College Football Playoff berths and a Sugar Bowl win in the past three years, the Sooners know how to win.

But behind all that success stands a group of women.

These women take care of many of the program’s and players’ needs — recruiting players, handling their nutritional needs, managing their day-to-day tasks and loving them unconditionally.

They help the program run efficiently and keep the players at their best. Their days are consumed by football, juggling meetings, practices and outreach. They care for and encourage the team, playing integral parts in the program.

“These are outstanding talented, passionate people who just happen to have chosen a profession in sports,” OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione said. “And while it does still maybe surprise people a little because it’s such a male-dominated world, particularly when you’re talking about football, I think it’s wonderful and probably even more representative of who we are as an athletic program.”

The following are the stories of four women who work with or around the OU football program.

“I think the foundation is set when they’re recruited, but the biggest piece is being able to cyclically provide an opportunity that leaves them feeling like they’re a family for life, and I play a small part in that.”

ANNIE HANSON

Annie Hanson “I just feel so blessed to be at a place where the female professional is valued in a sense that allows us to thrive on a whole other level simply because of that concept being embraced.”

The second you meet Annie Hanson, you feel like she’s your friend. She greets you with a wide smile and energetic handshake, exuding positivity. Her energy is contagious, and when she speaks it’s with purpose, kind yet authoritative. Her personality, vivacious and determined, has undoubtedly been a key to the Sooners’ recent success in recruiting, which has matched her personality.

She welcomes recruits into the program with open arms, striving to ensure their comfort during their first time away from home.

Hanson has been OU’s executive director of recruiting for a little less than a year, but her impact has already been felt. Oklahoma’s 2019 class is currently ranked No. 6 by Rivals.com and No. 5 by 247sports.com.

Just one of two women in her position at Big 12 football programs, and one of 10 in Power Five conferences, Hanson’s job is to oversee everything from strategic communication to game day programming for recruits to official visits. She spends half her time trying to find creative ways to showcase the program’s successes to pull recruits in, then spends the other half keeping in contact with those recruits’ families after they’re on campus.

“I think the foundation is set when they’re recruited, but the biggest piece is being able to cyclically provide an opportunity that leaves them feeling like they’re a family for life, and I play a small part in that,” Hanson said.

In the 10 months she’s been at Oklahoma, Hanson has made her presence known, with her youthful touch and attention to detail showing a difference from previous seasons’ recruiting efforts in both the way OU has gone about recruiting and the level of the class it has recruited.

On early National Signing Day Dec. 20, OU commits were announced via video of current and former OU players who are playing or have played in the NFL. Former Sooners like running back Adrian Peterson and wide receiver Kenny Stills were shown shuffling through trading cards until they revealed a card with a commit’s name and face on it. This was only one detail of the day though, with commits also receiving mini cereal boxes with their faces on them, as well as other personalized memorabilia.

Castiglione met Hanson when she transferred from Georgia Tech as a distance runner for track and field, then became further acquainted with her when she took his Ethical Decision Making class. She was always engaged, interested in learning as much as she could about whatever she was doing at the time.

Castiglione saw that and began giving her the opportunity to polish her skills.

“I always had her in the development suite when we were entertaining prospective donors, and she always wanted to host the special guests coming in,” Castiglione said. “She’s a sponge for learning. She just wanted to be around and interact with them and try to just get perspectives on things.”

Months before, when OU coach Lincoln Riley called to say CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

25

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WOMEN OF

OU he needed a director of recruiting, Castiglione laughed. He knew the perfect person — the woman he had been sad to lose to the University of North Carolina in 2015, knowing the exceptional talent she was. Hanson accepted the job, knowing she would be part of an evolving program in Riley’s first year as head coach.

A day and a half before the Sooners’ annual spring game April 14, Hanson stood in a hallway of the football facilities directing the placement of furniture and equipment. When she was satisfied she walked toward her office, passing walls lined with gifts for recruits showing up that weekend.

On one of the biggest weekends of the year for recruiting, Hanson had her hands full planning every last detail of five events and various other aspects of the three-day event. The dry erase calendar hanging in her office was full, with various colors denoting different tasks, while one side of her office was overrun with recruiting packets.

Her OU track uniform hangs in a frame behind her desk. It wasn’t too long ago that she was the one receiving calls from recruiters, which is part of why the chaos surrounding the weekend hasn’t diminished her spirit. She’s been where these players are, she’s gone through this process, and she’s confident she knows what she’s doing.

“You’ve got to be a good people person.

You have to be able to read people,” Hanson said. “It’s not just about football.

It’s not just about the recruiting process.

That’s why it’s so important to connect with them on other levels outside of the game because at the end of the day that’s not why we’re recruiting. It’s not just because they can play football. It’s because of all the other intangible items too.”

Tiffany Byrd “So as far as being a female, is that a challenge to me? No, not at all. I embrace it. I feel like I’m a pretty tough person, pretty thick-skinned, pretty resilient. I don’t think that it hinders me at all.”

Tiffany Byrd walks around a grocery store pointing out healthy options to football players, explaining how to

JORDAN MILLER / THE DAILY Pictured is Tiffany Byrd

effectively shop and eat for their goals, whether they be to gain, lose or maintain weight. Some have never shopped for themselves, reliant on their mothers or McDonald’s until they meet the Sooners’ director of sports nutrition.

Oftentimes players make it to college without giving thought to how the food they eat impacts their performance.

They’re worried about practice and weightlifting and the rest they’ll hopefully find time for afterward. This is where Byrd comes in. She explains the importance of fueling before practices and games and recovering afterward.

“It’s a day-to-day process, honestly,” Byrd said. “It’s very similar to raising kids. It’s a day-to-day education of letting them know, and sometimes you get those light bulb moments that you cling to. You’ve got to constantly reinforce, you’ve got to be a constant presence.”

Byrd is nothing if not a constant presence, eating with the team and helping players choose what to put on their plates. For the players who come in used to eating certain food, like former Sooner Dede Westbrook’s attachment to McDonald’s, Byrd asks them to take healthy eating in steps. She’ll ask if they can put one green food on their plate — down to a single green bean if that’s what it takes — then begins trying to increase that over the course of the time they’re at the university. She’s kind yet persistent, pushing the players to strive for their best.

Junior wide receiver Marquise Brown knows just how effective Byrd’s persistence can be. Brown came in at 144 lbs and has put on 22 more thanks to weightlifting and Byrd’s eating schedule. Struggling with keeping weight on, Brown was instructed to eat healthier meals in more

frequent increments throughout the day, which has allowed him to keep his calorie intake high enough to help him gain a healthy amount of weight.

“Her role is very important,” said Brown, who became a standout star for the Sooners last season. “It’s very pivotal because she keeps us fueled between practice, before practice and after practice. She makes sure your body is always full of energy, and it’s really injury prevention.”

As players walk from the practice field into the football facilities Byrd stands by a table boasting an array of smoothies.

She watches as players choose which flavor they want, handing some slices of watermelon from an ice chest as they go.

Byrd attempts to attend every practice to ensure the players properly refuel, and has done so since she was hired in 2013.

Byrd came to OU from Baylor when the position of director of sports nutrition was created within the program. She is one of five women in her position or an equivalent, at Big 12 schools and one of 34 in the Power 5, which boasts 65 schools. While Byrd has strong bonds with the players, she understands being a woman in an athletic department is rare and not everyone has the same experience as her. She feels strongly about the way her mentors helped her navigate the position and become confident in her role. Now she aspires to do the same for others, coaching her female interns on how to act and speak around players and coaches.

“I want them to feel comfortable walking into a group of men and speaking and being heard,” Byrd said.

Byrd watches over the nutritional needs of the football program, but also every other sport in the athletic department.

One woman. Six hundred athletes.

“There’s not a guy that steps on our campus that I have not already met multiple times,” Byrd said.

Despite the number of athletes, Byrd still believes in individualized nutrition plans. A former gymnast at Nebraska and Alabama, she understands how personal food can be for athletes whether it’s dependent on their sport or where they grew up. This is why she doesn’t push for athletes to drop all fast food immediately — she knows food isn’t just food.

27

WOMEN OF

OU “Food is very personal and how you’ve grown up and the culture you’ve grown up in are what dictates how you eat,” Byrd said.

The last game of the season is always bittersweet for Byrd, win or lose. She’s been with these players for four or five years, watched them sustain injuries, overcome obstacles, felt the pain of defeat and the joy of victory. Then, she watches them leave.

“When they graduate, when they get drafted, when they finish wherever our finish is, I’m always sad,” Byrd said. “I’m super excited for our team and for their next step, but it’s gut wrenching. It’s always hard for me to let go.”

Over the years Byrd spends with players, a bond forms and she becomes like a second mom to them. She believes they need a female presence, someone who isn’t going to be as hard on them as their coaches — someone who is tough, but fair and loving.

Julie Watson “I think it’s more prominent in a lot of programs now, not just ours, to have more females around and it’s great. It’s great for our players to have those female influences here.”

Julie Watson’s phone rang six times in the past 15 minutes. She’s gotten multiple texts in the same time period. Her Goo-

28

FIELD PARSONS / THE DAILY

gle calendar is booked solid and color coded for efficiency.

This has been Watson’s life for the past nine years — the life of the assistant to OU’s head football coach.

She manages Riley’s life, scheduling his events, reminding him about his daughter’s soccer games, helping him remember the last time he made an appearance for a group. A head coach who is also a playcaller and key figure in recruiting, as well as a husband and father, Riley has a lot he needs help managing.

The phone calls and emails are constant, as are the requests for Riley’s presence at events. When requests conflict, Watson is there to tell Riley when he last helped out with each event so he can prioritize. While Riley has a million tasks pulling him in different directions, Watson keeps him on track.

“It’s just a matter of trying to keep him organized and help him prioritize what he needs to do and where he needs to be because there are so many hats he has to wear,” Watson said. “It’s not only recruiting, it’s Sooner Club, it’s public appearances, it’s public relations, it’s media, it’s all kinds of different things.”

Watson works closely with Riley’s wife, Caitlin, to keep up with all family events and non-work obligations. The goal is always the same: Get him home in time to say goodnight to his daughters.

“She’s amazing,” Caitlin Riley said. “She keeps everything organized and on task

Pictured is Julie Watson

and she does it all. She makes everything so much simpler for Lincoln and I.” Watson’s life in the athletic department started years before the Rileys made it to Norman. Watson was the first person Carol Stoops met when she stepped inside Oklahoma’s football facilities for the first time in 1999. Carol, in the process of moving from Florida to Oklahoma, wanted to know where to buy her 2-year-old daughter a coat. Watson, a student assistant at the time, promptly directed her to Dillard’s, not knowing that it was the beginning of a lifelong relationship between herself and head coach Bob Stoops’ wife.

When the Stoops’ made the move to Norman, Watson became their first babysitter. She watched the Stoops’ three children grow up while the Stoops watched her grow up. When she graduated from OU she was kept on in the recruiting department.

In 2008, the position of Stoops’ assistant became available and Watson made the move. It was a perfect fit, and Watson had a natural ability for it, Stoops said.

“Bobby and I say Julie is a master,” Carol Stoops said. “She’s a master at finding these openings, these perfect moments to address important things.”

Though Stoops is retired and she’s now Riley’s assistant, Watson continues to manage his schedule, too. With retirement comes more free time, which means the same amount of requests or more funneling through Watson’s office.

“That girl,” Carol Stoops said. “She can do anything.”

Watson sits in her office and glances at the game balls filling multiple shelves.

A ball from the 2000 win over Nebraska that pushed OU to No. 1. Another from Stoops’ 100th win. One from the Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. A shelf full of memories from the time she spent working for Stoops.

Nearly a year after becoming Riley’s assistant, she looks at the large cardboard box by the door. She opened it earlier, unsure of its contents, and now Baker Mayfield’s Walter Camp Player of the Year trophy sits on her coffee table — a new memory for a new era of the program and her life within it.

Now, the man who’s sitting in the office next to hers is Riley, and the transition he and the program have undergone in the past 11 months has been with her help and guidance.

Riley already knew some ways in which the office worked from being offensive coordinator, but Watson simplified the process for him as much as possible to make the transition easy.

When the news was announced and hectic months ensued as Riley attempted to find his bearings in his new position ahead of fall camp and the season, Watson was of constant assistance.

“Julie is a saint,” Caitlin Riley said.

“She made the transition from offensive coordinator to head coach as seamless as it could be.”

Caitlin Riley “The role that females play in our university and in the football program is vital. They’re very respected and valued.”

On June 7, Carol Stoops stood in Lincoln Riley’s office trying to impart the wisdom gained from her experience as first lady of OU football as she passed the torch to Caitlin Riley.

“They’re going to want to know everything about you,” Carol Stoops told Caitlin Riley. “You can decline everything. These first few months are going to be crazy.”

Riley had been at Andy Alligator’s with her daughters when she got the call that the press conference announcing Stoops’ retirement and her husband’s promotion had been moved up to that day. Now, she stood just minutes away from the announcement, telling Stoops she would need advice in the future about her new role. Stoops didn’t agree, though. She knew from the minute she met Riley that she had what it takes to be the wife of a head coach at such a prestigious program.

“It takes a strong, independent woman,” Carol Stoops said. “She already has it within her. She has everything it takes and more.”

Nearly a year later, Riley has found her place among the program. She’s

the matriarch, giving constant support and encouragement to her family while seeing that it runs with family values.

Riley is at football functions on a regular basis, and at the football facility nearly every day as part of her mission to maintain and encourage the program’s family atmosphere, and on any given day Riley’s daughters Sloan and Stella can be found at the stadium receiving sweaty hugs from players while giggling.

“We try to have our family involved and around the facility so the boys can see Lincoln as a father and us as a married couple as an example,” Caitlin Riley said. “We try to include all of the other wives and families, too. We think it’s really important that this is a family.”

As a way to get all the families and players involved, the team had an Easter egg hunt. Players spent time setting out all the eggs, watching the kids hunt for them and even joining in occasionally. The event was just one in a long list of things the Rileys have done to try to make players, coaches and families feel like OU is home. For Brown, one of OU’s star receivers, it worked, bringing back fond memories of his childhood.

“It was fun watching the little kids run around and get eggs,” Brown said.

“It brought you back to when you were young and did the same thing.”

It’s the Monday after the spring game and Riley is headed to the football facility to drop off a box of things recruits left at her house. She and Lincoln hosted recruits and their families over the weekend. Things like this don’t bother Riley at all, as she adores being around the players and making them feel welcome.

Riley has developed a bond with the players, treasuring the time she spends with them at her home, and referring to them as “my boys.”

“It’s truly my favorite thing when they’re all at my house in a big pile and we get to visit about their siblings or birthdays or parents,” Riley said.

Riley has embraced the transition to head coach’s wife, finding her own way of being supportive and encouraging

SHANE BYLER / THE DAILY Pictured is Caitlin Riley

while making an impact within the program that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Castiglione said he is continually impressed by the grace and humility Riley has possessed while going through such a whirlwind.

“She’s not just the coach’s wife, she’s the head coach’s wife,” Castiglione said.

“And she’s not just that. She’s a mother of two very young children. I can’t say enough about what a positive impact she’s made just because of the way she’s handled the enormous transition in somewhat of an unexpected fashion.”

Now that the transition is over, Riley is focused on continuing to grow and develop the family atmosphere of the program, as well as give support in times of joy and disappointment. “(My goal is) just constant support and love and appreciation to what they put into it, no matter what,” Riley said.

“I just want to be a constant smile and hug.”

29

OUR WRITERS’

PREDICTIONS ABBY BITTERMAN, 13-1

@Abby_Bitterman

It’s not unreasonable to look at this season’s schedule and think Oklahoma is capable of winning every game in front of them.

The schedule isn’t a cake walk, though, and Oklahoma always seems to deliver one letdown a season. TCU and West Virginia on the road are likely the Sooners’ biggest challenges, but having the bye week before the Horned Frogs and playing Kansas before the Mountaineers will help.

Replacing Heisman trophy winner Baker Mayfield as a quarterback and leader for the Sooners will be a hard task, but the Sooners have a lot of talent returning from last year’s squad. Oklahoma’s once-young team now has more experience and a College Football Playoff game under its belt, which should help them overpower many of the teams they’ll face offensively and should help the defense improve on its poor performance last season.

Chances are good that the Sooners will win their fourth straight Big 12 title and make another run at the College Football Playoff, thanks to more experience all around and Lincoln Riley’s offensive schemes.

GEORGE STOIA, 13-1

@georgestoia

Oklahoma is the preseason Big 12 favorites for a reason.

Returning running backs Rodney Anderson and Trey Sermon, along with receivers CeeDee Lamb and Marquise Brown, the Sooners’ offense should once again be among the best not only in the Big 12, but also the entire country. Yes, losing Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield will hurt, but whoever starts — Kyler Murray or Austin Kendall — Oklahoma should be in good shape.

Defensively, it can’t get much worse than last year. Kenneth Murray will have a year under his belt and being paired with Caleb Kelly in the middle should only help him. Up front, the Sooners are the deepest they’ve been in years, with Amani Bledsoe, Neville Gallimore and Marquise Overton leading the way. The secondary will once again be a concern, but freshman Brendan Radley-Hiles could be the spark that ignites the Sooners defense.

I expect Oklahoma to drop at least one game, but their schedule lines up nicely with seven home games. It also doesn’t hurt the Big 12 will have another down year (another? Yes, another).

KEGAN RENEAU, 13-1

@keganreneau

30

Oklahoma will be favored in every game they play this season based on three straight Big 12 Championships and overall talent — which is objectively correct.

Talent is starting to stockpile off back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes, and with Texas’ issues at quarterback and along the offensive line, they should out-class everyone in a conference that, from an offensive output perspective, will be down.

The toughest non-conference game will be the season opener against Florida Atlantic. Oklahoma has seven home games, including Florida Atlantic, and its toughest road games are in Fort Worth, Texas, against TCU and in Morgantown, West Virginia.

OU usually drops an unexpected egg, which can even happen at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, but the defense is expected to be better and compliment a high-powered offense. The Sooners run the table in the regular season for a fourth straight Big 12 Championship and make the College Football Playoff, but lose another National Semifinal to Alabama, Clemson or Georgia.

HEALTH SERVICES The UNIVERSITY oƒ OKLAHOMA

Your Healthcare On Campus.

Now With Two Locations.

OU Health Services has two on-campus locations for OU students, faculty, staff, and their dependents. This fall, we now have a Quick Care Clinic in the Cross Community.

Use this quick guide to choose the best location for your health care needs.

Goddard Health Center

Quick

Care

620 Elm Avenue (405) 325-4441

114 4th Street Suite B130 (405) 325-4611

• Allergy Injections • Contraception Counseling • Counseling Services • General Health Screenings • Immunizations • Nutrition Counseling • Pharmacy • Physical Therapy • X-ray and Lab • Sports Medicine

• Cold and Flu Symptoms • Ear and Eye Infections • Minor Cuts, Scrapes, and Wounds • Over-the-Counter Medications • Seasonal Allergies • Skin Rashes and Infections • Sore and Strep Throat • Splinter, Suture, and Staple Removal • Urinary and Bladder Infections

OUHS is an in-network provider for the Student Health Plan and many other insurance plans. Students receive discounted rates!

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo.

For accommodations, please contact Health Services at (405) 325-4441.

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