Oklahoma
‘Pretty Damn Cool:’ Oklahoma’s Adds Local QB Through Transfer Portal
Oklahoma’s quarterback room just got a lot deeper — and with a local QB at that.
Steele Wasel has transferred from Akron, where he redshirted in 2023, to OU, he told Sooners on SI Saturday.
The news was first reported by OU Insider’s Brandon Drumm and Parker Thune.
Wasel said he grew up an OU football fan and loved watching one Sooner QB in particular.
“It was my freshman year,” he said. “They started inviting me to come out to some of the games, and just watching Baker Mayfield play as a young kid, getting into football, it was pretty damn cool.
“I don’t know if I would say I model my game after him, but definitely one of my favorites to watch.”
Wasel was offered by offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Seth Littrell to join OU’s roster as a preferred walk-on.
“So I went in the portal and not too long after, Coach Littrell called me,” Wasel said. “You know, it was actually like probably two or three weeks ago that we had finalized it, but I had been just waiting for my admission to go through before I put anything out there.”
Littrell always kept his finger on the pulse of Oklahoma recruits when he was head coach at North Texas — especially quarterbacks — but Wasel said he never spoke with Littrell before he got the call.
“I was just sitting in my bed, doing some school work, and I got a call from him,” Wasel said. “Pretty crazy deal.”
Littrell apparently got an assist from the Sooners’ growing NIL collective, which has a program specifically targeting walk-ons.
“We haven’t gotten to any of that stuff yet,” Wasel said.
Wasel was a prolific quarterback at Choctaw in 2022, when he threw for 3,325 yards and 38 touchdowns, rushed for 543 yards and five touchdowns, and led the Yellowjackets to an 11-2 record and playoff run. Wasel was a three-year starter for coach Jake Corbin and was named Oklahoma All-State. As a sophomore in 2020, he Wasel racked up 3,324 total yards and 33 touchdowns and powered his team the state championship game.
He was part of a Choctaw team that sent at least seven players into Division I football, including former Sooner defensive back Jordan Mukes and two others who went to Oklahoma State.
“I never thought about it like that,” he said. “Saying them all out loud, puts a little different perspective on it.”
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Wasel was a 3-star prospect coming out of high school, according to 247 Sports. He chose Akron over scholarship offers from Arkansas State, Memphis, Rice, Tulsa and Virginia Tech, and had several Power 5 offers as a preferred walk-on.
At Akron last year, as the Zips were just 2-10 for the second consecutive year under coach Joe Moorhead, Wasel did not get any game action.
“There’s no bad blood with them,” Wasel said. “Nothing bad to say about them. I just feel like it wasn’t right for me — for me to be the best I can be and just be happy on and off the field.”
Now he’s playing for the program for which he grew up supporting, and at the spot of the player he grew up cheering for.
“I’m a huge Baker Mayfield fan obviously, grew up watching him,” Wasel told Sooners on SI in 2021, especially “the way he resets his feet and the way he leads his team.”
At OU, he’ll enrich a QB room that’s grown in both depth and talent over the past year with the addition of freshmen Michael Hawkins and Brendan Zurbrugg as well as seventh-year senior and three-time transfer Casey Thompson behind sophomore starter Jackson Arnold.
“Just want to show up there and do whatever I can to make myself better and make my team better,” he said.
“Shoot, I’m just ready as hell to get out there and get started. Not too much else to it. … Work hard and just play ball.”
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next
The Oklahoma State Cowboys men’s basketball bounced back in a big way Tuesday night.
Anthony Roy scored 27 points and Kanye Clary added 23, including seven in overtime, as Oklahoma State defeated the UCF Knights men’s basketball 111-104 in Orlando.
The Cowboys controlled the extra period, finishing overtime on an 11-4 run and outscoring UCF 17-10.
Clary played a major role in closing it out. He hit a key 3-pointer and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in overtime to help seal the win.
The victory moves Oklahoma State to 18-12 overall and 6-11 in the Big 12, and gives the Cowboys two wins in their last three games after snapping a five-game losing streak. UCF, now 20-9 (9-8 Big 12), has dropped two straight.
Roy and Clary led a balanced offensive effort. Jaylen Curry and Christian Coleman each added 16 points, while the Cowboys shot 49% from the field (35-of-72) and 80% from the free throw line (32-of-40).
Themus Fulks led UCF with 22 points, while Riley Kugel added 18.
Late-game drama forces overtime
The final seconds of regulation were chaotic.
With 24 seconds remaining, Isaiah Coleman threw down a dunk to give Oklahoma State a 94-91 lead.
But UCF answered quickly when Chris Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 94-94.
Oklahoma State had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Jaylen Curry missed a shot, and John Bol blocked Roy’s attempt, sending the game to overtime.
Cowboys respond after tough loss
The Cowboys showed resilience after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Cincinnati.
The team traveled directly to Orlando following that defeat and was pushed through two intense practices by head coach Steve Lutz and the coaching staff.
The response was clear.
Led by Roy’s scoring and Clary’s clutch overtime performance, Oklahoma State delivered a gritty win and swept the season series against UCF
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon
YUKON, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma City Police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon Monday night.
The shooting happened near Northwest 10th Street and South Yukon Parkway near the border of Yukon and Oklahoma City.
Police are on the scene, and officials said the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the hip.
OKCPD said they have at least one person in custody.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Oklahoma
Oklahoma lawmakers consider bill to require annual fee for transmission lines on private property
As consumer electricity needs grow, lawmakers are discussing strategies to ease the burden on landowners who don’t want the towers and wires carrying that energy on their property.
As it’s written now, the bill would require transmission owners to pay landowners $2 per foot of line annually. During the committee meeting, Murdock said he introduced the legislation to “start a conversation.”
“ This is an idea of, maybe moving forward, if the landowners are getting a royalty off of the power being pushed across their property, it may make it a little more palatable for someone to have a transmission line go across their property,” he said.
Landowners can enter into easement agreements with companies to set aside portions of their land for the builds. But in some cases, eminent domain is used to obtain a right-of-way.
“ I’m not saying that this is going to do away with eminent domain,” Murdock said. “What I’m hoping is this just makes it a little more palatable.”
Murdock said he spoke with utility companies about the legislation, though he didn’t name them. The bill’s language could change after creating an alternative rate based on conversations with the companies, he said.
Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, said the bill could raise utility rates for consumers living in Oklahoma’s most populous counties if companies charge more to make up for the annual fee.
Murdock pushed back, noting the lines are necessary to deliver electricity to other counties.
“You understand that you flip that light on because — and have that ability to have electricity because — the people in my district have a transmission line that goes across them, getting you that power,” he said.
StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online.
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