Oklahoma
SEC Media Days: Missouri Capitalized on ‘Relationships’ to Land Former Oklahoma OL Cayden Green
DALLAS — As Oklahoma moves into the SEC, old hostilities will renew with Missouri.
The Tigers have laid dormant in the back of the minds of many Sooners fans since leaving the Big 12, but a surprise season from Eli Drinkwitz’s team last year paired with heated recruiting battles has brought old Big 8 memories back to the forefront.
Those feelings were stirred again last winter when Oklahoma offensive lineman Cayden Green unexpectedly entered the transfer portal.
Green, a product of Lee’s Summit, MO, landed close to home at Missouri.
“When he put his name in the portal we reached out,” Drinkwitz said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. “Didn’t know if we have an opportunity or not.”
The Tigers initially battled the Sooners for Green’s signature out of high school.
OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh won out on that battle initially.
“I remember specifically the phone call from Cayden when he told me he was going to go to Oklahoma,” Drinkwitz said. “I was on a family vacation at Table Rock Lake and he called and said, ‘hey this is what I’m gonna do,’ and absolutely wished him the best.”
Green hit the ground running at Oklahoma.
He played in 11 games last year, eventually winning the left guard job where he made five starts.
Confusion arose in December when Green was inexplicably absent for one of Oklahoma’s practices in the lead to the Alamo Bowl.
Later that day he entered the portal, and Missouri pounced.
“Obviously we had (Green’s high school teammate) Armand (Membou) and Williams (Nwaneri) was going to be coming,” Drinkwitz said. “So we thought maybe relationships would still be intact and obviously they were. He’s a tremendous young man.”
Green worked at left tackle throughout spring practice, though also got looks at left guard for Missouri as the Tigers look for the best unit along the offensive line, Drinkwitz said.
“He’s a team-oriented, team-first player,” Drinkwitz said. “… To watch his growth and maturity from practice one in spring to now, I saw him in the weight room this morning before we left. I’m just really proud of him.”
“He fit right in,” Missouri quarterback Brady Cook said. “… First practice, he’s out there doing everything, playing full speed, hitting pads. I’m giving him calls, he’s not looking confused or hesitating. He’s getting the call and getting lined up and doing what he needs to do. I think it’s just seamless with him.”
Green’s departure sent the Sooners to the transfer portal.
Oklahoma had already lost starting right tackle Tyler Guyton and center Andrew Raym to the NFL Draft, with guard McKade Mettauer and left tackle Walter Rouse set to graduate.
Bedenbaugh landed North Texas transfer Febechi Nwaiwu and Washington veteran Geirean Hatchett on the interior as well as USC transfer Michael Tarquin and Michigan State’s Spencer Brown at tackle this past winter.
After spring practice wrapped, OU struck again in the transfer portal, adding former SMU standout Branson Hickman.
Oklahoma
Missing 12-year-old Oklahoma boy found safe
Oklahoma tornadoes, Drummond mosque investigation and other news
Catch up on everything that happened in the news this week as of Jan. 9, 2026.
Missing 12-year-old Ryan “RJ” Davis has been found safe, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Jan. 11, the OSBI said Davis was located in Chickasha.
“The OSBI appreciates all our local law enforcement partners and search groups who assisted us throughout the week,” the OSBI posted. “We will provide updates when they become available.
The boy had been missing since Jan. 2.
News9 reported Sunday afternoon that OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee said the United Cajun Navy made contact with RJ and took him back to a hotel, where authorities processed him and took him to the hospital. Authorities said RJ appears to be fine physically, according to News9
The United Cajun Navy is a nonprofit grassroots group out of Louisiana that assists in search and rescue efforts and disaster recovery.
The boy’s mother, Kimberly Kay Cole, and stepfather, George Franklin Cole Jr., were arrested earlier this week on suspicion of child abuse and as of Sunday were still listed as being in custody at the Caddo County Jail in Anadarko. It’s not yet clear whether the charges are directly related to RJ’s disappearance, but the arrests came after officers interviewed the parents and obtained evidence from search warrants.
Authorities said Thursday, Jan. 8, that they believed RJ was still alive. Prior to Sunday, he was last seen Jan. 2 near the Chickasha Quality Inn.
Searchers were targeting a vast rural area from Cement to Chickasha, which is within an hour’s drive from Oklahoma City. The search included properties associated with the family. It was unclear from the OSBI’s Facebook post where in Chickasha the boy was found.
This story was updated to add new information.
Contributing: Staff writer Dale Denwalt
Oklahoma
Late surge lifts Texas A&M past Oklahoma in SEC road setback
After building a four-point lead midway through the second half, Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball couldn’t close the door Saturday afternoon in College Station, dropping an 83-76 decision to Texas A&M Aggies men’s basketball.
Oklahoma led 67-63 with just over 10 minutes to play, but the Aggies finished the game on a 20-9 run, capitalizing on turnovers and trips to the free-throw line to pull away down the stretch.
Late mistakes prove costly
The Sooners entered the game averaging a league-low 9.5 turnovers, but committed a season-high 17 against Texas A&M. Those miscues turned into an 18-8 disadvantage in points off turnovers and allowed the Aggies to control the closing minutes.
Texas A&M also made its mark at the stripe, going 21 of 25 (84%) at the free-throw line. Oklahoma finished 13 of 16 (81%), but the volume favored the home team.
“Well, a game that featured 19 lead changes, 42 fouls and 64 three-point attempts,” said Toby Rowland. “Texas A&M had the final kick in this one as they pulled away to the victory down the stretch. Oklahoma, a season-high 17 turnovers, and in the end, that did them in.”
Pack leads the way offensively
Despite the loss, Nijel Pack delivered one of his best performances of the season. The junior guard scored a game-high 24 points, matching his season high with six 3-pointers, while also adding six rebounds and five assists.
Pack also crossed a milestone, surpassing 2,000 career points during the game.
Oklahoma got strong contributions in the frontcourt as well. Derrion Reid recorded the first double-double of his career with 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, knocking down four 3-pointers. Tae Davis added 12 points and 10 boards, giving the Sooners two double-doubles on the day.
Xzayvier Brown, who had averaged nearly 20 points over his previous six games, was held to seven points on 3-of-9 shooting.
Strong start, tough finish
Oklahoma scored the first five points of the game but trailed by as many as 10 in the first half before responding with a 20-10 run to tie it at 43 late. A late Aggie three sent Texas A&M into halftime with a 48-45 lead.
The Sooners came out hot after the break, regaining the lead behind threes from Pack and Reid. Brown’s acrobatic layup and free throw pushed Oklahoma ahead 67-63, but the offense stalled from there. OU went 4 of 14 from the field over the final 10 minutes and missed its last 10 three-point attempts after starting 11 of 21.
What’s next
Oklahoma controlled the glass 43-32 and owned an 18-7 edge in second-chance points, but couldn’t overcome the late execution issues.
After back-to-back road losses, the Sooners return home Tuesday night to host defending national champion Florida Gators men’s basketball at Lloyd Noble Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT, with coverage on ESPN2.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Well-Represented on NFL’s AP All-Pro Team
Although only two Sooners landed on the first or second team this year, Oklahoma was well-represented on the 2025 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team.
Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey was named to the first team, and San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams was named second team.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, Denver Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto and punt returner Marvin Mims, Washington Commanders punter Tress Way, Chiefs long snapper James Winchester, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jalen Redmond all received All-Pro votes from the AP’s 50 media voters who cover the league.
Last year, Humphrey and Mims earned first-team honors, while Bonitto, Johnson and Lamb made second team, giving OU five All-Pros — most of any school.
It’s Humphrey’s third time on the AP All-Pro team and his second as a first-teamer. He led the voting at center with 93 total points, including 26 first-place votes. (First-place votes are worth 3 points, second-place votes are worth 1.)
Humphrey redshirted at OU in 2017, then was a three-year starter from 2018-2020 and was named Big 12 Offensive Lineman of The Year twice. Humphrey, from Shawnee, has made the Pro Bowl each of the last four seasons and is a two-time Super Bowl champion.
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Williams is a five-time All-Pro (first team 2021-23) and a 12-time Pro Bowler. By just one vote, Williams finished second in this year’s voting to Denver’s Garett Bolles, who got 74 points and 19 first-place votes, while Williams got 71 points and 19 first-place votes.
At OU from 2006-09, he was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft after twice being named first-team All-Big 12 and Consensus All-America in 2009.
The results of The Associated Press 2025 NFL All-Pro balloting as selected by a national panel of 50 media members. First-place votes in parentheses are worth three points, second-place votes worth one:
Offense
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams, 111 (31); Drake…— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) January 10, 2026
Johnson had been on five previous AP All-Pro teams, including twice as a first-team selection. Johnson came to OU in 2009 as a junior college quarterback, moved to tight end, then defensive end and eventually offensive tackle in 2011, when he made second-team All-Big 12 in back-to-back seasons. He was third in the voting among right tackles, earning 12 votes.
Mims, a third-year pro, landed All-Pro accolades in each of his first two years in the league. At OU, Mims had 2,398 yards and 20 touchdowns as a receiver, and averaged 11.8 yards as a punt returner. He received 11 points (one first-place) and finished fourth in the voting.
Bonitto picked up his first All-Pro honor last year after registering 13.5 quarterback sacks (third in the NFL) and earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. Bonitto was a two-time AP All-American at Oklahoma (second team in 2022, third team in ’23), logging 33 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one interception. He finished seventh in the voting among edge rushers, picking up 54 points (11 first place).
Winchester got five points (one first place) as long snapper and finished eighth in the voting. Way received 28 points (six first place) and was fourth in the voting at punter. Redmond got one vote as an interior defensive lineman, while Lamb got one vote as a wideout.
Humphrey was the only former Sooner to land on the Pro Football Focus All-Pro Team (first team). He also was the only OU player with a spot on the ESPN All-Pro team (first team).
Humphrey (first team) and Williams (second team) also were honored by USA Today, Yahoo and Sports Illustrated.
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