Oklahoma
In Jayden Gibson’s Absence, Oklahoma WR J.J. Hester is Primed to Play a ‘Real Role’
NORMAN — J.J. Hester’s patience has been tested at Oklahoma.
The Tulsa native transferred back to the Sooner State after two years at Missouri, but has spent the better part of two years on the training table rehabbing foot injuries at OU.
Injuries prevented Hester from building on his 12 catches for 225 yards and two scores in his redshirt freshman season at Missouri, but the time might finally be right for the 6-foot-4 receiver to make his mark for the Sooners.
“The only thing that’s held J.J. back is some injuries in his past,” OU coach Brent Venables said after practice on Tuesday. “He’s fought through that… He had a broken foot twice.”
Suddenly, Hester will have the opportunity to carve out a role in Emmett Jones’ receiver rotation.
Jayden Gibson’s season unfortunately came to an end with an injury he sustained in training camp, opening up a bundle of touches that the third-year player was expected to get this fall.
Andrel Anthony, OU’s breakout star from the first half of the 2023 season, is still working back from the knee injury that cost him the back half of the season, leaving Deion Burks, Jalil Farooq and Nic Anderson as the proven commodities on the outside for quarterback Jackson Arnold.
Finally back and healthy, Hester’s speed and large frame has him in position for a role in the offense when the Sooners kick off on Aug. 30 against Temple.
“I’m feeling 100 percent,” Hester said on Tuesday. “You know, it took me a while to get back to this, but overall it’s been going great, and I’m just blessed to get back on the field.”
Hester said he finally started to feel like his old self as spring football closed down a few months ago, which was cathartic after battling through the rehabilitation process.
“It took a toll on me, definitely, just the mental side of it,” Hester said. “Just coming in here, wanting to help the offense play and then getting injured, that was definitely unexpected. I just stayed close with family, friends and kept God close, and I was able to battle back and come back.”
Gibson, who is listed at 6-5, would have been a matchup nightmare for opposing secondaries.
Hester feels he’s built similarly, and that he’s a great option to slide in and post similar issues.
“[I’m] a big, physical, downfield threat with speed,” Hester said. “Able to use my body in multiple ways and just, you know, put the defense in a bind.”
The guys who go up against Hester every day in practice agree with the wide receiver’s assessment of his skillset.
“I’ve seen that ‘918 JJ’ that I’ve known since high school,” Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings said on Tuesday. “He is showing himself and back into his groove and showing everybody why he should be fighting for that starting spot.”
Venables is excited about Hester’s all-around game, as he thinks he can impact the game in multiple ways.
“He’s been fantastic,” Venables said. “He’s long, he’s really fast, he’s got a tremendous catch radius, he plays tough, blocks well and then he’s an excellent special teams player.
“So, again, his growth and development is exactly other than the injuries is exactly what we thought we could potentially get out of him. So he’s going to have a real role for us.”
Losing Gibson was a blow, but Hester is ready to slot in and take his opportunity this fall.
“I’m looking forward to making a big impact,” Hester said. “You know, when one man goes down, the next is up. That’s what our coach preaches a lot, and he has everybody ready to go if anybody goes down.”
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.
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