Oklahoma
Three Questions on Oklahoma Training Camp: Quarterbacks
Oklahoma opens preseason training camp this week, and the Sooners have some questions to get answered during the month of August.
In this series, Sooners on SI will attempt to provide some answers ahead of camp.
Last in the series is a look inside Oklahoma’s quarterbacks room.
Coach Brent Venables confidently stated during spring practice that Oklahoma’s quarterback room is in better shape in 2024 than it was in his previous two years.
From a depth standpoint, that seems irrefutable.
From an experience standpoint — not so much.
Aside from starter Jackson Arnold’s one career start last year in the Alamo Bowl, only sixth-year senior Casey Thompson has game experience.
“There was a lot of unknown after Jackson,” Venables said.
Thompson started 23 games and played in 35 at Texas, Nebraska and Florida Atlantic. Now he’s wrapping up his compelling college football career at his dream school, his dad’s school, but even that comes with a significant hitch: Thompson is coming off major knee surgery from an injury last fall.
Michael Hawkins seemed to win the backup job in spring as Thompson rehabbed his knee, but Hawkins — ultra-talented as he may be — is a true freshman. So is Brendan Zurbrugg.
“I feel like we have more guys there than what we had a year ago,” Venables said.
That’s not under dispute. Four scholarship QBs is better than three. And with Gabriel settling in at Oregon, Davis Beville off to South Carolina, walk-on General Booty now at Louisiana Monroe and walk-on Jacob Switzer having moved on, new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell watched four of his five quarterbacks transfer out of Norman.
“That’s the depth at the position more than we had a year ago,” Venables said.
But Venables thinks the upgrade this year goes beyond just numbers.
He’s talked about leadership, of course, and how that’s continuing to grow and evolve. But he’s also described OU’s improved athletic ability and natural talent and big, explosive passing arms at the position.
OU has loads of the latter.
“We feel good about it,” Venables said.
Arnold has said he wasn’t fully ready for the spotlight of being the Oklahoma starting quarterback when he took the field last December against Arizona.
He said the Wildcats’ defense tricked him and surprised him in the Alamo Bowl, that he misread some things and threw some passes that he shouldn’t have.
It was a roller-coaster ending to his true freshman season.
But this is Oklahoma. Expectations are galactically high. Just Monday, Arnold was on the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award as college football’s top overall player.
Josh Heupel won a national title here. Jason White won a Heisman. So did Sam Bradford, while setting NCAA records. Landry Jones shattered OU’s career passing marks. Baker Mayfield won three straight Big 12 titles and played in two playoff games while also winning a Heisman. Kyler Murray also won a Heisman and helped redefine the position. Jalen Hurts was a Heisman runner-up and elevated the position with his leadership.
“Jackson understands better than anybody what goes into being a quarterback of a football team of the locker room: the leader, the face, the responsibilities, the challenges,” Venables said.
One full calendar year studying the game under Gabriel — and former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby — should have given Arnold a firm foundation as he takes the reins.
But he’ll need to raise his game in 2024. None of those other OU legends played against an SEC schedule like Arnold will in his first full college season as a starting quarterback.
Arnold also needs to just be himself. He doesn’t need to complete 75 percent of his passes or rush for 1,000 yards. He received the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior at Denton Guyer High School for a reason: he’s a really good football player.
Stats will come (even against the SEC). Awards may follow. But if Arnold can avoid catastrophic turnovers and lead the OU offense to points, the Sooners will win games — and that’s all the fan base wants, although they sure like those giant statues on the east side of Memorial Stadium, too.
“There’s a lot of pressure that comes with this position for sure,” Arnold said. “Again, at the end of the day, I just gotta go out and perform to the best of my abilities and hope I live up to that lineage.”
Although Thompson probably disagrees, it’s close to even money that Hawkins will get the first backup reps on Aug. 30 when the Sooners take on Temple.
Hawkins earned that opportunity last spring. A highly dynamic dual-threat QB from Frisco (TX) Emerson via Allen, TX, the 6-foot-1, 204-pound Hawkins was the quarterback MVP at the 2023 Dallas Rivals Camp, won the Accuracy Challenge Award at the 2023 Dallas Under Armour Next Camp, and was an Elite 11 Finalist.
At Emerson — an almost brand new school still accumulating talent — he led his squad to the Texas 5A semifinals with 4,211 yards total offense and 55 touchdowns with only three interceptions in 15 games. He was district MVP as a senior and was first-team all-district as a junior.
Hawkins excited his coaches and teammates with his steady, spectacular performance in spring practice — all while Thompson was made to sit out while rehabbing his knee.
However, Thompson was fully cleared earlier this summer. He has no restrictions, Venables said. He’ll probably still need a little extra time to get into game shape — he’ll be 26 in October — so expect him to be the emergency QB in September.
But when SEC play arrives, don’t be surprised to see Thompson on the field as Arnold’s primary backup. He’s played in and won numerous big games in his career, has accumulated 5,338 yards and 52 TD passes, and it seems likely that Venables will lean on that kind of experience as the schedule gets tougher.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma judge allows former death row prisoner to be released on bond while awaiting retrial
An Oklahoma judge on Thursday allowed former death row prisoner Richard Glossip to be released on bond while awaiting retrial over a 1997 killing that put him on the brink of execution three separate times.
The decision clears the way for Glossip, 63, to leave a lockup for the first time since his arrest nearly 30 years ago. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out his conviction, and his longstanding claims of innocence have drawn support from Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures.
READ MORE: Supreme Court throws out Oklahoma man Richard Glossip’s murder conviction and death sentence
Judge Natalie Mai issued an order setting bond at $500,000. Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside Oklahoma. He also must not contact any witnesses in the case, or consume any drugs or alcohol.
It was unclear Thursday when Glossip would be released. He will have to post only 10%, or $50,000, and the process could take two or three days, said his attorney Donald Knight.
Knight also suggested Glossip is counting on contributions to raise the money.
“Mr. Glossip has many supporters and we are hopeful those supporters can afford the bail,” Knight said.
Protestors and family members embrace after hearing the news of Governor Mary Fallin issuing a stay for death row inmate Richard Glossip outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, September 30, 2015. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin on Wednesday granted inmate Richard Glossip a 37-day stay of execution to give the state time to address whether its execution protocols comply with procedures approved by the federal court. Glossip, 52, was found guilty of arranging the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese, the owner of an Oklahoma City motel that Glossip was managing. Photo by Nick Oxford/Reuters.
Glossip had been sentenced to death over the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.
The Supreme Court ruled last year that prosecutors’ decision to allow a key witness to give testimony they knew to be false violated Glossip’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
Glossip has remained behind bars after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced the state would seek to retry him on a murder charge but not pursue the death penalty again.
“The court fully expects that the state will rigorously prosecute its case going forward and the defense will provide robust representation for Glossip,” the judge wrote in the order. “The court hopes that a new trial, free of error, will provided all interested parties and the citizens of Oklahoma, the closure they deserve.”
During his time on death row, courts in Oklahoma set nine different execution dates for Glossip, and he came so close to being put to death that he ate three separate last meals. In 2015, he was even held in a cell next to Oklahoma’s execution chamber, waiting to be strapped to a gurney and die by lethal injection.
But the scheduled time for his execution came and went. Behind the walls of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, prison officials were scrambling after learning one of the lethal drugs they received to carry out the procedure didn’t match the execution protocols. The drug mix-up ultimately led to a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.
“Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors,” Knight said.
Glossip’s case attracted international attention after actress Susan Sarandon — who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of death penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean’s fight to save a man on Louisiana’s death row in the 1995 movie “Dead Man Walking” — took up his cause in real life. Glossip’s case also was featured in the 2017 documentary film titled “Killing Richard Glossip.”
“Both Richard and I are grateful for the court’s decision,” Glossip’s wife, Lea, said in a text to The Associated Press. “We have been praying for this day.”
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Oklahoma
Oklahoma teacher turns PB&J’s into a lifeline for students
Teaching is easily one of the most challenging and rewarding professions anywhere. And while most deserve to be recognized, when we heard about Deanne Strothers, we had to come meet her.
The Harding Charter Prep teacher has been teaching life through math for 30 years.
“My goal is to make them understand that they can get through tough stuff,” said Strothers.
But seven years ago, there was some tough stuff put on her plate that was really tough to swallow.
“I had kids that would come in, and they didn’t have any. They didn’t have a lunch card, so they couldn’t eat,” said Strothers.
She recalls one student in particular, at a previous school.
“She came in, and she’s like, I’m hungry,” said Strothers.
After giving the student the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she had brought for lunch, Strothers made a decision: as long as she was teaching, no child would go hungry.
“And so, I’m like, I’ve got to get something that is universal, and we landed on peanut butter and jelly,” said Strothers.
So, for the past seven years, each night she and her husband have prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, totaling over 30,000 sandwiches.
It’s always grape jelly, you don’t have to be in any of her classes and the sandwiches are typically gone before 9 a.m.
“I would rather have a well-fed child than a child sitting here, not having the capability to really pay attention because they are hungry,” said Strothers.
As word spread of her personal feeding program, it prompted a visit from Oklahoma’s Secretary of Education, Dan Hamlin, who didn’t come empty-handed.
“Well, we wanted to give you a check for supplies,” said Hamlin.
“I think it’s incredibly important that we recognize the great work that our teachers are doing across the state,” said Hamlin.
“I’ll keep doing this as long as I am teaching,” said Strothers.
As expected, Mrs. Strothers says she will use the check for more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The $250.00 donation will paY for about one semester of sandwiches.
Oklahoma
Sponsored Content: The Spotlight – Winter Park
Today on the Spotlight, our crew explored why Winter Park Resort is so much more than a snowy winter destination. Nestled in Colorado’s breathtaking Fraser Valley along the Continental Divide, this mountain escape transforms into an outdoor paradise once the snow melts—offering cool temperatures, endless sunshine, and adventures for every kind of traveler.
Just 70 minutes from Denver and one of the closest major mountain resorts to Denver International Airport, Winter Park makes it easy to trade city life for alpine views. Surrounded by towering 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks, the resort delivers postcard-worthy scenery with summer temperatures that rarely climb above 80 degrees. Add in more than 300 days of sunshine each year, and it’s easy to see why so many visitors are discovering Winter Park as a perfect warm-weather getaway.
The resort village itself offers plenty of charm, with lodging, dining, shopping, and activities all conveniently located in one walkable area. Whether you’re looking for high-energy thrills or a laid-back mountain retreat, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy the outdoors.
One of the most popular summer attractions is the scenic gondola ride, which carries guests up to 10,700 feet for unforgettable panoramic views of the Continental Divide, colorful wildflowers, and towering aspen groves. Adventure seekers can race down Colorado’s longest alpine slide or hit the trails to explore more than 3,000 acres of scenic hiking terrain. For those wanting to relax, Sunspot Mountain Lodge offers mountaintop dining with incredible views.
As the sun begins to set, the mountain comes alive with happy hour gatherings and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, creating the perfect atmosphere to unwind after a day of adventure.
Winter Park is also home to the legendary Trestle Bike Park, one of the top downhill mountain biking destinations in the country. Opening Memorial Weekend, the park features more than 40 miles of gravity-fed downhill trails designed for riders of all skill levels. Advanced bikers can tackle technical terrain, while beginners can ease into the sport with mellow trails, rental gear, and lessons available onsite. Visitors who prefer a more relaxed ride can explore the area with e-bike rentals and guided mountain tours.
Beyond the resort, Winter Park serves as an ideal base camp for exploring some of Colorado’s most iconic outdoor destinations. The quieter west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park is only about 35 minutes away, offering fewer crowds and incredible opportunities to spot wildlife like moose and elk.
And for travelers wanting to spend time on the water, Grand Lake, Lake Granby, and Shadow Mountain Lake are all within about an hour of the resort, offering boating, fishing, paddling, and even more mountain recreation opportunities.
From scenic gondola rides and alpine slides to mountain biking, hiking, lakeside escapes, and national park adventures, Winter Park truly lives up to its reputation as Colorado’s gateway to summer fun. Visitors looking to plan their next mountain getaway can find lodging deals, trailside stays, and a full calendar of summer events at Winter Park Resort.
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