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Why this Harlem football player drew little notice and why he picked Oklahoma State

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Why this Harlem football player drew little notice and why he picked Oklahoma State


It sounded too good to be true.

But it is definitely true.

Jordan Vyborny, a tight end who caught only 13 passes for 166 yards his junior year at Harlem, became an overnight NCAA Division I recruit after moving to Utah to live with his uncle and enrolling at Corner Canyon, which has won three of the last five Utah Class 6A state titles and played in the state championship game five years in a row.

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Vyborny hasn’t played a game there yet. The season is still two months off. But he has committed to play for Oklahoma State — even before attending his first practice at Corner Canyon.

“I am surrounded by a ton of talent,” Vyborny said during a recent visit back to Rockford. “It’s not only me they are looking at recruiting-wise. Everyone here is going to want to show themselves and represent.”

More: Boylan grad Dean Lowry excited to play for another ‘iconic’ NFL team, Pittsburgh Steelers

Before picking Oklahoma State, Vyborny also took official visits to Eastern Washington and Boise State and unofficial visits to USC and UCLA.

While the tight end is an integral part of the NFL passing game — some announcers like to joke “the tight end is always open” — it is less so in high school and college football.

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“There are a few colleges that are known for it,” Vyborny said. “Michigan dumps it to their tight ends a lot. Utah does it, too. Iowa State, believe it or not, does too. Oklahoma State is starting to change it up a little bit. The tight end is going to be more of a focal point and catch a lot more balls. It will play a huge role in their offense. They are moving to more 12 personnel (two tight ends, one running back).”

Vyborny may be the NIC-10’s biggest recruit since Auburn offensive tackle Vederian Lowe, now with the Patriots, went to Illinois in 2017. Vyborny is also the league’s first D-I recruit who didn’t make all-conference in the NIC-10 since Auburn’s Ray Robey, a starting defensive tackle on Northwestern’s fabled 1995 Rose Bowl team.

But Robey’s omission was highly controversial. His coach reportedly missed the all-conference meeting and no one nominated him. Vyborny was different. He basically went unnoticed. Until he left Rockford. Then, he was immediately discovered at a 7-on-7 tournament in Las Vegas, catching passes from four-star recruit Helaman Casuga.

More: Rockford NFL tackle Vederian Lowe to give back with camp: ‘I grew up on that side of town’

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Scouts immediately fell in love with not only Vyborny’s hands, but also his measureables — 6-foot-5, 232 pounds and 4.68 speed in the 40-yard dash. He was quickly labeled a three-star recruit.

He also had the athletic pedigree. Vyborny’s sister, Mya Davidson, a 6-2 guard/forward, landed an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. His grandfather and great uncle, Jerome and Julian Vyborny, were Boylan grads who played football for the Illini. He had six aunts play basketball in college.

Vyborny will join a team that finished 10-4 last year and is 10-4 in bowl games the last 14 years under 19-year coach Mike Gundy.

“The environment, the coaches, everything about the program, I fell in love with,” Vyborny said. “The way I was treated. And not just me; also my uncle and my mom.

“I know I will be developed there. And Coach Gundy made it clear he is not looking for just talent, he is looking for leaders in the community. He is awesome. I love him.”

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And he is eager to show off skills he never got to showcase in Rockford. And see how far that can take him.

“I want to show how explosive I am now,” Vyborny said. “How much faster I’v gotten. How much better at route running. I am expected to be more physical and show that on tape.”



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Former Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops announces retirement

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Former Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops announces retirement


Bob Stoops’ coaching career appears to be over. For real, this time.

The former Oklahoma football coach, who led the Sooners to a national championship in 2000, said Monday he would be retiring from coaching. Stoops had spent the previous three years as coach of the the United Football League’s Arlington Renegades.

“After much thought and reflection, I’ve made the decision to retire from coaching and step away from the game of football,” Stoops said in a statement released by the UFL. “Coaching has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and closing this chapter comes with lots of gratitude. …Thank you for allowing me to be part of this incredible game for so many years.”

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Stoops’ first and only head-coaching job at the Division I level came at Oklahoma. He took over ahead of the 1999 season and stayed through 2016. OU went 190-48 overall while only suffering three-or-more defeats in Big 12 play four times. The Sooners’ 2001 Orange Bowl win capped 13-0 season and gave Oklahoma its first national title since 1985.

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Stoops took over coaching Oklahoma after serving three years as Florida’s defensive coordinator. He retired from job at OU in June 2017, but lasted less than two calendar years as he was drawn to coaching the Dallas Renegades in the XFL.

The league folded in part because of the COVID pandemic before OU called on him again to serve as interim coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl after Lincoln Riley left to coach Southern California. After that, he rejoind the Renegades, now rebranded as the Arlington Renegades in the UFL.



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Former Oklahoma Quarterback Bounces Back in Lopsided Win for Division Leader

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Former Oklahoma Quarterback Bounces Back in Lopsided Win for Division Leader


Ex-OU quarterback Jalen Hurts made up for his turnover-heavy showing in Week 14 with a stellar Week 15 performance.

Hurts, who spent the 2019 season at Oklahoma, led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 31-0 win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

The quarterback completed 12 of his 15 pass attempts for 175 yards and three touchdowns, and he also rushed seven times for 39 yards. Hurts averaged 11.7 yards per pass attempt, his second highest mark of the year in that category.

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The week before, Hurts had his worst showing of the season. Against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, Hurts accounted for four turnovers. The final one of those was an interception that he threw into the hands of fellow former Sooner Tony Jefferson in overtime to seal the Chargers’ 22-19 win.

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With Sunday’s win, the Eagles improved to 9-5. Philadelphia is in firm control in the NFC East race and will win the division with one more win or one more loss from the Dallas Cowboys, who are 6-7-1.

In 14 games in 2025, Hurts has completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,929 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. The quarterback has also rushed for 376 yards and eight touchdowns.

Hurts has spent his entire professional career with the Eagles after the franchise selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl twice, and he won his first Super Bowl earlier this year, as Philadelphia defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 55-23 in Super Bowl LIX.

Before becoming an NFL star, Hurts played three seasons of college football at Alabama and won the national title with the Crimson Tide in 2017. He transferred to Oklahoma for his final year of eligibility — 2019 — and led the Sooners to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

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Mayfield, Buccaneers Continue Skid

Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks on against the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a heartbreaker on Thursday.

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After holding a 28-14 lead in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers allowed the Atlanta Falcons to score 15 unanswered points and win 29-28.

Mayfield, who spent three years as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback, finished the game 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 19-of-34 passing. His lone pick came in crunch time, though, as he underthrew wide receiver Mike Evans in the fourth quarter, and Atlanta’s Damien Alford intercepted the pass. The Falcons scored a touchdown on their ensuing drive.

The Buccaneers have lost six of their last eight games after beginning the 2025 season 5-1. Individually, Mayfield has thrown 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in the last eight games after logging 12 touchdowns and only one pick in the first six contests.

Mayfield has completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,999 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven touchdowns in 14 games. 

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Read More Oklahoma Sooners

Sunday Offering: Oklahoma WR Signee Leads High School to State Championship
Why Oklahoma WR Isaiah Sategna Believes Sooners Will ‘Go Really Far’ in CFP
Febechi Nwaiwu’s Consistency Made him a Leader on Oklahoma’s Offensive Line

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The Buccaneers, once in firm control of the NFC South race, are tied with the Carolina Panthers for first place in the division. The silver lining for the Bucs is that the division is weak, and the Panthers dropped what should have been an easy opportunity for them to take sole possession of first place on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

Mayfield is playing in his eighth NFL season and third with the Buccaneers. He spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns and split the 2022 season between the Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams before signing with Tampa Bay in 2023.

At OU, Mayfield boasted a 33-6 record as the Sooners’ starting quarterback. He finished his three seasons in Norman with 12,292 passing yards, 137 total touchdowns and 21 interceptions, and Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in 2017.

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Lamb Shines Again in Cowboys’ Loss

Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22), linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and safety Joshua Metellus (44) tackle Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb (88) during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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Even though the Cowboys fell 34-26 to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, veteran wideout and former Sooner CeeDee Lamb had another big game.

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Lamb finished Sunday’s loss with a game-high six catches for 111 yards. His flashy performance marked Lamb’s third game in a row eclipsing 100 receiving yards.

Dallas, though, dropped to 6-7-1 with the loss. For the Cowboys to win the NFC East, they must win out, and the Eagles must lose out.

Lamb has caught 63 passes for 976 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. He has played with the Cowboys since 2020, when the franchise selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Lamb has made the Pro Bowl four times, and he was a First Team All-Pro selection in 2023.

At OU, Lamb was a consensus All-American in 2019, his final year in Norman. Over the course of his three collegiate seasons, Lamb recorded 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns on 173 catches.

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Power restored after outage affects over 7000 in Tulsa, PSO says car crash was a factor

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Power restored after outage affects over 7000 in Tulsa, PSO says car crash was a factor


UPDATE: Power has been mostly restored in the wide area of Midtown Tulsa. Nearly 500 customers remain without power.

PSO says a car hit a pole near 2800 S Lewis Avenue, and a substation in the area may have shorted out as a result.

Investigation ongoing.

Public Service Company of Oklahoma Statement:

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PSO Oklahoma is currently working to restore power to a wide area of Midtown Tulsa. Crews are on site, and working to restore service.

Residents can track outage updates and report outages at https://outagemap.psoklahoma.com/

If you or someone you know needs adequate heat, our warming shelters are open. Locations are:

All shelter beds are based on available capacity of the shelter.

Please share this information with neighbors who may need it and check on those who are most vulnerable during this cold weather.

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Stay safe and warm.

Original Story:

The Public Service Company of Oklahoma Outage Map shows thousands in Tulsa are without power after reports of multiple downed power lines and a power flash, affecting customers starting near the area of Riverside Drive out past the Mingo Valley Expressway, all the way near East 21 Street to E 81 Street.

News On 6 has received reports of the location of multiple power lines down near 2800 South Lewis Avenue, so it is best to avoid the area.

Crews are currently out addressing the outage, and a time of restoration has not been published at this time.

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PSO Communications Manager Matt Rahn said teams are still trying to figure out the specific cause of the outage and will update after an investigation is conducted.

After a quick shot of arctic air, things warm up quickly this week

Emergency Info: Outages Across Oklahoma:

Northeast Oklahoma has various power companies and electric cooperatives, many of which have overlapping areas of coverage. Below is a link to various outage maps.

  1. PSO Outage Map
  2. OG&E Outage Map
  3. VVEC Outage Map
  4. Indian Electric Cooperative (IEC) Outage Map
  5. Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives Outage Map — (Note: Several Smaller Co-ops Included)

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

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