Oklahoma QB says he’ll enter transfer portal, could return
Oklahoma quarterback Caleb Williams said Monday he is entering his name in the transfer portal so he can speak with other schools, but he has not ruled out staying with the Sooners.
The freshman and former five-star recruit from Washington, D.C., who was recruited to Oklahoma by then-head coach Lincoln Riley revealed his intentions on social media.
Former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who committed to transfer to UCLA last month, posted on Twitter that he instead would go to Oklahoma.
Riley left Oklahoma to become coach at USC the day after the Sooners ended their regular season with a loss to Oklahoma State. Former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables was hired to replace Riley.
“I think we all come to college to find our path and prepare for the future. I came to Oklahoma with a plan, but with all the recent changes, I need to figure out what is the right path for me moving forward,” Williams tweeted.
Williams would be one of the most sought-after transfers in college football.
He passed for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 435 yards and six scores in 2020, taking over the starting job from preseason Heisman Trophy favorite Spencer Rattler midway through the season.
Rattler already has transferred to South Carolina.
Williams led the Sooners (11-2) to a win last week against Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.
To be recruited and contacted by other schools within NCAA rules, Williams had to enter his name into the transfer portal, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is transferring.
“Staying at OU will definitely be an option as I begin this process,” Williams said.
Venables and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione released a statement saying they would “continue to be engaged” with Williams.
“While we believe OU provides Caleb the best opportunity to develop as a player and realize his goals for college and beyond, we respect his right to explore his options following key staffing changes,” they said.
Venables hired Jeff Lebby away from Mississippi to be Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. Lebby spent the past two seasons working with quarterback Matt Corral, who is projected to be a first-round pick in the next NFL draft.
In five years with the Sooners, Riley coached two Heisman Trophy winners and first overall draft picks in QBs Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Riley also had Jalen Hurts, who transferred from Alabama and became a Heisman finalist and second-round draft pick after his one season at Oklahoma.
⏩ Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal is entering the NFL draft rather than returning to the Badgers. He announced his decision on social media. Chenal earned second-team honors on the Associated Press AllAmerica team as a junior.
German club signs U.S. forward Pepi
American forward Ricardo Pepi signed with Augsburg of Germany’s Bundesliga from Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas, agreeing to a 41⁄2-season contract with an option to extend through 2026-27.
The Augsburger Allgemeine reported the German club was paying more than $14.8 million plus potential add-ons for the 18-year-old, the highest amount for a transfer of a homegrown U.S. player from MLS.
“Moving to Europe after the conclusion of the MLS season was my dream,“Pepi said in a statement released by Augsburg. “I believe FC Augsburg and the Bundesliga will prove the perfect settings for me to gain match practice at the top level as a youngster.“
Pepi made his MLS debut in 2019. He had 13 goals and set up two more in 31 league games for Dallas last season.
⏩ Former U.S. national team member Steve Cherundolo has been named the new head coach of MLS’ Los Angeles FC. He replaces Bob Bradley, the first coach in the expansion franchise’s history.
⏩ Paulo Nagamura was hired as coach of MLS’ Houston Dynamo. An MLS midfielder from 2005-16, the 38-year-old Brazilian replaces Tab Ramos, who was fired in November.
⏩ Ralf Rangnick fell to his first loss as Manchester United manager after Joao Moutinho’s 82nd-minute strike earned Wolverhampton a 1-0 win in the English Premier League and a first victory at Old Trafford since 1980.
Winter sports: Mikaela Shiffrin is set to return to the women’s World Cup at a slalom in Croatia on Tuesday, eight days after she announced she tested positive for the coronavirus and was forced out of two technical races in Austria last week.
Shiffrin had a negative test Monday afternoon before the American’s name appeared on the official start list for the race released by the International Ski Federation.
“See you tomorrow, Zagreb,” Shiffrin wrote on Instagram.
Shiffrin, who has won the event four times since 2013, will wear bib No. 7. However, Shiffrin’s American teammate, Nina O’Brien, is among a group of racers missing Tuesday’s race as the coronavirus is affecting the women’s circuit.
The group sidelined for Tuesday’s race includes at least three Swiss skiers, two Austrians, a Norwegian and an Italian.
⏩ The U.S. Olympic speedskating trials will be held without fans or media because of the surge in coronavirus cases. U.S. Speedskating made the announcement two days before the start of the trials Wednesday at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee.
The trials, which conclude Sunday, determine the longtrack team that will represent the U.S. at the Beijing Games. Baseball: Outfielder Cameron Maybin is retiring after 15 bigleague seasons. Maybin, 34, had a .254 batting average with 72 homers and 354 RBIs for 10 major-league teams. Obituaries: Jud Logan, a fourtime U.S. Olympic hammer thrower who was also a successful track coach at Ashland University, has died. He was 62.
The school announced his death. No cause was given, but Logan had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for leukemia since 2019.
Logan competed in the 1984, 1988, 1992 and 2000 Olympics. He was a captain on the 1992 team in Barcelona, Spain.
⏩ Bob Halloran, a former sportscaster for CBS Sports who later organized major boxing events as an executive in Las Vegas, has died.
Halloran, 87, covered a variety of events including golf and boxing. He left television in 1978 and moved to Las Vegas to join Caesar’s World as vice president of sports. He staged major bouts featuring Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns.