After the defensive line — which ranked in the top 10 of sacks in Division I football last year — lost nearly the entire two-deep roster, the new wave of players has been an enigma for Cowboy fans.

NORMAN — Alex Grinch faced a choice at one point.

NORMAN — As Oklahoma practiced earlier this month, Ruffin McNeill oversaw a small cluster of outside linebackers doing a drill within a corner of OU’s rugby complex.

When Deondrick Glass made his commitment to Oklahoma State on ESPN at the Blue-Gray Football Classic, he proclaimed he wanted to win the Heisman Trophy as a true freshman.

It’s required a little bit of enticing, but Alex Grinch’s Oklahoma defenders are unabashedly doing what he asks of them.

NORMAN — Lincoln Riley didn’t name a quarterback Tuesday or hint at when that might occur, saying he wasn’t any closer to that decision now than he was weeks ago.

Ah, the walk-off.

It’s quite a group.

NORMAN — Mike Gaddis, remembered as one of the greatest Oklahoma running backs who never was, died Monday. He was 50.

It will be eight interesting days to begin the NBA season for the Thunder.

Bob Stoops knew there was little time to waste when he became Oklahoma’s head football coach in 1998. The Sooners were swooning from an unfamiliar losing era.

Oklahoma’s offensive line looked like a blank slate this past spring. Not even Creed Humphrey, the group’s lone returning starter, was participating as he got healthy from injury.

NORMAN — Jay Boulware’s offseason goal for his running backs was simple.

Patty Gasso knew little of Oklahoma as a state before accepting OU softball's head coaching position.

NORMAN — Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley broke into a celebration that was captured by program’s media team, when Jeremiah Criddell committed to Oklahoma over Oregon on signing day last December.

STILLWATER, Okla. — Ry Schneider won’t have to worry about money anymore.

Kyler Murray perfect 6 for 6 in NFL preseason debut

Chanse Sylvie couldn’t help but stand out in his blue vest. With the Oklahoma safety’s shoulders rolling out the top of his sleeves, he had to have been one of the most physically imposing employees working for Walmart this summer.

Kyler Murray takes the field for the first time as an NFL quarterback when his Arizona Cardinals host the Los Angeles Chargers in a preseason game Thursday night.

NORMAN — Multiple outlets are reporting Oklahoma defensive back Tre Norwood has suffered a knee injury and it’s unclear whether he’ll return this season.

NORMAN — Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts’ soaking-wet undershirt was stretched over his back as he carried his shoulder pads. The OU rugby fields were empty by the time he walked off them.

Chuba Hubbard may have been Oklahoma State’s fifth-leading receiver a year ago with 22 catches for 229 yards – with a long of 54 – but he may just be scratching the surface in becoming a multi-faceted tailback.

Alabama graduate transfer Jalen Hurts was the center of Oklahoma's local media day last week as reporters surrounded his table awaiting every word from the man projected to be the Sooners' new starting quarterback.

Another Oklahoma men's basketball alumnus inked their first professional contract.

The 2019 summer basketball season isn't over just yet for some local members of Oklahoma Shock.

Editor’s note: The Transcript is looking at all 12 Oklahoma football games for the 2019-20 season, ranking them from 1st (best) to 12th (worst), factors include difficulty, venue, entertainment value and anticipated margin. 

With the season opener less than a month away, and the Oklahoma State football team nearly a week into fall camp, Cowboy coach Mike Gundy felt Tuesday was a good time to ramp up the competition with his Cowboys as they held their first day in full pads.

Ronnie Perkins consumes football content as often as he can.

The number “129” has been present in Oklahoma’s football facility since spring practice, with coaches using the Sooners’ national ranking in passing yards allowed a year ago as a motivational reminder.

New Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch says a change in attitude and culture is more important than any changes in schemes as the Sooners try to restructure an unit that ranked 101st in total defense and 130th in pass defense a year ago.

NORMAN — It’s difficult to see exactly what happened to Robert Barnes on the night of Dec. 29, 2018, when Oklahoma was playing Alabama in the Orange Bowl. But in the aftermath, he couldn’t practice football at full strength for nearly eight months.

NORMAN — Oklahoma’s defensive line hasn’t lived up to the standard Calvin Thibodeaux came to expect as a former OU player.

It wasn’t just Tylan Wallace’s 12 touchdown catches on the season – including several caught between two defenders such as in the Texas game – that got the fan base in Boone Pickens Stadium hollering for the Oklahoma State wide receiver.

Oklahoma’s defensive line hasn’t lived up to the standard Calvin Thibodeaux came to expect as a former OU player.

NORMAN — Oklahoma has nine redshirt freshmen on its roster who would otherwise be sophomores, if not for the NCAA’s redshirt rule put in place before last season.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Joel Blumenthal retreats to his darkest moments when he needs to find the light.

Before the annual Oklahoma State Fan Appreciation Day even began, there were hundreds of people wearing orange and black ready to meet the football and soccer players.

Mike Gundy has been trying to stave off the questions, but they just keep coming – typically with subtle differences in the iterations.

Before even signing with Oklahoma State, Deondrick Glass made waves among Cowboy fans.

Tracin Wallace will go down having made just one catch for one yard at the end of a blowout against an FCS opponent for his college career.

ARLINGTON, Texas — For Oklahoma, it’s simple to see at a position such as receiver, where freshmen Theo Wease, Trejan Bridges, Jadon Haselwood and Austin Stogner can contribute immediately this season.

Mike Gundy wanted to make it easy on media members following Oklahoma State football’s fall camp opening practice inside the Sherman E. Smith Training Center.

Oklahoma City Thunder waived forward Patrick Patterson Thursday. 

EDMOND, Okla. — Lisa Polcovich sat in a chair in her office. Finishing a sip of a green concoction in a Panera Bread cup, she shared the brief and rough culmination of all her parenting knowledge:

Despite losing four of five starters on the offensive line and a Heisman Trophy quarterback, Oklahoma is still projected as one of the top four teams in college football.