Oklahoma cancels media session amid report QB Caleb Williams is on track to start over Spencer Rattler vs. TCU

No. 4 Oklahoma soccer all of the sudden canceled all media availability previous to its Saturday matchup in opposition to TCU, based on KOCO’s Carson Cunningham, a day after the OU Day by day scholar newspaper posted a report that includes perception on the open quarterback battle from apply. 

OU Daily reporters Mason Younger and Austin Curtwright wrote Tuesdaay that freshman Caleb Williams took the vast majority of first-team reps over incumbent starter Spencer Rattler. The newspaper reportedly gained entry to this info by viewing exercises from a public constructing on campus that overlooks the workforce’s apply discipline. 

The quarterback battle has been one of many largest tales in college football since Williams, a five-star from the Class of 2021, led the Sooners on a 21-point comeback to beat Texas 55-48 within the Crimson River Showdown. Rattler was benched after his second turnover within the first half and coach Lincoln Riley has declined to call a starter for the sport on Saturday. 

Neither Rattler nor Williams have been made accessible for interviews after the emotional win, which marked the most important come-from-behind victory within the rivalry’s historical past. ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe tweeted that Riley denied her the chance to interview Williams on the postgame broadcast. 

The tweet, which was later deleted, learn: “Expensive viewers, please know I’m at all times working for you. I requested to interview [Caleb Williams] postgame and Lincoln Riley mentioned no. That child deserved this stage and this chance. I truly apologized to Caleb who anticipated to be interviewed.” 

Like coaches throughout the game, Riley has a historical past of paranoia round outsiders viewing apply. In 2020, the College of Oklahoma utilized an “opaque movie” on 54 dorm room home windows that might conceivably see the Oklahoma apply discipline. The transfer got here as many courses at Oklahoma moved on-line because of the pandemic.

“Whereas I do not suppose very many individuals would deliberately expose our student-athletes to a aggressive drawback, it could solely take one occasion to create an unfavorable state of affairs,” Riley wrote in a letter to college students affected by the blurring on the time. 

Riley has been reluctant to modify quarterbacks since arriving in Norman. Exterior of benching Heisman winners Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield for a handful of drives to start out as punishments, Riley has by no means made a quarterback change throughout the season. Nonetheless, he benched Rattler in favor of Tanner Mordecai – who has since transferred to SMU – in the course of Oklahoma’s 2020 win within the Crimson River Showdown. 

No. 4 Oklahoma faces off in opposition to TCU at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners hope to win its eighth straight matchup in opposition to the Horned Frogs and their notoriously secretive coach Gary Patterson.