The first Wednesday of February used to mean pure chaos with the traditional signing day festivities, but it’s a different era now.

Add in the early signing period and combine it with the transfer portal, and when it comes to Oklahoma, there was zero drama or expectations Wednesday.

So much that head coach Lincoln Riley admitted OU did not send out a single national letter of intent this week.

What did happen, though, was OU able to capitalize via the transfer portal in making sure the 2021 team is as strong as it can get.

“The transfer portal gave us a chance to – it was almost like in three segments,” said Riley in a Zoom call Wednesday afternoon. “You had the initial signing period and you see what you get. We wanted to have some flexibility after that. We left ourselves a lot of flexibility.

“Then the transfers start making their decisions, so we were able to kind of see what was in there, what we needed and able to get a few guys there, and that honestly made today a lot easier because then kind of the last part of the plan was, if there’s something that we need that we don’t get in the transfer portal, then we could look to sign them out of high school today.

“With the guys we brought in, it made today pretty easy. We didn’t send out one NLI. We pretty much – we knew we weren’t going to sign another high school player once the transfer portal shook out the way that it did.”

Highlighting everything is the Tennessee trio. OU added three former Vols in running back Eric Gray, offensive tackle Wanya Morris and defensive back Keshawn Lawrence.

It’s very easy to look at that and suspect something fishy was going on, but Riley reiterated it was three unique situations that just sort of came together.

“I don't know that one caused another to leave. It wasn't really a domino-effect type deal,” Riley said. “I think it was three separate situations and they just happened to be from the same university.”

The Sooners recruited Morris and Lawrence hard coming out of high school, especially Lawrence for the 2020 class.

“I think, you know, they decided that they needed a change of scenery and they liked what we were doing here. Those things came together pretty quickly.”

Gray was a case where it fit the needs for both sides.

OU also added former Arizona offensive guard Robert Congel and former Penn State quarterback Micah Bowens from the portal this semester.

Welcome JJF, new title for Simmons

Riley officially welcomed Joe Jon Finley to the coaching staff, now in charge of tight ends, H-Backs and having a big role in special teams. Riley said the media will be able to talk with Finley at a later date and added he expects the staff to be finalized.

“Staff-wise, at this point, don't anticipate any other major changes,” Riley said. “Although we always know that's a possibility in our world. Excited about the staff we have. Obviously, the full-time guys, and I think that we'll continue to grow and improve together as a staff, and I think the continuity here has been so important. I think it's been key to any of the successes we have had and I think it's important going forward as much as you can.”

Riley also announced a new title for outside receivers coach Dennis Simmons, now the passing game coordinator and assistant head coach.

Texas made a strong run at trying to lure Simmons away from OU, so it definitely made sense to see some sort of change in his role.

“He's gonna add the passing game coordinator title, and also be our assistant head coach,” Riley said. “He's been tremendous, obviously, for us. His record speaks for itself. He's absolutely one of the premier receiver coaches in the country. He and Coach Gundy have done such a good job with our guys.

“From a recruiting standpoint, the guy's track record speaks for itself. And for me, he's certainly been a guy that I can lean on, somebody I've got a very close relationship with, certainly one of my most trusted confidants as far as the staff -- and there's several, this staff is so good. But he's been fantastic and a huge key to our success and felt like that was very appropriate.”

#LincUpXXI off to good start

Less than two weeks into classes, but it does feel like OU has a special group coming up with the 10 mid-year enrollees for the 2021 class.

The Sooners only signed 16 for the class, meaning 62.5 percent of the class is already in Norman. Not about to crown them champions or anything just yet, but a lot to be excited about.

“I'm not one to anoint somebody right off the top but I just think the group, they have done a good job of coming in and bringing energy and being eager,” Riley said. “They're a confident group but they also know they've got a long way to go and a lot of work to do.”

Riley said the staff has been impressed with the development of some of the guys, who are even more ahead than what they first thought. There was so much unknown because of COVID-19 taking away chances for in-person evaluations, but things appear to be OK.

And now Riley finally knows who Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge is.

“Like, actually seeing somebody in the flesh other than a family member, a player or a staff member. It was like seeing them and talking to them and hugging them, it honestly felt weird,” Riley said. “It's hard to explain. And then a couple of people, like NRK, we'd never met him before. That's the first time I've ever met him, when he's moving in.”

Hoping for normal spring

Riley wouldn’t give the exact dates for when spring football will begin and the spring game itself, but it sure sounds like the Sooners are going to try to return to some normalcy.

“Our plan is to start spring ball in late March, to have a spring game in late April, and then obviously, see where we're at from there,” Riley said. “Our plans are to get to work and have a good full offseason and a good full spring ball.”

COVID-19 didn’t stop just because the 2020 season finished, and OU is still keeping that in mind as the players have gone back to work in the last two weeks.

“We're still taking the same precautions that we did during the season, and that has not changed,” Riley said. “We have not relaxed our standards, we have not relaxed our policies, our procedures. Our No. 1 goal still hasn't changed, which is to keep these guys as healthy as we can, and then to do our part just as members of society to continue to try to fight against this pandemic and against this virus.

“That certainly hasn't changed, but we obviously learned a lot during the season about how we can handle that and still be able to go about our business. That's still a big part of our everyday life up here.”