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Ten Most Indispensable Oklahoma Football Players in 2016

By Chip Rouse

Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA;Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners line up in the first quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA;Clemson Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners line up in the first quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws against the Clemson Tigers during the first half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws against the Clemson Tigers during the first half of the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Starting Quarterback Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield is in his second season as the Sooners’ starting quarterback in offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley’s Air Raid offense. Mayfield more than established himself as the heart and soul of the Sooners with a stellar 2015 season and leading Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff.

With quarterback arguably being the most important position on the football field and Mayfield undeniably the most important player on the OU football team, it doesn’t take sabermetrics to figure out that Mayfield’s health and presence on the field is the most critical factor if the Sooners are to live up to preseason projections as one of the top five teams in the country this season.

Mayfield is the engine that powers the Sooners’ high-octane, high-scoring offense. He passed for 3,700 yards last season, including 36 touchdowns through the air, and completed 68 percent of his pass attempts. The former Texas Tech walk-on also ran for 405 net yards.

OU is pretty well stocked at the QB position for the next three to four seasons, but not if Mayfield were to go down, for whatever reason, in 2016. Former backups Trevor Knight and Cody Thomas are not longer on the team. That leaves true freshman Austin Kendall as the designated No. 2 Sooner quarterback. The only problem is, Kendall has yet to take a snap in a live college game.

Next: Junior Running Back Samaje Perine

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