Oklahoma baseball: Kyler Murray taken 9th by Oakland in MLB Draft
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma baseball star, and potential starting OU starting QB next season, Kyler Murray, has a giant decision to make.
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The Sooner two-sport star was drafted ninth overall in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft on Monday, the top draft pick of the Oakland Athletics. Whether Murray will sign a major-league contract with Oakland, which could be in the neighborhood of $2 million or more, is still a matter of conjecture. but going in the top 10 of the MLB Draft is a real big deal.
It’s hard to fathom that Murray would improve that draft position by much, if at all, were he to decline to sign and take his chances in next year’s draft.
Murray is expected to be first in line to replace Heisman-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Sooner head football coach Lincoln Riley has said in recent interviews that he fully expects Murray to play football for the Sooners in the fall.
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As a condition for signing a professional baseball contract with the Athletics, what Murray may do is request that he be allowed to play football at OU for at least one more season. You would think the Athletics organization is aware of that real possibility, or they wouldn’t have drafted Murray with the No. 9 overall pick.
Murray completed 18 of 21 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns in limited action in 2017, his first season of eligibility at OU after transferring from Texas A&M after his freshman season in 2015.
One of his conditions for transferring to Oklahoma was that he be allowed to play football and baseball. He started in center field for the Sooners this season. Before he strained a hamstring muscle in the opening game of the Big 12 Championship, which sidelined Murray for the remainder of OU’s postseason run (which ended for the Sooners on Monday in the championship game of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional), he was batting .296 with 10 home runs and 47 runs batted in.
Murray’s path to professional sports is probably more heavier weighted toward baseball. Some MLB scouts have rated the Sooner two-sport star the most athletic prospect in this year’s MLB Draft. His hitting has improved markedly this season, and he is a solid outfielder with a strong throwing arm (not surprising that he would also be a strong-armed quarterback).
We will have to sit back an wait to see what Murray decides going forward, but we probably will learn something sooner rather than later, given all the moving parts with this story.