Oklahoma football: Examining the makeup of the 2018 Sooners

The quarterbacks

For Lincoln Riley’s version of the Air Raid to work most effectively, a skilled signal caller must be at the controls. And during the past few years, there was no better conductor than Baker Mayfield. So a key question for the Sooner offense heading into 2018 is who will replace Mayfield, and will the new starter be able to keep the Oklahoma attack humming?

The two quarterbacks vying to replace last year’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback are Kyler Murray and Austin Kendall. And even though Riley has yet to announce a starter and probably won’t do so for a while, many expect Murray to assume those duties.

Earlier this summer, the Oakland A’s drafted Murray No. 9 overall in the MLB Draft. Apparently there is a mutual agreement between Murray and the A’s to allow him to play for the Sooners in the fall then join the A’s after his football duties are done. This adds an interesting twist to the situation, since it will be hard for Murray to keep from looking ahead to his baseball future, especially in football situations that may result in an injury that could threaten his baseball career.

Will the knowledge that a potentially long and lucrative baseball career awaits influence Murray’s play on the football field? Time will tell. One thing that is fairly certain is that Murray’s days in an OU football uniform will end after the 2018 season, even though he has two years of eligibility remaining.

All that said, the bottom line is simple: While Murray is no Baker Mayfield, he is a former five star quarterback recruit and Texas high school legend who, if he lives up to his heretofore untapped potential, is fully capable of taking the reins of Riley’s offense and adding a new, lethal twist with his blazing speed. But if Murray stumbles or underwhelms, Kendall may be pressed into service.

Incoming newcomer Tanner Mordecai enrolled as of June 2018, but the freshman would not be expected to make any inroads into the quarterback battle unless a catastrophic turn of events were to occur sometime during the season.

A four star recruit out of Waco, Mordecai is 6-feet, two-inches tall and 213 pounds and is considered a dual-threat quarterback. Many believe Mordecai is a taller, bulkier version of Baker Mayfield. If that turns out to be the case, the future certainly looks bright for the young man.