Historically, Oklahoma football has not been a prime producer of NFL quarterbacks. But that changed with the dawn of the new milllenium.
Former Sooner quarterbacks have made it to the next level — only to change positions in the professional game or in backup roles — but never with the notoriety of our former OU signal callers of the past two decades.
Sam Bradford (2009), Baker Mayfield (2018) and Kyler Murray (2019) were all No. 1 overall NFL Draft selections and each was or is an NFL starting quarterback. Those three also have something else in common. They are all Heisman Trophy winners.
Three former Oklahoma quarterbacks, who played at OU in back-to-back-to-back years are all currently starting in the NFL (Mayfield, Murray and Jalen Hurts). I’m not sure that has ever happened or will again.
For life. @K1 🤝 @bakermayfield #OUDNA https://t.co/BOXkyftKXW
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 2, 2022
Mayfield and Murray were teammates at Oklahoma in 2016 and 2017, and Murray followed Mayfield in the starting role for the Sooners, who was followed by the Alabama transfer Hurts.
On Sunday in NFL Week 4, Mayfield and Murray will face each other for the third time in their NFL careers when Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers host Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. Murray has gotten the best of Mayfield in the two previous meetings, both while Mayfield was with the Cleveland Browns.
Arizona defeated Cleveland 38-24 in Murray’s rookie season and again last season, 37-14, with Murray throwing for 229 yards and four touchdowns.
Mayfield was traded by the Browns to Carolina prior to the 2022 season. Three games into the current season, Mayfield ranks 29th out of 32 NFL starting QBs with 555 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 18.9. Murray is 12th with 784 passing yards and a 49.0 QB rating. Both former Sooners have thrown three touchdowns with one interception through three games.