Baker Mayfield rewards OU walk-on in heartfelt scholarship moment

It seems like forever and a Heisman Trophy ago that Baker Mayfield was a walk-on, but he'll never forget what it took and that other players are still doing the same.

Mayfield's charity, the Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation, just awarded its first-ever $10,000 walk-on scholarship to Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Jakeb Snyder in a moment that was videoed. Snyder was the perfect recipient as a Sooner from Oklahoma.

Baker Mayfield gives first walk-on scholarship to Sooner Jakeb Snyder

Snyder was surprised by the news when OU head coach Brent Venables played a video of Mayfield and his wife, Emily, during a team meeting as the Sooners are in the midst of fall camp.

"As a former walk-on, I know the grind," Mayfield said in the video. "No promises, just work. That's why I'm proud to name you, Jakeb Snyder, OU receiver, Oklahoma native and first-ever recipient of the Baker and Emily Mayfield Walk On Scholarship."

Seeing these moments never gets old.

Obviously Snyder was incredibly thankful.

Snyder is a redshirt sophomore receiver from Bixby, Oklahoma, where he won three state titles. He's undersized at 5-foot-8, which forced him to be a walk-on to play at this level. His only major scholarship offer was to Navy. He redshirted in 2023 and appeared in two games on special teams last season while being named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.

Mayfield's foundation sent out a release that included part of Snyder's application.

"Resilience is not built in comfort -- it's forged in unfamiliar environments, under pressure, and through personal sacrifice," Snyder wrote. "Resilience, to me, is about more than overcoming obstacles – it’s about being committed to your goals even when the easier route is right in front of you. It’s about trusting yourself, staying consistent and having the courage to chase what sets your soul on fire. That's the mindset I'll carry into college, the classroom, and life. I don’t expect things to be easy. I just expect myself to rise – every time.”

Mayfield added: “As a walk-on athlete, I had to prove that I belonged on the field. It meant no promises, just work, and that is exactly the mentality and level of resilience I see in Jakeb, so Emily and I knew he would be the perfect first-ever recipient for our scholarship. We are so grateful and honored to be part of his story and help another fellow walk-on OU football player.”

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