Sooners quarterback Murray embraces hype for Heisman

OklahNOR M A N, OKL A . oma quarterback Kyler Murray is comfortable with all that comes with being a Heisman Trophy contender — it’s why the firstround Major League Baseball draft choice put off his baseball career.

In his first season as a starter, Murray ranks second in the nation in passing efficiency behind Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. He has better numbers than Baker Mayfield produced during the first five games of his Heismanwinning season last year.

The hype surrounding Murray grows with each dynamic performance.

“It’s hard not to hear,” he said. “Obviously, I hear it. I’ve dreamed of it my whole life, winning the Heisman. But at the same time, I’m not a complacent guy. For me, it’s just one week at a time, one day at a time. That’s how I look at it.”

Murray will step onto his biggest stage yet Saturday when No. 7 Oklahoma (50) plays No. 19 Texas (41) in Dallas. The 5foot10 junior understands that winning creates the clearest path to his personal goals.

“Keep playing the way I’m playing,” he said. “Whatever it may be, we’ll see where we end up. For me, it’s just about winning games and doing what’s right for the team. Individual goals will come along if you do what you do. I’m not worried about it.”

Teammates say Murray is taking the attention in stride. After all, he was one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in the nation coming out of high school. The Oakland A’s made the outfielder the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft.

“He’s a great guy,” Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “He never gets rattled with the outside noise. He stays within himself and stays within us.”

Even when things haven’t been smooth for Murray, they’ve turned out OK. Murray set his alarm wrong last Thursday and arrived late to practice on Friday. Per team rules, he didn’t start on Saturday against Baylor.

After sitting out the first series, he played one of the best games in Oklahoma history. He completed 17 of 21 passes for 432 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 45 yards and another score in the 6633 win . He tied Mayfield’s school record by accounting for seven touchdowns and set a school record for passing efficiency in a game.

“That was as good a performance as we’ve seen from about anybody,” said Oklahoma cooffensive coordinator Cale Gundy, a former Sooners quarterback.