Mayfield swaying doubters
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has been putting on a show at Senior Bowl practices this week — and people are noticing.
Though he's still playing coy about participating in Saturday’s game, Baker Mayfield has been putting on a show at Senior Bowl practices this week — and people are noticing.
“When it comes time for 11-on-11 nobody does it as good as Baker Mayfield,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick said, according to Bruce Feldman. “He's been everything as advertised. People are gonna try and poke holes against this kid. But you'd be making a mistake to bang against this kid."
According to Denver Post Broncos beat reporter Nicki Jhabvala, Mayfield impressed during Thursday’s practice, the last full practice before Saturday’s game.
Mayfield, who has been practicing with fellow quarterbacks Josh Allen (Wyoming), Luke Falk (Washington State) and Tanner Lee (Nebraska) under Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, showed he was capable of running part of Denver’s system and excelled in situation drills.
He even connected with Iowa State receiver Allen Lazard in the end zone a couple of times.
“But Thursday — and in the three days collectively — it was Mayfield who stood out, building upon each day of work and likely quashing some lingering doubts held by the dozens of NFL scouts and coaches scattered around the stadium,” Jhabvala wrote Thursday.
NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly also spoke highly of Mayfield.
“He's better than (Jared) Goff coming out of college,” Casserly said on NFL Network. “That's Baker Mayfield. And (Patrick) Mahomes, same system a little bit. He's got more discipline than Mahomes. Mahomes has a better arm, but this guy can be successful too in the right system."
Sooners spring game date and time set
The wait for football at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is almost over.
The Sooners will be back on the field on April 14 for the annual spring game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The biggest storyline of the post-Mayfield era, of course, will be the battle between Kyler Murray and Austin Kendall for the starting quarterback job.
Murray spent the 2017 season as Mayfield's backup while Kendall used a redshirt season to lead the scout team.
Murray will also juggle his baseball career this spring, playing with the Sooners for a second season.
This year, the OU baseball team is scheduled to host Texas in a weekend series from April 13-15.
A year ago, Murray's schedule was a little more hectic when the Sooners played at Texas the same weekend as the spring game.
He played in Friday's game, flew to Norman on Saturday morning for the spring game where he completed 9 of 13 passes for 144 yards and a 70-yard touchdown throw.
After the football game, he returned to Austin in time for the Sunday series finale.
Report: Sooners add GA Magazu from ECU
Lincoln Riley is adding another familiar face from his past to Oklahoma's staff.
According to a report from Hoist The Colours, an East Carolina 247sports. com blog, Damon Magazu is joining the Sooners as a graduate assistant.
Magazu played for former ECU head coach — and current OU defensive assistant head coach — Ruffin McNeill from 2010-13 and was a two-time All-Conference USA selection at defensive back.
Before landing at Oklahoma, Magazu was a graduate assistant at his alma mater for two years, working with the safeties under head coach Scottie Montgomery.
Magazu's dad is Dave Magazu, a longtime NFL assistant coach.
Oklahoma had four graduate assistants last season: Brian Lepak, Tyler Tettleton, Jamarkus McFarland and Marcus Walker.
With his December graduation, Walker won’t be a graduate assistant with the Sooners next season.