Sooners’ Mayfield takes top AP honor

NEW YORK» Baker Mayfield was named The Associated Press college football player of the year, becoming the fourth Oklahoma quarterback to win the award since it was established in 1998.

Mayfield easily outpointed Stanford running back Bryce Love, who came in second. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, the other finalist and last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, was third in the award announced Thursday.

Mayfield received 51 firstplace votes from the 56 voters who submitted player of the year ballots, and a total of 157 points. Love (83 points) and Jackson (39 points) each received two first-place votes and Penn State running Saquon Barkley received a first-place vote and came in fourth.

Mayfield, Love and Jackson are also the finalists for the Heisman, which will be handed out Saturday night.

Mayfield is a former walk-on who has led the No. 2 Sooners to the College Football Playoff, where they will play No. 3 Georgia in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Mayfield leads the nation in passer efficiency rating and has thrown for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns.

He joins Josh Heupel (2000), Jason White (2003) and Sam Bradford (2008) as previous winners from Oklahoma. No other school has had more than two players win AP player of the year.

“I’m on this awards trip right now with a lot of great players from OU and other schools, and every one of them deserves to be recognized. To receive this award is an honor and it’s something just a few years ago I never thought would happen,” Mayfield said.

Mayfield also won the Walter Camp and Maxwell Award as player of the year, as well as the Davey O’Brien Award as the top quarterback.

Other awards

Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player)

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama Biletnikoff Award (receiver) James Washington, Okla. State Lou Groza Award (kicker) Matt Gay, Utah

Ray Guy Award (punter) Michael Dickson, Texas Maxwell Award (player of the year)

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Davey O’Brien Award (quarterback)

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Outland Trophy (interior lineman)

Ed Oliver, Houston

Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back)

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama Doak Walker Award (running back)

Bryce Love, Stanford