Start it up
Kyler Murray might not play long against West Virginia but he’s the starting quarterback Saturday.
NORMAN — In the aftermath of Oklahoma’s 38-20 win over TCU on Nov. 11, many in the large group of recruits the Sooners brought in for the game waited to get their pictures taken with an Oklahoma quarterback.
Baker Mayfield, the presumptive Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most electric players in the sport?
No.
The recruits wanted a memento of their time spent in the presence of Kyler Murray, Mayfield’s backup who is expected to compete for the starting job in 2018 when Mayfield is gone.
“What he did in his high school career there (in Texas) was pretty wellknown and a lot of these players grew up watching him play, these guys we’re recruiting now,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley said last week. “Obviously, we have such a presence there, especially in the (Dallas) Metroplex, and they know who he is. They’ve kept up with him, and he does a good job with helping us recruit.”
Murray won’t have to wait until September for his first Sooners start.
That’ll come Saturday when he starts in place of Mayfield when Oklahoma hosts West Virginia (2:45 p.m., ESPN).
Mayfield will play but was stripped both of his captaincy for the regularseason finale and of the right to start in what will be his final game in Norman.
It’s unclear just how much Murray will play. Riley declined to reveal the length of Mayfield’s suspension other than to say Mayfield would play against the Mountaineers. Murray said he hasn’t been told the length of the suspension either.
“I just know I’m starting the game,” Murray said.
Murray built a legacy at Allen (Texas) High School, leading the Eagles to three consecutive state titles and going 43-0 as starting quarterback.
During his career, Murray racked up 14,500 combined rushing and passing yards and 186 touchdowns. As a senior, he earned both Texas and National Player of
the Year awards and became the first player ever selected for both the Under Armour All-American football and baseball games.
Then the five-star recruit decided to stay in state and play at Texas A&M, choosing the Aggies over Texas, Oregon and the Sooners.
After playing behind Kyle Allen for much of the season, Murray made
three starts as a freshman, going 2-1 with wins over South Carolina and Western Carolina and a loss to Auburn.
“I feel I’ve gotten a lot better (since transferring),” Murray said. “I think the situation has to do with a lot of it — coaching, schemes, everything like that. But other than that, having the year off, sitting behind Baker, learning from Coach Riley — I think it’s been really beneficial for me.”
Murray has played in five games this season, replacing Mayfield in blowouts over UTEP, Tulane and Kansas and being used situationally against Ohio State and Kansas State.
Offensive tackle Orlando Brown said he’s gained plenty of respect for Murray.
“Obviously, he’s got a ton of natural ability with his feet and things he can do in the running game for us,” Brown said. “He’s got an incredible arm, very smart, I think he really cares about his craft a lot. A lot of people see him and think (he’s) just a certain type of play, but he’s really focused on his craft.
“He’s continued to get better since he been here and been under Coach Riley.”