Murray leaves door open to playing two more seasons
After the comments last week from Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley and baseball agent Scott Boras on Kyler Murray’s 2019 plans, Murray played it down the middle Monday when he was asked about any possibility this might not be his last season.
“I’m worried about this season and this season only,” Murray said.
Murray, who’s battling with Austin Kendall to be the Sooners’ starting quarterback, was drafted No. 9 overall in the Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland A's and signed a contract with a reported $4.6 million signing bonus.
Last week, Riley said it wasn’t set in stone that Murray would not be back in 2019, while Boras told The Athletic, “Kyler’s baseball career has a very defined path, which includes playing football at OU for only the 2018 season.”
Previously, Murray has talked about how this would be his final season, though he wasn’t quite as direct Monday.
“That’s for them to decide,” Murray said. “Obviously right now, I’m going to play baseball. Like I said, I’m focused on this season. Whatever happens happens.”
Murray and Anderson ranked in top 50 by ESPN
Murray also came in at No. 38 on ESPN.com’s rankings of the top 50 players in college football, the first of two Sooners on the list.
Running back Rodney Anderson is the other, checking in at No. 44 after rushing for 1,151 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago.
The highest ranked Big 12 player on the list is West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, who came in No. 3.
Mountaineers wide receiver David Sills V is the only other Big 12 player on the list at No. 18.
Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary, who rushed for 1,920 yards last season, is No. 50. The Sooners open against the Owls on Sept. 1.
Basquine happy to be back
Nick Basquine had a breakout season in 2016, going from a walk-on wide receiver to catching 20 passes for 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
But the last year has been a tough one, following a torn Achilles tendon last August that forced him to miss the 2017 season and another torn Achilles in the spring that once again sidelined him.
“It’s been a long time coming,” a smiling Basquine said Monday as he went through OU’s fourth day of preseason camp. “It’s been a rough 12 months or so.”
Having been through it the first time, Basquine said, helped him go through the second round of rehab. Basquine said he’s 100 percent and ready to contribute as a senior.
Ticket mini plans on sale Tuesday
Two different football mini plans will go on sale Tuesday from the ticket allotment originally reserved for opponents and returned.
One of the packages includes tickets to the Nov. 10 Bedlam game.
The $180 four-game “Boomer” package includes tickets to the season opener against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 1, Baylor on Sept. 29, Kansas State on Oct. 27 and Kansas on Nov. 17.
The $240 “Sooner” plan includes tickets to the games against Florida Atlantic and Baylor plus tickets to the game against Oklahoma State.
The packages go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday at SoonerSports.com or by calling the OU Athletics Ticket Office at 405-325-2424 or 800-456-GoOU.
Fans who purchase the plans will be given the opportunity to move into the priority list for season tickets in 2019.
A limited number of single-game tickets for four games will go on sale at the same time.
Tickets for the Florida Atlantic game are available for $60, Baylor and Kansas State for $80 each and tickets for the Kansas game are available for $55.