2nd year in a row for OU QBs

The next challenge for Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, winner of this year’s Heisman Trophy, is to win a national championship.

It would be the perfect ending to a short but spectacular college career.

“This is crazy. This is an honor. Something that I’ll never forget, something I’ll always treasure for the rest of my life,” Murray said.

One year after former Sooner Baker Mayfield won the Heisman, Murray put on a show before a national audience while beating Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was the leading Heisman candidate until the last week of the season. The two quarterbacks set new records for passing efficiency but Murray was spectacular against Texas and Tagovailoa had his worst game of the season against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference Championship.

Mayfield, the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, wrote on Instagram: “And thats what we call back to back. you deserve it k1, So proud of you man. Enjoy every second of it. Absolutely nobody can put a ceiling on you…. Football or baseball, follow your dreams brotha.”

No. 4 OU plays No. 1 Alabama on December 29 at the Orange Bowl in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Undefeated Alabama (13-0) is a heavy favorite over the Sooners (12-1).

Murray’s college career began at Texas A&M. One of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in the nation, Murray transferred to OU even though he knew he had to sit out one season.

Murray and OU coach Lincoln Riley expected Murray to start in his second season but the Big 12 reversed an earlier ruling and granted Mayfield another year of eligibility. Murray was content to be the backup quarterback for his second year.

“When we brought him in, there was an expectation that Baker was only going to be there one year,” Riley said. “So a lot of people, a lot of families, wouldn’t have handled that well. And he did. His family did. They understood and he just said, ‘Whatever happens, happens. I’m here to work and get better, and the opportunity will come at the right time and I’ll keep doing that.'”

Murray, who was a first-round draft pick of the Oakland A’s of Major League Baseball, played baseball and football for the Sooners. Murray was drafted ninth overall by the Oakland Athletics and agreed to a $4.66 million signing bonus

“I think we were fortunate in the way that it unfolded, first getting Kyler in his transfer year as he sat, got a chance just to get to know him, his makeup, start to develop the relationship that you’ve got to have between player and coach to be elite,” said Riley. “And then balancing the baseball and football — the biggest challenge was on him, of course, just to do it. It’s hard enough just to — we all know, just to play college football at this level and balance that and academics is remarkably hard by itself, and then you add in a whole ‘nother sport, I don’t think people realize the challenge.

“Every spring practice just about this year, this guy would go through a full meeting, a full football practice, I’d get his reps done 10 minutes early so he could hustle over there and get five or six swings of BP and go play college baseball at a high level, traveling back and forth, very few days off. But the kid did it, and we learned a lot from last year.”

It took awhile to manage such a busy schedule.

“You look at kind of his success, he didn’t play much for us football wise last year,” Riley said. “When he did, he played well, but he had just an average year two years ago baseball wise, and I really think we all learned, us, our baseball staff and Kyler, on how to manage it, what is too much, because you’ve got a thoroughbred like that, you’ve got to make sure and handle it the right way and set it up the right way.

“So I think we had a much better plan this year. I think Kyler had a much better mindset coming in, and you’ve seen results, obviously on the baseball field and certainly what he’s done for us this year has been pretty remarkable.”

No college has had two quarterbacks in a row win the Heisman although some schools have had two back-to-back winners.

“It’s such a unique moment when your guy has a chance to win that,” Riley said before the announcement. “It’s been a great thing for our school. We’ve been very fortunate, we’ve had six, and to have a chance to have the seventh would be really something special.

“But at the end of the day, the Heisman goes to a great player, but you’ve got to be on a great team. There’s not many Heisman winners on average teams. So Kyler would be the first to tell you you’re proud of what this team has done, proud of what Kyler has been able to do, and that creates opportunities like this.

“Certainly I don’t want to downplay it. It’s obviously a very significant award, means a lot to our program, would mean a lot to Kyler, I know, but to have a chance to have guys back to back, it’s — yeah, you’d really never dream it. But give those kids the credit. Give those players credit around him. They’ve done a great job for a few years and given those guys those opportunities.”

Murray is the seventh Sooner to win the Heisman in, tying the Sooners with Notre Dame and Ohio State for the most winners by a school.

Murray got 2,167 points. Tagovailoa was second with 1,871 votes and Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins came in third with 783 votes. Tagovailoa’s 1,871 points are the most by a runner-up in Heisman history. This is also only the third time that the top six candidates were quarterbacks. That happened with quarterbacks in 2001 and running backs in 1975.

Even though he is shorter than most prospects, Murray is projected to be a first round pick in the NFL draft should he choose to not play professional baseball or if he tries to play professional baseball and football at the same. He also has one year of eligibility left at OU.

“As of right now, everybody knows I’m playing [baseball],” Murray said. “I’m not really focusing on it right now.

“I’d like to do both if possible. But I don’t know how possible that is.”

In his acceptance speech, Murray credited his coach and his family.

“Nobody really knows how hard these past couple of years have been for me but you and my family,” Murray said as he looked at Riley. “Through it all, you pushed me, you kept me going, kept me focused. You pushed me harder than any coach ever has. I just want to say thank you for believing in me and allowing me to be the quarterback of this team and the leader of this team.”

Murray was named the AP Player of the Year and he won the Davey O’Brien Award (nation’s top quarterback). Murray leads the nation in total yards (school-record 4,945), points responsible for (306), passing efficiency rating (205.7; FBS record is 198.9), yards per pass attempt (11.9; FBS record is 11.1) and yards per completion (16.8, tied). He also ranks second in completion percentage (.709; first among Power Five players).

OU’s Heisman Winners – Billy Vessels (RB), Steve Owens (RB), Billy Sims (RB), Jason White (QB), Sam Bradford (QB), Baker Mayfield (QB) and Kyler Murray (QB)