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The Oklahoma Sooners have put their quarterback derby to rest this week, naming former Texas Tech Red Raiders transfer Baker Mayfield as the starter in 2015. Mayfield made his mark during the spring and summer in Oklahoma’s new up-tempo, spread offense proving himself to be a perfect fit for what Bob Stoops and the Sooners are looking to do this season.
Mayfield was a walk-on at Texas Tech in 2013 and ended up winning Big 12 offensive freshman of the year honors when he threw for 2,315 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. An apparent lack of communication between Mayfield and coaches at Tech, along with Mayfield losing his starting spot due to injury, led to the quarterback’s decision to transfer to Oklahoma, a move that was initially blocked by Texas Tech, forcing Mayfield to sit out the 2014 season.
Now, Mayfield is ready to take control of an Oklahoma offense with high expectations for 2015 under new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, the former OC for the East Carolina Pirates. Riley brings a wide-open, up-tempo spread attack with him to Norman that relies on a confident quarterback with significant arm talent to lead the way.
Trevor Knight, the 2014 starter and hero of the 2014 Sugar Bowl win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, simply couldn’t provide that kind of quarterback play on a consistent basis. As the full-time starter last season, Knight struggled to consistently connect in the passing game and finished the year throwing for 2,300 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while connecting on 56.6 percent of his throws in 10 games. Mayfield’s numbers as a freshman at Texas Tech were pretty comparable and he did it in just eight games that year while completing 64.1 percent of his throws.
The Sooners suffered a serious swoon in the polls last season, falling from a preseason top-10 pick to unranked by the end of the year. Bob Stoops recognized the need for change in Norman, bringing in a new offensive coordinator to provide a spark and handing the offense to a new QB in Baker Mayfield, who may just be the perfect fit for what Oklahoma is looking to accomplish in 2015.
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