Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley called all three of his scholarship quarterbacks to his office one by one on Monday.
As junior Baker Mayfield made his way there, he bumped into sophomore Cody Thomas, who embraced him and said, “Congrats, buddy," according to Mayfield.
With less than two weeks until Oklahoma’s Sept. 5 season opener against Akron, the Texas Tech-transfer became its starting quarterback after an offseason-long derby.
Having grown up an OU fan, Mayfield always knew he might end up a Sooner.
“It puts a smile on my face,” he said. “I used to tailgate right here on this patch of grass right here, throw the ball around, Quentin Griffin jersey, watch Jason White and Mark Clayton play."
“It's a dream come true to be able to go out and play on the [same] field they did and be able to try to replicate, duplicate what they did on that field.”
The road to Norman wasn’t easy. Mayfield received little attention from major college football programs as a high school recruit. He elected to walk-on to Texas Tech, where he became the first true-freshman, non-scholarship quarterback to start at an FBS program.
Despite an injury that sidelined him for four games of the 2013 season, Mayfield accrued 2,315 yards passing and 12 touchdowns in a Red Raider uniform.
He elected to transfer at the end of the season, citing a lack of communication between himself and the coaching staff—a decision which landed him at Oklahoma through a process coach Bob Stoops called one of the strangest of his career.
“I’ve never talked to the guy, and he’s never called to ask if he could [transfer],” Stoops said. “If I had said ‘no,’ he might be in a fraternity over here playing yard ball.”
Stoops said yes, however.
Because of NCAA rules, Mayfield was forced to sit out the 2014 season. He ran the scout team with fellow transfer wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, eventually earning Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year.
While Mayfield watched from the sidelines, incumbent quarterback Trevor Knight struggled on the field after a Sugar Bowl performance capping the 2013 season that had many fans thinking Heisman.
Ultimately, a 40-6 defeat at the hands of Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl caused Stoops to announce the quarterback job was open once again. After spring, summer and fall practices, Mayfield’s consistency is what earned him the nod.
“Not a lot of people would have stuck with it,” Riley said. “A lot of people would have said, ‘Poor me.’ He’s here and fought through all the things that’s been pretty well documented out there to do it.”
Mayfield has now earned the starting gig at two different FBS schools over a span of three years, a far cry from the 5-2 high school freshman who struggled to see the field at all.
“I just always had a little fire under my eyes,” he said. “People said I couldn’t play at that size. I knew I was going to grow eventually. It wasn’t like I was going to stay at 5-2 forever.”
Mayfield’s secret? He’s plays with a chip on his shoulder.
“No matter what people say about me, I’m going to believe in myself and as a quarterback. You have to believe in yourself,” he said.
Many thought he was crazy to transfer to Oklahoma, bu it appears Mayfield’s gamble has paid off.
“I could see a vision in my head, I thought I’d play here eventually,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for me, but what happens on the outside—what other people said. They doubted me, but I’m here now playing, so that’s just how it works out.”
