Roughly three weeks remain until OU's season opener against Akron. Sophomore Cody Thomas and juniors Trevor Knight and Baker Mayfield are firmly entrenched in a battle to be the Sooners’ signal caller.
“They are all playing well,” offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley said Monday morning. “They’re making it hard [to pick one guy]. They’re all still taking equal reps.
“They’ve all improved so much. They’ve taken the weaknesses that they have had in the spring and improved on them. In some cases, they’ve made them strengths.”
In a battle that was once believed to be primarily between Knight and Mayfield, Thomas has done more than just hang around in the race. He says that his improved decision-making is a big reason for that.
“I felt like I was a little cloudy last year with my decision-making and that’s one thing where I really feel like I’ve come a long way,” Thomas said. "My decisiveness. Playing fast, knowing where to go with the football and just getting it out of my hands as fast as possible.”
OU's 2014 starter Trevor Knight believes his decisiveness has helped him stand out as well. Knight has fought for the starting quarterback job before, but the competition hasn't fazed the junior.
"If you want to be the best you can be, you got to battle each and every day against yourself and against the guys around you," Knight said. "I think I've made a lot of plays, making good decisions, not turning the ball over a whole lot and really having a connection with those guys on the outside."
There’s no timeline for naming a starting quarterback. However, the patience of the coaching staff doesn't bother at least one of the competitors.
“We have almost three weeks until game time so I’m not really worried about it,” Mayfield said. “We’re just trying to get better as an offense for Sept. 5.”
