Oklahoma Sooners

Is Mayfield Oklahoma's QB leader in the clubhouse by default?

Published Jun. 12, 2015 4:00 p.m. ET

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By now you've heard that Baker Mayfield is the frontrunner to be Oklahoma's starting quarterback in 2015.

But what exactly has he done to earn that distinction? Maybe it's more about what Mayfield knows than what he's actually done. After all, Mayfield, a transfer from Texas Tech, is familiar with the Air Raid offense being installed by new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, which is more than his underwhelming competition, last year's starter Trevor Knight and backup Cody Thomas, can claim.

At Tech, Mayfield went from walk-on to instant starter as a freshman and was the Big 12's offensive newcomer of the year. But when things went sideways with Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma. He sat out last season due to eligibility rules.

While relegated to the sideline, he watched Knight, the Sugar Bowl hero just months earlier, throw untimely interceptions and never consistently command the offense. The door swung open for Mayfield in 2015.

During his one season at Tech, Mayfield wasn't exactly a picture of perfection despite throwing for 2,318 yards in eight games and completing 64.1 percent of his passes. However, he also threw nine interceptions.

Mayfield, a junior, played well on the scout team last year. He didn't have a great spring game, but neither did his competition, leaving coach Bob Stoops to keep the competition going into camp.

Mayfield, like Knight before him, has an opportunity to be the Sooners' quarterback for multiple seasons. While he knows more than the others right now, he's going to have show he can do it on the field, again and again.

(h/t Sooners Illustrated)

Photo Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

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