Word started to spread last week that there might be some mutual interest between Oklahoma and Texas A&M transfer Kyler Murray. (Props to SoonerScoop.com for the… scoop.) I didn’t put much stock in it, which shows what I know.
A few thoughts on the big Christmas Eve news:
*To get this out of the way: I have never been particularly bullish on Murray as a quarterback prospect. Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley clearly are, however, and I know which opinion I’d value more as an unbiased observer.
Considering that Murray is bringing some baggage with him to Norman, Stoops and Riley must really think highly of him.
*That baggage includes:
- A dad who’s rumored to be a major pain in the ass;
- Promising skills on the baseball diamond, which is a constant headache for control-freak college football coaches; and
- Reports of a suspension for allegedly bitching out the A&M coaches on the sidelines during a game.
*Stoops has managed attitudes and baseball commitments before, so the second two items don’t worry me so much.
On the other hand, helicopter parents haven’t worked out so well for OU in the past. Stoops has expressed his exasperation with stage dads before, so this news should raise some eyebrows in that regard.
It brings up the possibility that the problems supposedly caused by Murray Sr. are getting blown out of proportion. Two prized QBs walked away from the Aggies recently, which suggests something is amiss in College Station.
It’s also entirely possible that Stoops simply believes Murray Jr. is too talented to pass on. Or, if Pops is as meddlesome as reported, OU’s coach may feel as though he can manage him better than Kevin Sumlin. After all, this is the second stop for the father-son combo, and Kevin’s name doesn’t ring out in Norman the way that it does in Aggieland.
*Nothing about Kyler Murray screams “Air Raid quarterback,” which makes this decision even more confounding.
Like everyone else, I assumed Kyle Allen was the more likely of A&M’s quarterback refugees to wind up in Norman. Allen’s skill set would appear to fit the current offensive scheme far better.
If Murray is OU’s starting QB in 2017, what will the offense look like?
*A potential fringe benefit with signing Murray: He’s a schoolboy legend in Texas. At the very least, this move will build buzz on the recruiting trail.
-Allen Kenney