NFL or MLB? OU Star Murray Mum on Future After Tough Loss
Oklahoma closed the book on their season with a loss to No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Saturday night, but for Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray, the next chapter is unwritten.
Murray, the 2018 Heisman winner, will have a big decision to make — MLB or the NFL?
That’s because Murray is not only a great football player, he excels at baseball, too.
Murray started in center field for the Sooners last season and batted .296 with 10 home runs and 13 doubles in 51 games. He was selected with the ninth pick in the 2018 MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics. The A’s signed him for about $5 million, but said he could return to school to play football this season.
He did pretty well.
The junior, who backed up last year’s Heisman winner Baker Mayfield, won the starting job and proceeded to throw for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. He was third in the nation in passing yards and second in touchdown passes.
“He’s in a great situation,” Sooners football coach Lincoln Riley said Friday, according to CBS Sports. “I mean, the guy is already the ninth overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft, and I think he’ll probably be somewhere around the same spot if he chooses to go football-wise.”
After Oklahoma’s 45-34 loss to Alabama on Saturday, Murray was asked about his future.
“I really haven’t thought about it right now,” he said, per ESPN.
The loss was still raw. The Sooners fell behind 21-0 before Murray led them back. He threw for 308 yards, ran for 109 yards, and scored three touchdowns — two passing and one rushing.
“That’s the part that hurts the most; coming here, spending the last couple years here, this place has been home to me,” Murray said after the game. “I’ve loved every part of it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I wanted to win a national championship. Just fell short.
“We’re not really satisfied. This isn’t satisfying. I know it’s a great season, and we’ve got a lot to be proud about, but coming up short wasn’t the goal,” he added.
If Murray does declare for the NFL draft, he would be among a handful of quarterbacks who could be selected in the first or second rounds, along with Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Duke’s Daniel Jones, West Virginia’a Will Grier, Missouri’s Drew Lock, and others.
“My goal was to be remembered here,” Murray said, according to ESPN. “I think that should be anybody’s goal. You step on campus make a name for yourself, make the place better than you found it. I hope I did that. I just hope everybody knows I never quit.”
As of right now, Murray is scheduled to report to spring training with the A’s in February. However, he could declare for the NFL draft while participating in spring training and then make a decision based on where he is drafted. However, his draft stock would no doubt suffer if he was playing baseball and not participating in combines and workouts.
Regardless, these are good problems to have for the talented young man.
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