They own the market at this point.
One of the last, and biggest, dominoes in the QB transfer pool has fallen. Today, Jalen Hurts announced his decision to spend his final year of eligibility with the Oklahoma Sooners.
For Lincoln Riley and the Sooners, this is a huge get. With the departure of Kyler Murray, the options under center were talented, but unproven. Hurts was a backup all year, but stepped in to be the savior during the SEC Championship game. Hurts has struggled as a passer in the past, but showed great improvement this year.
Interestingly, this will be the third transfer QB in a row for the Sooners. Meanwhile, backup Austin Kendall is having, well, a tough time.
Surely with the addition of Jalen Hurts, Kendall will be allowed to transfer freely, but schools (and coaches) can be petty. If Kendall were allowed to transfer to WVU, it would create an interesting storyline for when the two play next season.
From a coaching standpoint, Lincoln Riley has shown himself to be a QB guru, helping to transfers to career years (and likely being a first round pick), so this is not a shocking move. This does, however, leave open a narrative of the Sooners always getting a transfer QB. Yes, star recruit Spencer Rattler coming in next season, but how hilarious would it be if Lincoln Riley spent like 6 straight seasons with just transfers?
As for Hurts, it will be interesting to see how he fits the Sooner’s offense. He has always been a dynamic runner, but not the passer that Mayfield and Murray were. But as previously mentioned, he did improve this year. If he can get to campus early (he should be able to) and get in sync with his receivers, the Sooners could have a candidate to win the school’s third straight Heisman.
