Oklahoma Sooners Football

The NCAA transfer portal has been a popular tool for student-athletes, but at least one prominent college football head coach would prefer one change to the current system. 

Per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley would like it if athletes told their head coach about entering the portal: 

"The part about it I still have a hard time with is that you don't have to come tell your coach if you're gonna get in it. Any job in the world, if you're gonna leave or go take another job, it's the right thing to go tell the people that you work for. It's just common respect, courtesy, that you have those conversations. 

"We're here to educate and help grow young men, yet we don't put them in position where they've gotta make grown-man choices and have grown-man talks. That part to me is still a little perplexing, but I think it's done some good things for players' rights." 

The NCAA adopted the transfer portal in 2018 as a way of allowing student-athletes the right to explore their options for a new school without having to receive permission from their current school. 

When a student-athlete is added to the transfer database, any coach from any school is allowed to contact them. 

Before the transfer portal was adopted, student-athletes had to go through their school to receive permission to leave. It wound up creating controversy because coaches could block permission for the student-athlete to go to certain schools.

Per a February list on ESPN.com, a total of 22 quarterbacks had announced they were transferring before the 2019 season. 

Oklahoma has been a popular transfer destination, particularly for quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray transferred to the Sooners under the old rule. Former Alabama star Jalen Hurts transferred to the school in January and is eligible to play in 2019. 

Lane Kiffin has high hopes for Jalen Hurts next season after the former Alabama quarterback transferred to Oklahoma:

Glad to see u being u again @JalenHurts smiling and enjoying life!! Good luck this year @OU_Football 3 in a row??? @uscfootball did 3 in 4 years @HeismanTrophy https://t.co/zNjpB1ZoA7

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) April 15, 2019

The tweet was in response to Hurts showing more personality with his new team. The quarterback celebrated after a score in the Oklahoma spring game Friday but realized he wouldn't have gotten away with it at Alabama.

"I know my old coach, Coach Saban, I probably would have got a chewing for that one," he said, per Eric Bailey of Tulsa World.

Kiffin, who is currently the head coach of Florida Atlantic, was the offensive coordinator for the Tide during Hurts' freshman season.

He was also one of the lead recruiters for the Texas native out of high school, per 247Sports.

This means Kiffin has seen Hurts' full personality before going to the strict environment at Alabama. With Oklahoma, he might get a chance to release this part of himself once again.

Additionally, the coach has seen the quarterback's talent firsthand when Hurts totaled 2,780 passing yards and 954 rushing yards in his first collegiate season. After sitting behind Tua Tagovailoa last year, he could be ready to break out in 2019.

After Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy as Oklahoma quarterbacks in the past two years, there is no reason to doubt Hurts having the ability to follow the trend.

According to Sam Hellman of 247Sports, Hurts is listed at 6-1 odds to win the Heisman, putting him in a tie for third behind only Tagovailoa and Clemson's Trevor Lawrence.

Jalen Hurts understands the pressure he's facing at Oklahoma.

The former Alabama quarterback, who transferred to the Sooners this offseason, is replacing Kyler Murray, last year's Heisman Trophy winner. And Murray, of course, replaced Baker Mayfield, the 2017 Heisman winner.

But Hurts is up for the challenge, as he said Wednesday, per Jake Trotter of ESPN.com:

"I think I clearly understood what I got myself into, but I also know I have expectations for myself. This whole situation is unique. Everything about it is unique. For me, I know it's happening to a unique person. I'm not your average Joe. I'm built for these types of situations. Never really been anything in my way I couldn't overcome, or see through. I'm here to do whatever I can to help this team in any way, to achieve the things we want to achieve as a team."

Hurts was Alabama's starter in his first two seasons, going 26-2 while throwing for 4,861 yards, rushing for another 1,809 yards and combining for 61 touchdowns. But he was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in the College Football Playoff Championship game two seasons ago and never regained his starting position.

He did play a big part in helping the the team reach the College Football Playoff last year, however, replacing an injured Tagovailoa in the SEC title game and leading Alabama to two touchdowns in a comeback victory over Georgia.

There's little question that Hurts can perform on the big stage—he helped Alabama reach three consecutive national championship games. But playing in the shadow of players like Mayfield and Murray brings with it major scrutiny.

Hurts isn't worried about being compared to either, however.

"I don't want to get into comparisons. Baker is Baker, Kyler is Kyler and I'm me. Coach Riley has done an exceptional job thus far since I've been here, of setting that foundation of how things should be. To achieve more you gotta elevate yourself, gotta give an honest self-assessment on yourself so you can do the things you want to do."

Oklahoma is loaded with talent and has consistently been one of the top contenders in college football, but hasn't won a national championship since the 2000 season. The Sooners will be hoping Hurts can help them get over that hump.

The decision that has captivated the sports world was, for all intents and purposes, a rerun.

Three times in his life, Kyler Murray has been forced to choose: Football or baseball? And three times, he's made the same choice.   

The third, and most dramatic, time was January's declaration that he would enter his name in the NFL draft, a move that requires him to pay back a $4.7 million signing bonus he earned after the Oakland A's selected him ninth overall in the 2018 MLB draft.

The second, and most unusual, occurred last summer. Rather than begin his professional baseball career, Murray asked for and was granted permission by the A's to play his redshirt junior season of football at Oklahoma, a move unheard of for a prospect of his caliber—a prospect with so much financially on the line.

The first, however, was the most influential. Four years ago—before he'd become the most famous dual-sport athlete in the country or a multimillionaire or a Heisman Trophy winner—Murray was a high school senior with a dizzying array of options available to him. His recruitment, and his ultimate decision, set the tone for everything that has come since, for an otherworldly talent who has managed to surpass every lofty expectation—and do so with a little flair for the dramatic, too.

---

Kyler Murray was never another face in the crowd. His talent never allowed for that, nor did his pedigree.

Calvin Murray, Kyler's uncle, played outfield for five years in the major leagues. Kevin Murray, Kyler's father, ended his collegiate career as the Southwest Conference's all-time leader in touchdown passes and arguably the greatest quarterback in Texas A&M history.

Kevin was also a respected quarterback coach in the Dallas area, so before Kyler had even hit puberty, seemingly everyone who was plugged into the local youth football scene was watching.

"He had reached some kind of cult status in the Dallas peewee football circuit," says Billy Liucci, who covers Texas A&M football and recruiting for TexAgs.com.

But it wasn't until 2012, his sophomore season in high school, that Murray began to assert himself as a full-fledged phenomenon. The catalyst was a transfer from Lewisville High School to Texas' second-largest public high school, Allen, which boasted perhaps the state's most recognizable high school football team. The notoriety that came with playing there was exacerbated by the debut of Eagle Stadium, Allen's now-infamous football palace, which cost nearly $60 million to build and seats 18,000 people—the largest of its kind for a single high school team in the state.

Murray's talent was evident the moment he stepped foot on campus. But he arrived just a few weeks prior to Allen's first game—not enough time to win the starting job. A month passed. Then, in Allen's fifth game, he was inserted at halftime of a key non-conference road game. Two weeks later, he was named the starter. Fanfare quickly followed.

"As soon as Kyler grabbed that starting job, the buzz was kind of up around him and on Allen," says Greg Powers, who covers high school recruiting for Dave Campbell's Texas Football. "It was Kevin Murray's son, and Kyler's a ball of electricity—you have to get over there and watch him."

What happened next defies precedent. Beginning with his first start against rival Plano East, Murray would not lose a single football game over the next two-and-a-half years, ultimately graduating with a perfect 42-0 record as a starter. In the process, Allen became the fourth high school in Texas history to capture three consecutive state championships, and the first to do so in the state's highest classification. Individually, Murray accounted for almost 15,000 yards of total offense and 186 touchdowns.

Then there were the comebacks, like the stunner in the state semifinals his junior season. The opponent was DeSoto, a rematch of the previous year's semifinal, in which Murray and Allen had upset the top seed. This time, however, revenge appeared to be in hand as DeSoto took a 35-20 lead with fewer than nine minutes remaining. Allen hadn't trailed after halftime all season, much less so late in a game. Fans began to trickle out of the stadium, resigned to the inevitable.

That's when DeSoto head coach Claude Mathis heard Murray bellowing at his teammates on the opposing sideline.

"Let them leave," Kyler shouted. "This game is not over!"

Immediately, Mathis radioed his defensive coordinator, determined to prevent a big play at all costs. It was futile. Murray uncorked a 68-yard touchdown pass on the very next play from scrimmage, then led two more scoring drives to gut out a 42-35 victory. The next year, Allen defeated DeSoto yet again en route to Murray's last state title.

"The best high school player I've coached against," says Mathis, who also coached against the likes of the Browns' Myles Garrett and the 49ers' Solomon Thomas. "He cost me three state championships."

It was the sort of high school career that vaulted Murray alongside the likes of Earl Campbell, Adrian Peterson and Cedric Benson in the conversation for the greatest of all time in Texas state history.

It wasn't just fans and pundits who took notice, either. Scholarship offers rained down, despite Murray's listed height, hovering between 5'9" and 5'10". Colleges may have fretted about his durability, but the body of work was simply undeniable.

Liucci remembers watching one of Murray's games with Johnny Manziel shortly before the 2012 Heisman winner played his final college game. Manziel was unequivocal in his evaluation.

"Oh, he's going to be way better than me," Liucci remembers him saying.

And all the time, Murray was equally tantalizing in baseball, a sport in which he was never dogged with height questions. There were no questions at all, really: His profile screamed superstar. He used his turbo-charged legs to wreak havoc on the basepaths, and his quick-trigger wrists to flick extra-base hits. Those talents converged in his junior season, when he set single-season school records for steals and home runs, the latter of which still stands.

It created a bevy of opportunities for Murray and several permutations for how to pursue them. He could go to college to exclusively focus on football or baseball. He could turn professional right away in baseball and start making a living at sports. Or he could do what those who knew him best always believed was most likely: pursue a path of playing both football and baseball collegiately.

He took the first step toward that decision in the spring of his junior year, 2014, the sweet spot for quarterbacks around the country to commit to their school of choice.

And he had choices. 247 had him as a 5-star recruit and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2015, listing Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson and Oklahoma among the schools to make him offers. Per multiple sources, he was intrigued by the opportunity to replace Marcus Mariota at Oregon after the Hawaii native became the first Heisman winner in school history while playing quarterback in Mark Helfrich's frenetic offense. According to Liucci, Gus Malzahn's system at Auburn piqued Murray's interest for similar reasons.

But his final destination always seemed preordained.

How could Kevin Murray's son be anything other than a Texas A&M Aggie? Head coach Kevin Sumlin's air raid scheme was an ideal fit for Murray's skill set, and the school was only a few hours from home—a huge advantage given Murray's close relationship with his mother, Missy.

Murray wasn't the only quarterback who saw the Aggies' appeal. Redshirt freshman Kenny Hill flashed promise replacing Manziel the previous season, and A&M had added 5-star quarterback Kyle Allen—the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the Class of 2014—in February. But Murray was hardly fazed by a crowded depth chart.

"He thinks he's better than everybody," says Tom Westerberg, Murray's head football coach at Allen, chuckling. And, according to Liucci, in the court of public opinion, Murray would win the job practically as soon as he signed a letter of intent. "It was all about Kyler, I think, in the eyes of the fanbase, with very little exception," he says.

As expected, Murray committed to A&M on May 28. And for months, that figured to be it. He took an official visit to Oklahoma in October but otherwise laid low. The headlines were about his senior season at Allen, which culminated in winning the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award. As the calendar turned to 2015, his lone offseason storyline revolved around becoming the first player ever named to the Under Armour All-American game in both football and baseball.

Then, two weeks before signing day, Kyler decided to visit Texas.

It was meant to be clandestine, a brief midweek trip with his dad and 4-star wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge—a former A&M commit—to hear what the Longhorns had to say. It mostly was, too, up until the moment Murray and Lodge, shortly after leaving campus, fired off back-to-back tweets of white Texas jerseys bearing their respective numbers.

Predictably enough, the internet erupted.

"Maybe he could be the savior of the program, and I think that's why it was such a huge deal," Powers says. "The most important position, the most glamorous player in the state, taking an eleventh hour visit to the school that needs him the most and the fans want him the most."

Despite the fervor, neither his coaches nor Liucci or Powers believed Murray would change his commitment. They were right: Murray signed with A&M. Last year, a piece in The Athletic intimated that Murray knew Texas wasn't the right fit as soon as he left Austin. The tweets were a troll job.

"We knew it would blow up," Murray said.

But Murray still had the real decision to make. By then, professional baseball scouts had been trickling into Allen for well over a year to gauge Murray's eagerness to sign out of high school. None of them had delusions about how much football meant to him, though. Four years before it dominated the news cycle, baseball scouts and execs were well aware of football's place in Murray's heart.

According to Paul Coe, Allen's head baseball coach, one even went so far as to ask Murray directly how much thought, really, he was giving to skipping college—and, in so doing, giving up football.

"I wouldn't be sitting here if I wasn't serious," Murray assured him.

Ultimately, though, fate helped force Murray's hand. Coe planned to move Murray from second base to shortstop ahead of his senior season, but that idea was scuppered when Murray tweaked his shoulder during offseason workouts. He was healthy enough to still hit—"I had the most athletic DH in the United States," Coe quips—but his batting line dipped and, without any recent infield work to bolster his film, so did his projected draft stock. Murray opted against entering the draft, cementing his decision to play both football and baseball for the Aggies.

But Coe and Westerberg agree there was another motivating factor. The same one that explains why Murray wagered his health and, instead of reporting directly to the A's after last year's draft, played his junior football season at Oklahoma, where he had transferred three years earlier when Sumlin's program devolved into chaos. The same one that led Murray to forfeit his guaranteed baseball payday for the risk of making less upfront money in this year's NFL draft.

It isn't just that he loves football; it's why he loves it: because people doubt him.

---

Murray didn't commit to football because it's the safe choice. Rather, he chose it all three times because it's the more difficult one.

"I think he still has things he wants to prove on the football field," Coe says. "That feeds a lot of what he does. He likes to prove people wrong. And he truly believes he can probably be the best at any sport he wants to play."

"There's a lot of people that said he can't play because he's too short or he's this or that," Westerberg adds. "He's definitely going to let some people know that he can."

A recruitment is only a brief moment in time in an athlete's career. But in Kyler Murray's case, it's a window into what led him to the precipice of NFL stardom. The pathway was unconventional then, as it is now. The results have been just as extraordinary. 

Lincoln Riley knows he has the eyes of NFL teams. He just doesn't care.

Yet. 

"I certainly wasn't tempted at all this year," Riley told Peter King of NBC Sports. "I would say right now it wouldn't surprise me at all if I am a college lifer. I think it'll be interesting how a lot of things go on from here ... if there's a lot of changes in both games. Football is evolving; there's a lot of changes obviously at the NFL level right now. There's a lot of changes with all the transfers and recruiting and all the different things going on at the college level. You never know how those games are going to evolve.

"I might've been tempted honestly had I not been at a place like Oklahoma. But this is one of the best jobs there is in football. Like I've said before, I'll never say never. I never want to promise things that I can't 1,000 percent guarantee. It's not something that really tempts me at all right now."

Riley, 35, is 24-4 in two seasons at Oklahoma. The Sooners have made the College Football Playoff in each of those years, and though they were defeated in their first game both times, Riley has established himself as one of the most sought-after names in coaching. 

Riley has helped Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first coach to lead two different players at the same position to the Heisman in consecutive years. He's the first coach since Pete Carroll in 2004 and 2005 to have consecutive Heisman winners period.

"Lincoln's been ready, it's just who he is and how he coaches and the respect level he's had from all of his players, how detailed he is," Mayfield told reporters in December. "Yeah, he's ready but that's his decision and you know what, he's got something special there so I don't think anybody is going to blame him if he stays there for the next 20 years."

It will likely take a special pro job to lure Riley away from Oklahoma. The school approved a contract extension in January that will pay him an average of $6.5 million per season, the highest salary in the Big 12. Jim Harbaugh is the only coach in the country with a higher salary who has not made at least an appearance in a national championship game.

Riley also has something he'll likely never have in any NFL post: security. Oklahoma isn't going to fire him barring some unforeseen downturn in fortunes. The Sooners became one of the country's steadiest programs under predecessor Bob Stoops and has only failed to win 10 games three times since the turn of the century.

With NFL offers also not going away any time soon, Riley is in a prime position to keep landing year-over-year raises while turning himself into the Nick Saban of the Big 12. 

Provided, of course, he keeps churning out first-round picks under center. 

The Oklahoma Sooners have officially extended Lincoln Riley's contract through the 2023 season, according to the Oklahoman's Ryan Aber.

The Tulsa World's Guerin Emig provided the full details on Riley's deal:

God I wish I'd taken more than a semester of college math. Take II on Lincoln Riley:
2019 -- $6 million
2020 -- $6.15 mil
2021 -- $7.3 mil
2022 -- $6.45 mil
2023 -- $6.6 mil
Fixed.#Sooners

— Guerin Emig (@GuerinEmig) January 30, 2019

The Sooners are 24-4 through Riley's first two years, reaching the College Football Playoff semifinal in both seasons.

His amended contract comes seven months after Oklahoma gave him a five-year, $25 million extension. The school announced Jan. 1 it had struck a new deal with Riley, with the school's board of regents providing the final approval Wednesday.

"We felt it important to extend and amend Lincoln's contract at this time as we want him at the University of Oklahoma for a long time," Oklahoma President James Gallogly said earlier this month. "He is a great coach and role model for our student-athletes. His record of success speaks for itself."

The move is not only a reward for the team's success in 2018 but also a further deterrent to any interest in Riley from NFL teams.

Following the Sooners' Orange Bowl defeat to Alabama, Riley reaffirmed his commitment to the program. Continuing to spurn the NFL might prove difficult in the future, though, should his coaching stock continue to rise. Chip Kelly, Jim Harbaugh, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll all made the jump after successful college spells.

If Riley has Oklahoma contending for a national championship in 2019, then the Sooners might once again have to be proactive in working to keep Riley in Norman.

Jalen Hurts had a memorable career at Alabama, but his shortcomings afforded Tua Tagovailoa an opportunity he never relinquished. One season and graduation later, Hurts is going to Oklahoma.

The long-awaited transfer decision arrived Wednesday, with Hurts announcing in the Players' Tribune that he's headed to play for Lincoln Riley and the Sooners.

Maryland and Miami also pursued Hurts, who becomes the favorite to replace Kyler Murray and absorb the lofty expectations that come with it. Hurts will be immediately eligible, and he can assume control of a national contender with a head coach considered one of football's brightest offensive minds.

Oklahoma has produced two straight Heisman Trophy winners while leading the nation in yards per snap both years, and part of that credit belongs to Riley. While he's not responsible for the talent of Murray or Baker Mayfield, both players thrived in a high-efficiency system Riley tailored to their strengths.

Let's be clear: Every quarterback is a system quarterback. There are zero exceptions. Riley runs an Air Raid that he's tweaked to fit personnel, not personal preference. It's a huge credit to Riley.

Hurts won't need an overhaul, but he'll require some teaching.

During two seasons as Alabama's starter, Hurts played well enough to capitalize on elite surrounding talent and a stingy defense. While posting a 25-2 record, he completed 61.9 percent of his 637 passes for 4,861 yards and 40 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions.

But, as any respectable coaching staff would do, the Crimson Tide kept it simple. Offensive coordinators Lane Kiffin (2016) and Brian Daboll (2017) relied on quick passes―first to simplify the game for a freshman and then because Hurts struggled downfield.

Here's the final passing chart for Alabama QB Jalen Hurts. Very inconsistent numbers at all levels of the field. pic.twitter.com/iaLyaZKbMZ

— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) January 12, 2018

To his credit, Hurts significantly improved when throwing to intermediate areas (11-20 yards) from 2016 to 2017. He still wasn't consistent enough there or deep to eliminate concern.

Oklahoma hasn't dealt with those issues lately. Mayfield and Murray picked apart defenses at every level of the field thanks to a combination of arm strength, patience and timing. Hurts has flashed those qualities, but they haven't appeared consistently.

Riley must see the possibility of extracting them, considering he told 5-star signee Spencer Rattler that OU wouldn't be taking a transfer anytime soon, per Chris Hummer of 247Sports.

Plans changed.

Both Mayfield (2017) and Murray (2018) threw at least 11 touchdowns that traveled 20-plus yards beyond the line of scrimmage, per internal tracking by Bleacher Report's Ian Wharton. According to CFB Film Room charts from 2016 and '17 and internal tracking on Hurts' performance in 2018, he's tossed seven such scores in his college career.

While it's unfair to label him a one-read-and-run quarterback, Hurts has often hesitated in the pocket or looked to scramble. The hope is the poise he showed in the SEC Championship Game is the new normal. Even in limited action, Hurts impressed thoroughly.

If the Sooners can unlock that version of Hurts, they'll have an obvious All-Big 12 candidate. Slow your roll on Heisman Trophy talk, but it's within the realm of possibility.

After all, he's also a tremendous runner. He rushed for 1,976 yards and 23 touchdowns at Alabama.

Hurts will produce on draws and as a scrambler, but Oklahoma can lean more heavily on designed QB runs next season, too. Murray was listed at 5'10" and 195 pounds; Hurts is 6'2" and 218.

That build allowed Alabama to use him in short-yardage situations―a non-factor in Murray's game. In 2018, he logged three runs in third-down situations of six yards or less. Hurts posted 21 such attempts in 2017 and 28 the year before.

Hurts' mobility will offer a fresh dimension to Oklahoma's scoring attack, one that must also replace four offensive linemen.

Hurts adds an interesting dynamic to the Riley offense. has the ability to be more of a bruiser when it comes to running the football. And knowing the student Lincoln is no doubt he will be watching film of Tebow, Prescott, Kaep with the Niners. Never a dull moment lol #Sooners

— Sam Mayes (@AllmericanMayes) January 16, 2019

Still, his development through the air will define the Sooners in 2019. The returning pass-catching corps includes CeeDee Lamb, Lee Morris, Grant Calcaterra and a stacked group of incoming receivers. Hurts will have plenty of talent around him.

On offense, at least.

Murray shouldered a massive burden last season, atoning for a defense that would've crushed more than 99 percent of QBs. Though the unit should improve as recruiting does, it's theoretically hard to get worse after ceding an 83.3 red-zone touchdown rate.

Hurts rose to prominence while an elite defense buoyed the Alabama offense. That won't be the case in Norman.

Riley evidently believes Hurts' upside and experience outweigh his past throwing issues. But this transition won't be seamless, and he's taking a calculated risk he can transform Hurts into a lethal passer while utilizing his mobility.

If Riley succeeds, the third-year coach will move from inheriting a ready-made winner to creating a different kind of one.

        

All recruiting information via 247Sports' composite rankings. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts announced his decision to transfer to Oklahoma on Wednesday in an essay in the Players' Tribune.

"Now I'm Bama for LIFE—and that right there will never change! But now it's also time for me to start a new chapter in my story," Hurts wrote. "I've decided to take my talents to the University of Oklahoma, where I will continue my development as both a quarterback and as a student.

"I'm very fortunate to have this opportunity, and I'm excited for the journey ahead."

Hurts earned his degree in December, which will allow him to play immediately next season as a graduate transfer. He will have one year of eligibility remaining after playing three seasons for the Crimson Tide.

The Texas native had been a two-year starter for Alabama, leading the team to a 26-2 record during his time under center before eventually losing his job to 2018 Heisman Trophy runner-up Tua Tagovailoa.

A 4-star recruit in 2016, Hurts immediately grasped the offense in his first season and became a key to the team's outstanding season. Alabama won its first 14 games before losing in the national title game to Clemson, while he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year while tallying 2,780 passing yards and 954 rushing yards with 36 total touchdowns.

He was more efficient as a sophomore in 2017, throwing 17 touchdown passes with only one interception while once again leading Alabama to the championship game. Unfortunately, he was benched after struggling in the first half for Tagovailoa, who led the team over Georgia in a come-from-behind effort.

While there was speculation Hurts would transfer before 2018 after losing the starting role, he remained a patient backup and came through in a big way while leading the Tide to a SEC championship when Tagovailoa got hurt.

The quarterback finished his Alabama career with 48 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing touchdowns in three years, plus two conference titles.

He also remained an ideal teammate while showing maturity that few others his age would have been able to replicate.

"I've been counted out," he said before this year's championship game, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. "I was supposed to do this, I was supposed to do that. Even last year after the [championship] game, I was supposed to be gone. This year I was supposed to redshirt and do all those things. But I'm here. I'm here for this team."

Hurts will now get his chance to move on and hopefully return to the spotlight as a starter on his new team.

With Kyler Murray declaring for the NFL draft, Oklahoma lacks a proven quarterback who would prevent Hurts from earning the job.

Considering Lincoln Riley has helped back-to-back quarterbacks win the Heisman Trophy in Murray and Baker Mayfield—both former transfers—there is a lot of upside in this offense going into next season. 

Hurts is a different type of player than these recent stars who were better in the passing game, but he is still good enough to put up big numbers in 2019.

With plenty of talent elsewhere on the roster, the Sooners should once again be College Football Playoff contenders next season.

Oklahoma is attempting to block quarterback Austin Kendall from transferring to another Big 12 school and becoming immediately eligible in 2019, according to Jake Trotter of ESPN.com.

Kendall is considering a move to West Virginia, but the Sooners reserve the right to prevent him from playing at a conference rival without sitting out a season.

After earning his undergraduate degree, the quarterback is a graduate transfer eligible to play next year.

The North Carolina native has seen limited playing time in his three years in Norman, totaling just 265 passing yards and three touchdowns on 39 attempts. He has sat behind Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray and now seemingly wants a chance to start elsewhere.

West Virginia reportedly had interest in both Kendall and Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell, via Alex Hickey of WV Metro News, but Martell announced he was transferring to Miami.

While Oklahoma won't stop Kendall from leaving, the team reportedly wants to ensure it doesn't have to face him on another Big 12 team in 2019.

The Sooners themselves have relied heavily on transfers in recent years, as both Mayfield and Murray started their college careers at different schools. Mayfield was even at another Big 12 school, Texas Tech, before transferring to Oklahoma.

The team is courting Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts as a graduate transfer, hosting him for a visit this week, per Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com.

This interest likely played a role in Kendall's decision to leave, although it remains to be seen where he ends up.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts reportedly visited the Oklahoma University campus on Saturday, according to Jason Kersey of The Athletic.

ESPN.com's Alex Scarbrough reported this week that Hurts entered the transfer portal with an eye toward becoming a starting quarterback elsewhere.

Since Hurts already graduated, he will be eligible to play immediately if he transfers.

On Friday, the Washington Post's Emily Giambalvo tweeted a photo of Hurts visiting Maryland, which is coached by former Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley.

AL.com's Michael Casagrande reported that Hurts also plans to visit Miami.

Oklahoma presents an intriguing option for Hurts since Kyler Murray is expected to enter the 2019 NFL draft, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Austin Kendall was viewed as a strong candidate to take over as the Sooners' starting quarterback next season, but he also entered the transfer portal, according to ESPN.com's Jake Trotter.

Oklahoma quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy under head coach Lincoln Riley each of the past two seasons in the form of Baker Mayfield and Murray.

After leading Alabama to a 27-2 record in his two seasons as a starter, Hurts was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa this season.

Tagovailoa finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, and Hurts saw only sporadic action behind him.

Hurts was productive when he played, completing 72.9 percent of his passes for 765 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 167 yards and two scores.

In his first two seasons, Hurts accounted for 61 total touchdowns and threw for just 10 interceptions, making him perhaps the most sought-after transfer in the country.

If Hurts does go to Oklahoma, he will have a legitimate chance to win another national title in his senior season given the Sooners' recent dominance over the Big 12 conference.