Lincoln Riley continues to make it clear that presumed starting quarterback Kyler Murray has not yet earned the starting job at Oklahoma.
On Monday during his press conference at 2018 Big 12 Media Days, Riley said, “Kyler’s not the quarterback yet. Both he and [Austin Kendall] are good enough to be the starting quarterback at Oklahoma,” per Matt Mosley of DallasNews.com.
Of course, this could be in part a statement meant to keep opposing teams on their toes. Oftentimes, coaches don’t reveal their starters until game day in Week 1 — anything to find a competitive advantage.
On the other hand, perhaps Kendall really is putting Murray to the test right now.
There’s also the simple matter of Murray’s impending MLB career. Sure, he put it off for a season to play ball at Oklahoma, but Riley has to do what’s best for his program, not just for one player.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Kendall can beat out Murray. Based on what Baker Mayfield had to say about the two-sport star, however, we’re betting Murray does win the job in the end.