Proposed Rule Change Could Regain Lost Year Of Eligibility For OU Quarterback
Posted on: May 27, 2016
Image via Sooner Sports
Some potentially encouraging news on this Friday afternoon with a report from Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News. The aforementioned report stated a proposed rule change on the upcoming agenda for Big 12 administrators could restore the year of eligibility Baker Mayfield lost after transferring from Texas Tech to Oklahoma.
Without rehashing all of the widely reported specifics, Mayfield (and his family) have long maintained the transfer rule, and subsequent lost year of eligibility, should not have applied due to the fact he was a walk-on player for the Red Raiders. To date, the NCAA and Big 12 Conference have disagreed with their stance, thus making this coming season Mayfield’s senior year and final year of eligibility.
However as Carlton notes in his story, the proposed rule change is subject to a vote and will not be decided by Big 12 coaches, athletic directors, or even conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby.
At the same time, Bowlsby doesn’t have a vote. Instead it will be a collection of professors, one from each Big 12 school who usually handle under-the-radar academic issues tied to athletics. The panel is chaired this year by Kansas’ Susan Stagg-Williams, who teaches chemical and petroleum engineering. (DMN)
So what was once thought by many to be a lost cause may instead still have a little bit of life after all.
88 Comments
Oh snap!
This is great news.
Not so great news for all the QBs behind him
and first
yes, second BOOMER
SOONER!!!
It still ain’t an op. So first don’t matter.
First always matters!!! lol
Turd…..I mean thurd….
Very good news. I have always thought that as a walk on a student should have been able to leave and go where they want to. In that role they are simply students that play a sport. No scholarship should mean no strings.
I agree with the walk on issue. Not sure he will stay another year, but he should have that opportunity is he so chooses. Of course if he and his parents are fighting for it, maybe he wants to stay around for one more. I just figure he’ll take his chances with the draft after this season/
He’ll stay. He wants to play three years here. He is not ready for the league. However, how would his extra year affect Kyler, Austin, Robison etc…
Kyler won’t, or realistically can’t, so I doubt he’d leave. Austin would be in competition with Kyler for backup time, but he’d already have a year at backup anyway, so that would bode well. And Robison would Redshirt his first year in all likelihood anyway, so he would have a legit shot at starting as a RFr., so I can’t see it hurting our chances with him at all.
We’re always gonna have guys leaving—-nothing we can do about that.
Murray is here for good unless he abandons all hope and drops down to FCS competition. The rest are completely unproven and really do not matter at this point in time.
I feel sorry for all the Big 12 defenses.
Cept BU and TTU>
Don’t forget Texsa
Encouraging news for sure. I hope he gets a year back so the younger QB’s can redshirt.
I want to believe this can happen, yet my cynical mind won’t allow my hopes to rise too high. What are the odds that it will happen?
Really hard to say, IMO.
If it was the other coaches voting, or even ADs, I’d say very little chance, if any. But assuming the story is accurate and it’s actual professors voting, I feel like there has to be a better than decent chance they see it from the human decency/common sense perspective and not simply an athletic standpoint.
Broke my foot right before my mid term a Jr. level Geo Class at OU> Went to the infirmary and had it cast, note from doctor….hobbled in an hour late. Teacher said tuff.
Who was the professor? When I was there, 20 years ago or so, there was a Geo guy that was pretty hardcore no matter the reason you missed/were late for class. German guy named Spaeth (spelling is questionable, but pronounced “SchPATE”). I will always remember that class, as it was the first “D” I ever got in my life. Not because of him, but because I had ZERO interest in it, and figured sitting in the Union chatting with girls or doing Physics homework was more interesting.
Hope they don’t screw Baker and OU, could be the last straw for OU leaving the Big 12
For this Memorial Day weekend……
“I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.” — Abraham Lincoln (excerpt from a letter)
As you spend time with friends and families this Memorial Day weekend, please take a few moments to reflect on those who cannot. All gave some, some gave all…..
They should have had garbage men or some other just as equally random group as having professors make the decision. That would insure far more common sense and intelligence in the decision!
No doubt. Never heard of a panel like this to make a decision on a student/ATHLETE.
Generally I would agree, however, it’s obvious the group which made the original rules didn’t get it right. Maybe some new faces can use some common sense.
Great news but if he is a projected first rounder, I would think he comes out.
Baker is a stretch for a first rounder, more like 2nd – 4th rounder. He is a good college QB but that doesn’t always mean his style will translate to the pros. The good thing is there is a lot of time to get better on his techniques, reading defenses, and playing smarter.
I thought I saw one of those way to early draft projections where they had him going late in the first round. I was surprised when I saw it too, so we shall see.
You can be sure he’s been checking a lot on what Russell Wilson does as a very successful NFL QB who doesn’t have the stature most teams are looking for.
Would Baker stay one more year?
I think it depends on how well he does this year.
I don’t. If he gets an extra year of eligibility he’ll be the OU QB one more year.
baker has said if he could play at ou forever and not ever go pro he would
This needs to pass. It boils down to fundamental fairness. If you pay your own way, what right does a school have to your future? None.
To get Mayfield for another year would be a Godsend for OU.
Love Baker but am thinking Murray or maybe even Kendall might have more potential than Baker
They’ve got potential, no doubt, but Baker’s got proof! Lol. We shall see!
always a contrarian or two- just saying that if Baker opts to leave, even if having the lost year restored, we have a lot of “potential” in the wings
I gotcha, Bear. You’re right about that
Potential means you ain’t there yet and you may never be. I’ll take a proven winner over a guy who might be better any day.
Bob, great minds, ha ha!! You talk better than me!
are you telling me you’ve never talked potential on here?
Oh, I’ve talked potential. But when I have a choice between someone with potential and someone who has proven it on the field, I’ll take the guy who has proven it every time.
Agreed 100%
I’m not talking about a choice- I’m talking about if he leaves, we have potential in the wings. So, if he left, there might, just might not be the drop off people might expect
Agreed. Baker has his strengths but other QBs have theirs too. Some may be better than others. I like Bake but I also can’t wait to see what is coming in 2017. If it’s Bake, great, if not, we got some guys going to battle.
Maybe so, but, it’ll be great if Murray and Kendall get a chance to compete with Baker. Hate to even mention his name, but Bomar had a ton of potential.
Hope next spring we’re talking about who’s going to be fighting for the back-up QB spot.
Big Red Auto sales saw his potential!
Potential means little compared to performance and Baker’s a proven performer. Murray’s performance as a passer in actual games thus far has been subpar, and Kendall’s never taken a game snap.
Trey Metoyer had potential. Keith Ford had potential. Dalton Wood had potential. Fat lot of good all that potential did for them. Murray may be a better athlete than Mayfield. But Baker is a better QB.
I guess Brady had potential until Bledsoe got hurt. I know who’s going to be in the HOF.
Total apples-to-oranges comparison sir
Possibly. Would you say Brady had potential before Bledsoe got hurt? That’s what I’m asking.
You just answered your own question @disqus_UlasmBD6mJ:disqus: sure the other QBs on the roster have talent but there’s no way they’re seeing the field unless it’s garbage time or Mayfield is on the bench.
That wasn’t the point @ND52. I get that Bake will be on the field. However, if he’s a no go for 2017, we have potential/talent. Could be worse or could be better.
@disqus_UlasmBD6mJ:disqus
I don’t think anyone is saying that there’s a lack of talented players behind Mayfield. The point is that Mayfield—-a total unknown commodity coming outta HS—-is a proven performer at a position where it’s usually a total crapshoot trying to predict who will be good.
I do know that Landry Jones and Trevor Knight would’ve been total disasters for OU trying operate behind that inexperienced O-line.
And we have to remember that both were highly recruited by other top-notch programs so I just don’t really consider a QB worth anything until he can prove himself on the gridiron.
As an FYI – OU looked at Bake but didn’t pursue a scholly. He proved them wrong and good for us. It is a crap shoot.
Murray is nowhere near the be-all/end-all QB that he was painted to be when he was in high school. Not his fault though
Praying my ass off. Doubt he stays, but the rule is fundamentally unfair to any player who pays his own way. Heck, so is the NCAA for that matter.
more telling of TTech than anything to me
Yep. Boo on TTech.
And their head coach.
Agree. Rule needs changing no matter what happens with Baker so not another young man gets put in the position he was in. Hope he gets another year.
Where would he go?
The NFL. Understand he’s a first day pick, if not a first rounder.
A first day pick is a first rounder @disqus_7bA4sqebtR:disqus
Whoops! Clearly I am not a first day pick. (Thought they did the 2nd round as well.)
No worries @disqus_7bA4sqebtR:disqus. I still have to remind myself some years that the draft is now only seven rounds long.
Thanx. I’m losing more than memory nowadays.
I read that if his year of eligibility is restored it would be to play in another conference. Is that right?
I don’t believe so.
As I understand it, he still has another year of eligibility following this coming season, just not in the Big 12.
Modifying this rule and restoring his lost year would mean he could be the QB @ OU this coming season AND in 2017.
So he could follow Trevor regardless of how they vote?
if he isn’t granted another year at OU, he’ll go Pro- he may even do that if granted the lost year
It’s quite possible that he would go even if he got the year restored. With the knowledge that one injury can end a career, if a player is eligible for the draft and coming off a good year, it would be hard to risk that by returning.
I’ll be shocked if he’s back after this year. After we win the NC and Baker gets the Heisman, he’s gone!! 🙂
Now you’re talkin’!
BOOMER!!!
SOONER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He has expressed otherwise, working every legal angle to get one more year at OU.
that would be welcome news- do you think he stays that way if he has a great year and is projected high?
He has that option, yes.
Ok I see
I give Baker’s chances as slim to none even though Bowlsby has stated that the Big XII is the only conference to have this rule thus Baker could trassfer to any other school out of this conference and get the year back. I’ll bet NONE of the texass schools will support a rule change and dont care about the principle involved.
If they are expecting a common sense decision from 12 college professors, they would have about as much luck finding an honest lawyer in Washington.
I think Baker getting the year back is a done deal…at least that’s the feeling I get after reading Bowlsby’s comments. Unless I misunderstood what he said, it looks like he’s saying the Big XII would put their own conference at a disadvantage if they didn’t approve the rule change.
I think the bigger questions are whether Shake ‘n Bake will enter the draft next year and whether Murray is willing to move to the slot. (OK, the last part is only to stir the pot.)
haha kyler willl not play slot. he would be the backup as a sophomore in this scenario and start his junior and senior seasons
Kyler could play in some goal line situations as well.
Ah the Kyler dozer, i like it
If this happens OU could say good bye to Robison
One can only hope it works out for him and OU. I want Tech to lose in any sport they play. This could have all been avoided. I can’t bring myself to say his name, but their HC in football is a total kray kray chump. Whew. Had to get that out. Sorry