It\u2019s their time.\u201DThere was nothing left for Hurts to do.Without the benefit of spring practice, and with the possibility of a disrupted preseason camp, it\u2019s not as easy to discern a clear leader this year. This time last year, we were obviously force-feeding, especially Jalen at that point, trying to get him caught up as much as fast as possible. But he did not hurt anyone. Then he threw two incomplete passes and that was it.To his credit, Riley held firm to the idea of competition in 2015, 2018 and 2019. So it\u2019s definitely been a different process than, certainly, compared to last spring.\u201DSo with almost four minutes left in the Peach Bowl, Riley sent in his backup quarterback \u2014 Spencer Rattler.It all adds up to what might be a legitimate quarterback competition for the first time in Riley\u2019s tenure at Oklahoma.\u201CThere\u2019s no doubt, it is nice to have guys that have been here,\u201D Riley said. He said Rattler, a 5-star high school prodigy but an entirely unproven commodity in college, wasn\u2019t being handed anything.Also, consider their roots.
On Monday, Harrington reportedly checked himself in. Against some of the best schoolboys in the nation, Mordecai threw for 4,797 yards in his prep career with 51 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions and also ran for 1,511 yards and 20 touchdowns.It all adds up to what might be a legitimate quarterback competition for the first time in Riley’s tenure at Oklahoma.That\u2019s why they came to Oklahoma.Without the benefit of spring practice, and with the possibility of a disrupted preseason camp, it’s not as easy to discern a clear leader this year. Morris will join an OU quarterbacks room that will include redshirt sophomore Tanner Mordecai and redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler in 2020. So it\u2019s been a little different tone in there because of that. There\u2019s no crime.\u201D\u201CIf we didn\u2019t,\u201D he said, \u201Cwe would have brought somebody else in (via the transfer portal). But with the season careening to a fiery crash, Riley instead rolled out his talented true freshman to finish things off.The public has already pretty much concluded that Rattler is the Sooners’ next great quarterback — and with good reason. It was 63-28. So it’s definitely been a different process than, certainly, compared to last spring.”More details of Oklahoma Sooners coach Lincoln Riley's new contractSooners make Final 4 for juco CB Mordecai was a standout QB in the talent-rich hotbed of Central Texas. He\u2019s a year older than Rattler, he\u2019s been in Norman a year longer. “They’re not experienced, but they’re also, they’re experienced here. It’s going to be a good battle with those two.”Sure, both Mordecai and Rattler \u2014 or is it Rattler and Mordecai? That may never be known.Oklahoma Sooners commit Mario Williams named nation's top receiver by SI All-AmericanIn any case, Riley’s confidence is not unfounded. At 6’3, 214 pounds, there aren’t many defensive backs in the Big 12 as physically imposing as the Raleigh, North Carolina native. It’s their time.”High school football in Arizona isn\u2019t quite at that level.Joe Castiglione, John Blake, Lincoln Riley, Lon Kruger, Tom Herman and OU recruiting are the topics of this week's SI Sooners PodcastHis dad added, \u201Cthis is something he has to learn, is that he has that platform now, and with that platform comes responsibility.\u201DSo with both players needing to evolve their game, did one have a better summer than the other? But these guys are ready, they’re good enough, they’re talented enough.