Kyler Murray once entitled himself to be the best Texas HS QB of all time: "I had to be top of those lists"
Former Oklahoma Sooner star Kyler Murray in an interview with ESPN in 2018 spoke about his experience as a multi-sport athlete. When host Maria Taylor asked him where he ranked himself in the list of "legends of Texas high school" players, including Vince Young, Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Drew Brees, Murray said:
"Not to be cocky or anything, but I think I had to be at the top of those lists. I mean, those guys are obviously in the NFL so it's kinda hard to speak on that but one, three, back-to-back-to-back state championships, you know something that's never been done. (1:25)
"Winning Mr. Texas, that's a big deal, and you know another one for me is being a Gatorade National Player of the Year. (1:45)"
Murray was ranked a five-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports and was considered a powerful dual-threat QB.
Why did Kyler Murray transfer from Texas A&M to Oklahoma in 2016?
The former Heisman Trophy winner was considered one of the top transfers in the country. Murray committed to the Texas A&M Aggies in 2015 but was sidelined for the season, causing him to transfer from the Aggies to the Oklahoma Sooners. Because of the NCAA's transfer rule, he missed out on the 2016 season and made his Oklahoma debut in 2017.
While talking to ESPN in 2016, he was asked why he chose Oklahoma over other places. He answered:
"It was a no-brainer for me with Coach (Bob) Stoops, Coach Lincoln (Riley). Just the trust I had in them, the stability here. Coach Linc is one of, if not the best COC in the country. Then you look at the guys around you that you're playing with. We have all the talent in the world here.
"Add that with Coach Schmitty [strength coach Jerry Schmidt] in the weight room, and it doesn't get much better. Playing in a city like Norman, where it's all about Oklahoma football. A no-brainer for me."
Murray also said that he looked up to Tom Brady because of the way he managed his game:
"He always works with less. He doesn't always have the best receivers, but he's going to make it work. Also [I look up to] guys like Cam [Newton], Russell [Wilson], those caliber guys. The way they make plays. They're on top of the game."
Kyler Murray was a two-sport athlete who forwent his decision to play in MLB and instead was selected first overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL draft.