RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Oklahoma Sooners have arguably the most impressive lineage of quarterback play in college football since 1999. Heisman Trophy winners, All-Americans, and champions have been under center in Norman, Oklahoma, during this stretch, which spans over a quarter-century.
However, some OU quarterbacks have performed better than others during this timeframe. While wins aren't exclusively a quarterback stat, it can be a gauge of how much success a program had during that passer's time as a starter.
Today, we'll look at the win-loss record for each Oklahoma QB since the beginning of the 1999 season. Here is each former Oklahoma starting quarterback and their win-loss mark, beginning in 1999. We've included John Mateer, though his story at Oklahoma isn't complete. He'll add a few more wins this season to say the least.
Josh Heupel
Record: 20-5 (12 starts in 1999, 13 starts in 2000)
Josh Heupel was the first OU starting quarterback of the modern era, and the last starter to win a national championship at Oklahoma. He started every game during his two seasons as a Sooner and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2000.
Nate Hybl
Record: 20-3 (11 starts in 2001, 12 starts in 2002)
Nate Hybl took over the reins in 2001, and was the starter for most of the next two seasons. Though he was replaced under center in 2001 and wasn't the opening-day starter in 2002, injuries forced him back on the field. Though his numbers aren't the most impressive, he lead a lot of wins in Norman.
Jason White
Record: 27-4 (2 starts in 2001, 2 starts in 2002, 14 starts in 2003, 13 starts in 2004)
Jason White overcame some pretty bad injury luck in 2001 and 2002 to become a Heisman Trophy winner in 2003. In both that season and the next, he led the Sooners to an appearance in the national championship game. The local kid is one of the most prolific passers in program history and the picture of resilience.
Paul Thompson
Record: 11-4 (1 start in 2005, 14 starts in 2006)
Paul Thompson became the opening-day starter in 2005, but lasted only one game before being replaced. He changed positions to wide receiver that season, but was asked to step in as the starter at QB again in 2006. He started that entire season, helping OU win the Big 12 title.
Rhett Bomar
Record: 8-3 (11 starts in 2005)
Rhett Bomar didn't start the first game of the 2005 season, but he started every other game that year. He was thought to be the next big thing at QB in Norman, but he was dismissed from the team ahead of the following season for the Big Red Sports and Imports incident.
Sam Bradford
Record: 24-7 (14 starts in 2007, 14 starts in 2008, 3 starts in 2009)
Sam Bradford was wildly effective as OU's starter, leading the way for some dynamic offenses in 2007 and 2008. His second season saw him help the Sooners reach the national title game, and he won the Heisman Trophy that year. His final season was derailed by injury. He never got to make it back to the biggest stage in 2009.
Landry Jones
Record: 39-11 (10 starts in 2009, 14 starts in 2010, 13 starts in 2011, 13 starts in 2012)
Landry Jones has started more games than any QB in program history, taking over in 2009 and starting the entirety of the following three seasons. By virtue of his long tenure with the Sooners, he's also the program's all-time leading passer in both career yards and career touchdowns.
Trevor Knight
Record: 11-4 (5 starts in 2013, 10 starts in 2014)
Trevor Knight took over as the starting quarterback to begin 2013, but he was replaced after just a couple of games. He came back to start the year's final three contests, and he was the opening-day starter again in 2014. Knight was under center for the majority of that season, but lost the QB derby in 2015, never starting at OU again.
Blake Bell
Record: 6-2 (8 starts in 2013)
Blake Bell operated out of the "Belldozer" package as the backup QB in 2011 and 2012, but he didn't win the quarterback battle in 2013. He still ended up starting for the majority of that season, but switched positions to tight end for his final season in 2014. Even in just eight starts, Bell still left his mark on the Sooners.
Cody Thomas
Record: 2-1 (3 starts in 2014)
Cody Thomas was forced into action for three starts due to injury in 2014. He won two of those games, but lost that year's regular-season finale. He did not win the starting job in 2015, and left the program ahead of the 2016 season to focus solely on baseball.
Baker Mayfield
Record: 33-6 (13 starts in 2015, 13 starts in 2016, 13 starts in 2017)
Baker Mayfield quarterbacked the Sooners for three years, famously winning more conference titles (three) than he lost conference games (two) during his stint. He helped OU make the College Football Playoff twice, and he finished inside the top five in Heisman Trophy voting all three years, finally taking home the award in 2017.
Kyler Murray
Record: 12-2 (1 start in 2017, 13 starts in 2018)
Kyler Murray started one game in 2017, which was an appetizer of what he'd become in Norman. He broke out in 2018, helping the Sooners make the CFP and winning the Heisman Trophy. His explosive lone season leading the Oklahoma offense made his two years of waiting for the opportunity worth it.
Austin Kendall
Record: 1-0 (1 start in 2018)
Austin Kendall made just one start during his time at OU, and he was a backup otherwise. He competed for the starting job in 2018, but lost that battle, still managing to make one start during that season. He transferred out of the program the following year, playing for two other schools over the next three seasons.
Jalen Hurts
Record: 12-2 (14 starts in 2019)
Jalen Hurts owned the 2019 season at Oklahoma, starting each game and leading OU to the playoff. He finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up that season, which was his only year as a Sooner. Despite spending less than 12 months in Norman, he had high-le...
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