Oklahoma will be getting a quarterback back for the 2020 season.
The idea of Tanner Mordecai hitting the high road after the Peach Bowl was real, but the Waco, Texas, native is set to return to Norman, Oklahoma, for his redshirt sophomore season to compete for the Sooners starting quarterback job, according to Jason Kersey of The Athletic.
Update: I’m told Tanner Mordecai has decided to return to OU and compete with Spencer Rattler for the QB job in 2020. Needless to say, it was important for the #Sooners to keep him. https://t.co/vqYVKers2I
— Jason Kersey (@jasonkersey) January 3, 2020
Mordecai was named Oklahoma’s backup quarterback to Jalen Hurts for the 2019 season out of fall camp. He appeared in six games this past season, going 16-for-26 through the air for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
In the 2019 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Mordecai was not the second quarterback to head into the game. On Oklahoma’s final drive, Lincoln Riley sent out former five-star recruit Spencer Rattler for the final series. Rattler went 1-for-3 (both incompletions were drops) and failed to pick up a first down in his Peach Bowl appearance.
Riley said the day after the game that putting Rattler in over Mordecai had nothing to do with Rattler overtaking Mordecai for the backup spot, but more about getting Rattler reps. He said that the two will go through a quarterback competition ahead of the 2020 season.
With Mordecai returning, the Sooners will now have three scholarship quarterbacks as they added high school prospect Chandler Morris to the fold on Thursday night.
Oklahoma has not announced when spring practice will commence ahead of the 2020 season.
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