Back to the Oklahoma Sooners Newsfeed

OU football: Jalen Hurts beats out Tanner Mordecai in 'closest' quarterback competition

NORMAN — Jalen Hurts had long been the assumed starter, but coach Lincoln Riley summarized Oklahoma's offseason quarterback battle in a much different way a day after announcing Hurts had won the job.

"I just thought (Hurts) was just slightly better here as it went on," Riley said Tuesday night. "Probably the closest one we’ve had since I’ve been at Oklahoma, I would say for sure. Maybe had one other in my career as far as how close it was."

Hurts, the graduate transfer from Alabama, beat out redshirt freshman Tanner Mordecai.

Mordecai will serve as OU's second-team quarterback, Riley announced.