Reports | Baker Mayfield Ruled Eligible To Play For The Oklahoma Sooners

Somewhere in a quiet corner in Lubbock, Texas, Kliff Kingsbury is about to blow a gasket. Not only are his Red Raiders off to a shaky start to the 2014 season, which has to be unsettling by itself, but now Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield has been ruled eligible to play by the NCAA. Kingsbury has gone out of his way to try an make sure that the latter didn't happen but it seems as if it was all for naught as college football's governing body has sided with the Sooners and Mayfield.

While we are awaiting official confirmation from the university we have been told, by a source very familiar with the situation, that everything seems to be legit and Mayfield will immediately move to OU's #2 guy on the depth chart.

In 2013 Mayfield was honored as the Big XII's Offensive Freshman of the Year, after throwing for 2,315 yards and 12 touchdowns, while sharing the quarterback position in Kingsbury's offense at Texas Tech. After not being awarded a scholarship for the spring semester he decided to transfer to Oklahoma and walk on. It was only after his transfer that Kingsbury stated that he wanted to scholarship Mayfield, and that was only done in an effort to block the transfer.

If the report holds true, Mayfield's immediate eligibility provides two things for Oklahoma. First, it gives the Sooners an experienced back up to Trevor Knight. Through the first four games of the season redshirt freshman Cody Thomas, who has a ton of potential but not really the guy you want taking over in a possible national championship year because of his lack of experience, has been the man behind Knight. Secondly, the addition the of Mayfield gives OU the ability to take more risks with Knight because they don't have to keep the "protect him at all costs" mentality. The quarterback run game has been noticeably absent in 2014 and the coaching staff hasn't shied away from their cautious approach.

I guess you can add a third thing to the list in that true freshman Justice Hansen is guaranteed a redshirt season now.