Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting: BOOM! Sooners Land 2018 QB Tanner Mordecai

Lincoln Riley has finally found a new 2018 quarterback, as Waco (TX) Midway product Tanner Mordecai committed to Oklahoma over his hometown Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, UNC, Ole Miss and others on Thursday afternoon.

Mordecai becomes the eighth member of OU’s 2018 class. Originally a near-lock for Baylor, Mordecai’s calculus quickly changed when Cameron Rising made the sudden and unexpected decision to flip his commitment from OU to Texas. The Sooners cast a wide net in the replacement search, flirting with Cali QB Adrian Martinez before offering Mordecai on May 9.

Candidly, Mordecai faces a tough path to playing time at OU. He’ll arrive on campus just in time for the 2018 starting QB battle, one he is unlikely to win. While his window may open when Kyler Murray’s eligibility ends, he’ll still have to contend with one or both of Austin Kendall and Chris Robison for a starting job, not to mention any future recruits.

Still, it was imperative for Oklahoma to recruit a quarterback for this class despite setbacks, and Mordecai is an excellent Plan B. His tape is not nearly as dynamic as Rising’s or Martinez’s, but he has lots of time to develop and a solid 6-2, 215 pound frame to start with. He’s a tricky runner, an accurate passer and exactly the kind of project Oklahoma can mold into a great player.

Welcome to the class, Tanner.