Oklahoma Sooners QB Baker Mayfield critical of TCU, Gary Patterson
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield was critical of TCU coach Gary Patterson and the Texas Tech media during a press conference Monday.
Mayfield and the Sooners are No. 4 in the College Football Playoff and face Clemson in the first semifinal game on Thursday. Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma in January 2014 after a year at Texas Tech, where he started as a walk-on in his true freshman season.
During a playoff media appearance, Mayfield criticized TCU, which recruited the quarterback out of high school.
“They told me they were going to offer me a scholarship and kind of drug it out,” Mayfield said of TCU. “I told other schools that I wasn't interested because I thought I was going there. I truly believed they were going to offer me because they told me that. They disappointed (me). They kind of hung me out to dry right before signing day.”
• THAMEL: Expansion? Title game? What’s next for the Big 12?
Mayfield said Patterson does not like him, but that he had “no comment about that.” The quarterback also called a columnist from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal “absolutely ignorant,” when asked about a recent article critical of him published in the newspaper.
“I've moved on. [Texas Tech] coach [Kliff] Kingsbury has moved on. The players, everybody's moved on, besides the [Avalanche] Journal people,” Mayfield said. “It's ridiculous. It's been over two years now.”
Patterson responded later Monday to Bonnie Bernstein of Campus Insiders.
“I like Baker Mayfield. I think he's a good kid and that's what disappoints me,” Patterson said. “If Baker Mayfield wants to blame TCU for 128 BCS schools not offering him a scholarship, that's fine. But ask Kliff Kingsbury why he didn't offer him a scholarship at Texas Tech. Ask about Baker's dad [James]. He's an arrogant guy who thinks he knows everything. If people knew the whole story, they might not have a great opinion of Baker or his father.
“Remember what was going on then. Casey Pachall was in alcohol rehab, we already had Trevone [Boykin], Tyler Matthews was an early commit. When we knew we were getting Casey back, there just wasn't a need. This stuff happens all the time.”
Mayfield, who was named the Big 12 offensive player of the year, completed 68.6% of his passes this season, throwing for 3,389 yards, 35 touchdowns and five interceptions.
