If Kyler Murray Is Going to Flip from Texas A&M, Oregon Is Better Fit Than Texas

It’s been billed as a Lone Star showdown of epic proportions: Texas versus Texas A&M for 247Sports.com 5-star quarterback Kyler Murray.

However, while those two programs have been battling it out among themselves, there’s a program lurking in the corner. It’s tough to miss them. They wear pretty bright colors.

The Oregon Ducks, in search of a replacement for 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, have apparently set their sights on Murray, the No. 33 recruit in the country and the No. 1 dual-threat QB, according to 247Sports.

The Ducks have seemingly come out of nowhere in the recruitment of Murray. The 5'10", 180-pound QB from Allen, Texas, has been committed to Texas A&M since May of 2014. However, in recent weeks Murray has opened the door to other schools, including Texas—he recently tweeted a picture of a Texas jersey—and Oregon.

According to Andrew Nemec of The Oregonian, the Ducks may have a legitimate shot at flipping Murray. Nemec, citing a report by ESPN's Erik McKinney, writes:

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In a recent ESPN recruiting video titled, 'ESPN 300 Recruits Most Likely to Flip,' ESPN.com Pac-12 recruiting reporter Erik McKinney indicated that Oregon is in the mix for a number of committed prospects, none bigger than five-star Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray.

'At this point, you can't assume that (Murray is) going to flip to Oregon, but Oregon is going to do everything they can all the way until the end, and obviously a big, big name to keep an eye on there with the Ducks,' McKinney said in the video.

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Murray isn’t just another player; he may be the best high school quarterback in the entire country. Moreover, he’d be a perfect fit for the Oregon offense.

As a senior, Murray was 278-of-433 for 4,713 yards and 54 touchdowns and also ran for 1,495 yards and 25 touchdowns. For his incredible efforts in 2014, Murray was named both Gatorade National Player of the Year and the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Player of the Year.

Trying to pry Murray away from the state of Texas is likely going to be difficult proposition for the Ducks. That being said, Oregon may be the most attractive school in the country to incoming quarterbacks.

The Ducks are coming off a national championship appearance and just had their QB win the Heisman. Moreover, the Ducks may have the best set of skill position players in the entire country.

Oh yeah, they also have some of the best facilities in the country and by far the most attractive jerseys, not to mention the connection with Nike. 

But let’s get back to the skill position players for a moment. In 2015, the Ducks will return almost every single running back, wide receiver and tight end on their roster. 

What quarterback in the country wouldn’t love to play with players like Royce Freeman, Thomas Tyner, Darren Carrington, Devon Allen, Byron Marshall, Bralon Addison, Charles Nelson, Evan Baylis and Pharaoh Brown?

Sure, Texas and Texas A&M are fantastic choices for a high school quarterback, especially for one that’s from the state of Texas. But they’re not Oregon.

At this point, Oregon has to be considered one of the five best college football programs in the country. The Ducks have won at least 10 games in seven consecutive seasons and have finished ranked in the top five in four of the past five years. Moreover, they’ve reached the national championship twice in those five seasons and won four Pac-12 titles in the past six years.

While the Longhorns and Aggies may be traditional powers, the Ducks are the better football team right now. Quite frankly, the Ducks simply have more to offer. That’s not likely to change, even with the departure of Mariota.

The Ducks aren’t short on QB options next season. Within the program, the Ducks could turn to Jeff Lockie, Morgan Mahalak, Ty Griffin, Taylor Alie or incoming 247Sports.com 4-star recruit Travis Waller.

Oregon is also interested in bringing in a graduate transfer, whether it be Ohio State’s Braxton Miller or Eastern Washington’s Vernon Adams Jr., who will visit Eugene this weekend, according to The Oregonian’s Jen Beyrle:

Replacing Marcus Mariota, by far the best player in the history of Oregon football and one of the best college QB’s of all time, is a monumental undertaking. However, grabbing a player of Murray’s talent would be a great first step in attempting to move on from Mariota.

In order to steal Murray away from Texas A&M—where he has said he still plans on going and where his father, Kevin Murray, played quarterback—Oregon is going to have to put on a full-court press.

According to ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton, Oregon had an in-home visit with Murray on Tuesday night and there’s still a chance he could take an official visit to Eugene before the Feb. 4 national signing day.

Oregon’s high-octane offense and its overall talent at the skill positions, combined with everything else the Ducks can offer, makes them a very attractive destination for Murray.

Still, Bleacher Report’s Lars Anderson writes that there’s an unprecedented recruiting battle going on between Texas and Texas A&M for Murray’s services:

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What we do know is this: The recruiting battle for Murray is far from over. And his commitment will be freighted with significance; because it will reveal which direction the balance of power between these two heavyweight schools is shifting in the Lone Star State.

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While some believe that this is really only a two-horse race, it stands to reason that Texas and Texas A&M could knock each other out of the race and leave Oregon standing tall as the best option for Murray.

The allure of Oregon is clear. Murray would be a perfect fit in Oregon’s offense and the players he’d be working with are some of the most talented in the country.

What Oregon needs to do is sell Murray on the idea that he’s the next Marcus Mariota. The Ducks must strike while the iron is hot. There is no hotter position in the country than being the QB for the University of Oregon.

Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise stated. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.

Jason Gold is Bleacher Report’s lead Oregon writer. Follow Jason on Twitter @TheSportsGuy33.