Oklahoma Football: Who Will Be Sooners' Week 1 Starting QB?

Anyone hoping for clarity in Oklahoma's quarterback competition was still left looking for answers after the Sooners' spring game on April 11.

Yep, we have a few more months of frenzied debate.

Though redshirt junior Trevor Knight is the incumbent starter, here are the other three players he's been competing against:

• Baker Mayfield (junior): Sat out last season to satisfy transfer rules. Started seven games as a true freshman for Texas Tech in 2013 and was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
• Cody Thomas (redshirt sophomore): Started the final three games of the regular season with Knight out due to injury. Threw for 342 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
• Justice Hansen (redshirt freshman): An early enrollee in the 2014 recruiting class who did not see playing time last season.

Ideally, even if the competition is set to continue into the summer months, you'd like to get some indication about which way it's going. As Jake Trotter of ESPN.com tweeted, none of the four really stood out:

Everyone had good and bad moments. Everyone forced throws. Mayfield's two interceptions were particularly bad decisions.

Brandon Chatmon of ESPN.com expanded on Trotter's statement in his OU spring game wrap-up:

"

Mayfield, the Texas Tech transfer, completed 10 of 13 passes for 176 yards with one touchdown but had two interceptions. Knight, OU's starter in the 2014 season opener, didn't fair much better taking care of the ball, finishing 6-of-13 for 78 yards with one interception. Every quarterback had their good moments and good throws on Saturday. But, ultimately, the winner of the job will be the guy who focuses on taking care of the ball and always making good decisions. None of the four can say they did that on Saturday.

"

Still, you have to like the buzz that's been surrounding Mayfield. If we're taking a stab at predicting the Week 1 starter, it sounds like Mayfield still has a great shot.

Here's why.

With so little to work off of visually, you have to identify any clues that could tip off which direction coaches are leaning in. That's why, even after Mayfield threw two bad interceptions, this quote from first-year offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley was so telling:

That's not to say Riley wasn't critical of Mayfield, but it's also not something you'd necessarily expect to hear, either.

Because of Mayfield's background in the Air Raid offense from his days at Tech, he seemed like a natural fit in Riley's offense. Additionally, Mayfield was impressive in Oklahoma's spring game a year ago, and as noted by John Shinn of The Norman Transcript, he earned rave reviews as the scout team quarterback last fall.

But Riley's compliment goes beyond fit. Despite the fact that Mayfield clearly forced a few throws, Riley likes what he's seen from him. Remember, spring games are one glorified scrimmage out of 15 practices.

Look, Mayfield can play—he's certainly better than his walk-on title would indicate—but he's had ball security issues in the past. Either Riley feels the interceptions were an anomaly or he likes Mayfield's gunslinger mentality so much that he's willing to live with some negative consequences of it.

If that's the case, it's an interesting stance to take.

The Sooners aren't lacking in offensive skill players. The running back group should be the deepest, most talented unit of its kind in the Big 12. By all accounts, the receiving unit should be much improved from a year ago.

With that in mind, Oklahoma would theoretically need little more than a game manager to make things work.

If Riley, head coach Bob Stoops and Co. feel they have something more in Mayfield, though—if they feel like he moves the offense the best—then they probably also feel they can get Mayfield to dial things back a bit. Sometimes, it can be easier to get someone to do less than to do more.

Knight has had two years to show what he can do. While he's a gifted runner, he's never shown the consistent growth coaches would like to see. He's also been injured often, despite efforts from Oklahoma's coaching staff to keep him more upright in 2014.

Thomas is an interesting prospect.

He actually trotted out onto the field first last Saturday. That may mean little more than Stoops having some fun, but it could also show that he's made more progress in spring than people anticipated.

This is still a wide-open race and technically anyone's game. However, the coaching staff has been high enough on Mayfield that his one spring performance won't be the deciding factor.

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.