Every quarterback commit for the Oklahoma Sooners since 2000

The Oklahoma Sooners just added another top quarterback commit of the Lincoln Riley era. After landing Spencer Rattler in 2019, Caleb Williams in 2021, they added Malachi Nelson for 2023. They continued the trend of taking a five-star quarterback in odd number year classes. Nelson ranks as the second-highest rated quarterback commit for OU since 2000.

Only 2004 signee Rhett Bomar of Grand Prairie was ranked higher, and by the slightest of margins. There have been plenty of notable names at quarterback since 2000 when recruiting rankings became part of the college landscape. Names such as Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Baker Mayfield won’t appear on the list.

Sam Bradford wasn’t highly-touted coming out of high school but he would eventually put his name in the Oklahoma record books.

Sooners Wire takes a look at every commit at the position. Who stayed and who transferred out since 2000:

2001 Class: Brent Rawls (Shreveport, LA)

(Shreveport Times/USA TODAY Sports)

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9743

No. 6 Quarterback No. 77 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Rawls was one of the biggest recruiting busts for the Oklahoma Sooners. Despite being a top-five quarterback, he never lived up to the hype. He would transfer back to his home state of Louisiana but never played a snap of college football.

2003 Class: Tommy Grady (Huntington Beach, CA)

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9819

No. 3 Quarterback No. 37 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Much like that of Brent Rawls, Tommy Grady never became much for the Sooners. At least Grady made it onto the field for the Sooners in five games during the 2004 season. He threw 14 passes for 63 yards and one touchdown. He would transfer to Utah but in two seasons threw a total of 129 passes with six interceptions to his five touchdowns.

2004 Class: Rhett Bomar (Grand Prairie, TX)

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9982

No. 1 Quarterback No. 4 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Rhett Bomar was part of a very talented class in 2004 that included the No. 1 overall player Adrian Peterson. Much like the previous two quarterbacks, Bomar would finish his collegiate career elsewhere. He eventually ended up in the NFL. In 2005, Bomar started 12 games with 2,018 yards passing to go along with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He would transfer to Sam Houston State after he was dismissed by head coach Bob Stoops prior to the 2006 season. J.D. Quinn was also dismissed after it came to light they were paid for work at a car dealership.

2006 Class: Sam Bradford (Oklahoma City, OK)

John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.8778

No. 12 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 307 Nationally

The Breakdown:

It isn't how you start, it is how you finish. Sam Bradford wasn't the highest-rated recruit but he worked his way into becoming the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick of the 2010 class. Bradford won numerous player of the year awards in 2008 including the Heisman Memorial Trophy and the Davey O'Brien Award. He signed a $50 million contract before ever taking a snap and was named NFL offensive rookie of the year in 2010. Currently ranks the No. 3 all-time passer, but when he was done Bradford was No. 1 before Landry Jones and Baker Mayfield passed him.

2006 Class: Joey Halzle (Huntington Beach, CA)

(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.8333

No. 3 Dual-Threat Quarterback No. 45 Nationally

The Breakdown:

In the same class that landed Bradford, Oklahoma added Juco transfer Joe Hazlze of Golden West College. Hazlze never was more than a mop-up-duty quarterback in his time with the Sooners. He appeared in 21 games over three seasons with 83 career passes. He recently joined the Tennessee staff as the quarterbacks coach with former OU quarterback and now head coach of the Vols, Josh Heupel.

2007 Class: Keith Nichol

(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.8986

No. 8 Dual-Threat Quarterback No. 209 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Nichol was yet another quarterback that was lost in the shuffle behind Sam Bradford for three seasons. He lasted one season with Oklahoma before joining Michigan State and converting to wide receiver. As a Sooner he threw seven total passes for 15 yards.

2008 Class: Landry Jones (Artesia, NM)

Mark D Smith-USPRESSWIRE

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9497

No. 5 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 102 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Landry Jones definitely lived up to the hype as the No. 5 quarterback of the 2008 recruiting class. He became a four-year starter for the Sooners. He holds school records for the most yards passing and touchdowns. The all-time passing leader for both Oklahoma and the Big 12 Conference. Jones went on to the NFL and eventually reunited with Bob Stoops in the XFL with the Dallas Renegades.

2009 Class: Drew Allen (San Antonio, TX)

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.8670

No. 21 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 601 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Allen's career at Oklahoma was short-lived. He played in 12 games over a three-year span after redshirting in 2009. He would never be elevated after playing behind Landry Jones. Eventually transferred to Syracuse where he threw 122 passes with nine interceptions for the Orangemen.

2010 Class: Blake Bell (Wichita, KS)

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9667

No. 1 Dual-Threat Quarterback No. 66 Nationally

The Breakdown:

The Belldozer was one of the more impactful players when he arrived at Oklahoma. Bell was used in running situations for most of his first two years in Norman. He accounted for 24 rushing touchdowns on 104 attempts before taking over as the starting quarterback in 2013. He converted to tight end for his senior year as Trevor Knight took over.

2011 Class: Kendal Thompson (Moore, OK)

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.8665

No. 17 Dual-Threat Quarterback No. 448 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Kendal Thompson was born to play for Oklahoma, his father was a star for the team in the 1980s before he ran into legal trouble. His brother Casey is currently a quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. Thompson didn't last long with Oklahoma as he played one season before transferring to Utah. In 2013, Thompson threw 13 passes with one touchdown and one interception. He was the No. 3 quarterback behind Blake Bell and Trevor Knight.

2012 Class: Trevor Knight (San Antonio, TX)

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9037

No. 11 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 296 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Knight served as the primary backup to Blake Bell in the 2013 season before taking over in 2014. That season he appeared in 10 games throwing for 2,300 yards and 14 touchdowns. In 2015 Knight served as the backup to Baker Mayfield before he transferred to Texas A&M for the 2016 season.

2013 Class: Cody Thomas (Colleyville, TX)

(Brett Deering/Getty Images)

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9529

No. 8 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 104 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Thomas was a two-sport star in football and baseball. He would redshirt his freshman season in 2013 and made three starts for Oklahoma in 2014. He would battle Baker Mayfield and Trevor Knight in 2015 before Mayfield ultimately won the job. Thomas would leave the team in 2016 and focus on baseball. He is currently an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics.

2014 Class: Justice Hansen (Edmond, OK)

Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9338

No. 4 Dual-Threat Quarterback No. 155 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Justice Hansen is just another tale of a highly-touted recruit that never panned out. He would never take a snap with Oklahoma and would play three seasons with Arkansas State from 2016-18 after a one-year stint with Butler Community College.

2015 Class: Connor McGinnis (Oklahoma City, OK)

(David Purdy/Getty Images)

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.8111

No. 48 Dual-Threat Quarterback No National Ranking

The Breakdown:

McGinnis never was in line to play quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. He redshirted his freshman season in 2015. In the span of 2016-19, the starters were Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. He served as the placeholder and won the Mortell Holder of the Year award in 2017. He was a finalist in 2019.

2016 Class: Austin Kendall (Waxhaw, NC)

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9239

No. 9 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 190 Nationally

The Breakdown:

During Austin Kendall's tenure at Oklahoma, he was the backup for Baker Mayfield. It was short-lived as the No. 9 quarterback of the 2016 class transferred to West Virginia in 2019 after appearing in six games for the Sooners. He recently transferred from WVU after two seasons and 11 games played. Kendall will play for Louisiana Tech in 2021.

2016 Class: Tanner Schafer (Canadian, TX)

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.7903

No. 101 Pro-Style Quarterback No National Ranking

The Breakdown:

Schafer was the lowest-rated quarterback of the group as a two-star talent. The redshirt senior is going into his fifth year in Norman. He played in two games prior to 2020. He was in on the final series in the blowout win over Florida in the Cotton Bowl this past year.

2017 Class: Chris Robison (Mesquite, TX)

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9272

No. 7 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 172 Nationally

The Breakdown:

A highly-touted prospect in the top 10 of his position, Robison quickly found his way out of Norman, Oklahoma. He would be dismissed from the Sooners roster prior to the season and transferred to Florida Atlantic. Prior to the 2020 season, he was once again dismissed from the program at FAU. He wouldn't play at the collegiate level again.

2018 Class: Tanner Mordecai (Waco, TX)

Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9092

No. 11 Dual-Threat Quarterback No. 249 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Following Jalen Hurts heading to the NFL, Mordecai was expected to battle Spencer Rattler for the starting job in 2020. Ultimately the job was given to the 2019 signee, Rattler. Mordecai did serve as his primary backup and came in during the Red River Rivalry game for the struggling redshirt freshman quarterback. Over three seasons, Mordecai appeared in 12 games with 70 passes thrown for 639 yards and four touchdowns. Following the 2020 season, Mordecai transferred to SMU along with former teammate Grant Calcaterra.

2019 Class: Spencer Rattler (Phoenix, AZ)

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9942

No. 1 Pro-Style Quarterback No. 11 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Spencer Rattler was expected to come in immediately and help the Oklahoma team make a run at the CFP. He would redshirt his freshman season in 2019, as Tanner Mordecai served as the primary backup to Jalen Hurts. In 2020, he helped lead the team to eight consecutive victories after a slow start. Going into 2021, he is the Heisman frontrunner and is looking for that elusive CFP semifinal victory for the Sooners. He finished last season with 3,031 yards passing and 28 touchdowns through the air. Rattler accounted for 34 total touchdowns and he could have a bigger season in 2021.

2020 Class: Chandler Morris (Dallas, TX)

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.8827

No. 18 Dual-Threat Quarterback No. 448 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Morris joined the Oklahoma roster for the 2020 season and served as the No. 3 quarterback behind Rattler and Mordecai. He appeared in three games and threw five passes. Morris would carry the ball five times with two rushing touchdowns, including one against Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship game. He would enter the transfer portal following the season and commit to Texas Christian. Morris wouldn't be released from his scholarship to be deemed eligible with TCU, adding more fuel to the fire on intraconference transfers discussions.

2021 Class: Caleb Williams (Washington, DC)

(Credit: OU Athletics)

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9970

No. 1 Quarterback No. 6 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Williams led the 2021 recruiting class that finished No. 10 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big 12. He is the second five-star quarterback to sign with Oklahoma under Lincoln Riley. If Rattler leaves following 2021 as expected, Williams will become the starter as he is the projected No. 2 quarterback for the upcoming season. He ranks as the second-highest quarterback signee with Oklahoma since 2000 behind Rhett Bomar.

2023 Class: Malachi Nelson (Los Alamitos, CA)

https://twitter.com/MalachiNelson9/status/1416976744767164420?s=20

247Sports Composite Rating: 0.9976

No. 2 Quarterback No. 5 Nationally

The Breakdown:

Malachi Nelson is the highest-rated quarterback to commit to playing for Lincoln Riley, just 0.0006 higher than 2021 signee Caleb Williams. When he officially arrives in Norman, he will be expected to backup Williams until he gets his shot. As a freshman on the varsity team, Nelson accounted for 991 yards of offense and eight touchdowns. In a shortened season for 2020, he threw for 1,513 yards with 23 touchdowns. Nelson added another on the ground. He is further proof that OU is a quarterback factory under Riley.

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