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Riley: Hurts hasn't won Oklahoma starting QB job yet

Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Jalen Hurts was assumed to be Oklahoma's new starting quarterback after he joined the program as a graduate transfer from Alabama in January.

However, head coach Lincoln Riley hasn't handed Hurts anything yet.

"He's gotta win the job first," Riley said Monday at Big 12 media days, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "If he wins the job, then we'll talk about that."

Hurts will go up against redshirt freshman Tanner Mordecai and true freshman Spencer Rattler for the job.

Should Hurts win the competition, he'd be the third consecutive transfer to take over as Oklahoma's starting quarterback, following Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield, the last two Heisman Trophy winners.

Hurts spent the previous three years with the Crimson Tide, reaching the national championship game in each season. He lost the title game in 2016, was benched in the 2017 championship game and watched Tua Tagovailoa lead the Tide to a comeback victory, then watched from the sidelines again in January as Clemson blew out Alabama to win the title.

"We've got an interesting dynamic in there with Jalen as an older, more experienced guy that's been through a lot of battles, and we've got some very young, talented players in there with a chance to make a name for themselves," Riley said of the QB battle.

"It's really, truly, 'May the best man win.'"

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