Video: Highlights of Baker Mayfield while starring at Lake Travis High School
The current junior quarterback at Oklahoma is a leading candidate for the 2016 Heisman Trophy.The road from quarterbacking
Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) to a Texas 4A state title to being a Heisman Trophy hopeful at Big-12 favorite Oklahoma has been a wild one for
Baker Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield, Lake Travis
File photo by Kyle Dantzler
The current 6-foot-2, 212-pound junior finished fourth in the Heisman race last year after throwing for 3,700 yards, 36 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He was the Big 12 Player of the Year and is a 12-1 pick to win the 2016 Heisman.
At Lake Travis, Mayfield threw for 6,235 yards and 67 touchdowns (just eight interceptions), leading the Cavaliers to a 25-2 record over two seasons. Mayfield was terrific his junior season, throwing for 3,788 yards, 45 touchdowns and five interceptions as the Cavs finished 16-0 and became the first team in Texas history at any level to win five straight titles.
"I can't say enough good things about all the things that he did for this program while he was here," Lake Travis football coach Hank Carter told the
Austin American-Statesman recently.
Despite his prep success, Mayfield decided to walk-on at Texas Tech, where he earned the starting spot in the team's opener after fellow Lake Travis graduate Michael Brewer, the slated starter, injured his back. That opened the door for Mayfield, who promptly threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns in a win over SMU. He is believed to be the first walk-on true freshman quarterback to start a season opener.
Even though he was named Big 12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, he lost his starting job and left the program because what he deemed a "miscommunication with the coaching staff."
He enrolled at Oklahoma in January of 2014 and after being forced to sit out that season, he put together a stellar 2015, leading the Sooners to the College Football Playoff semifinals. They finished 11-2 (8-1 Big 12) and No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll.
His alma mater Lake Travis is No. 20 nationally among the
MaxPreps Early Contenders. Interestingly, the Cavs quarterback this season is
Charlie Brewer, brother of Michael Brewer, Mayfield's teammate at Texas Tech. Charlie Brewer is committed to SMU.
Before his senior season at Lake Travis, current Oklahoma Heisman hopeful Baker Mayfield posed for this candid.
File photo by Jim Redman
