Heisman 2016: 5 reasons Dede Westbrook should win
By John Buhler
3. Baker Mayfield is coming back to Oklahoma in 2017
Initially, people will think that Mayfield and Westbrook may cannibalize each other’s Heisman candidacy considering they are teammates at Oklahoma, but that actually may not be the case.
After beating the rival Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2016 Bedlam Series, Mayfield announced that he would be returning to Oklahoma for his redshirt senior season in 2017. He was granted an extra year of eligibility shortly before the start of the 2016 season.
Remember that his decision to transfer from Texas Tech to Oklahoma in 2014 cost him a year of eligibility because he transferred in-conference. He was given that year he lost back because he was a walk-on at Texas Tech and never earned a scholarship while he was at Lubbock.
So how does this impact Westbrook’s candidacy? Mayfield will almost certainly be a Heisman finalist again in 2017 with a better shot at winning it as a redshirt senior. Westbrook came to Norman last season as a JUCO transfer. He will be turning pro in the 2017 NFL Draft. Don’t be surprised if the Big 12 voting region unifies to give all of its support to Westbrook over Mayfield for that reason.