Week 2 of the college football season is loaded with intriguing matchups. Stanford travels to USC to take on the Trojans, Georgia hits the road to battle Notre Dame and Auburn will head to Death Valley to take on Clemson. However, the game I'm most looking forward to seeing will take place in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State will host Oklahoma on Saturday night. The Buckeyes are loaded with defensive talent, but they will have their hands full with an explosive OU attack, led by quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, but there are different opinions about how his game will translate to the next level. Is he just a good college quarterback or could he be something special in the NFL? I polled five NFL personnel executives and asked them for a player comparison for the Sooners QB. Here are their answers.
Executive 1:Chase Daniel
"Ultra-competitive, average size/arm, good feet. Both guys know how to win and make big plays in big moments."
Executive 2:Colt McCoy
"He reminds me a little of Colt McCoy, but Baker has more of an edge to him."
Executive 3:Russell Wilson
"I see a lot of the same things I saw in Russell Wilson. Similar size, mobility, arm strength and play-making skills."
Executive 4:Johnny Manziel
"He's similar to Manziel. They have a similar gunslinger/backyard style of play. He's not the same athlete as Johnny, but he's got better arm strength and accuracy from the pocket."
Executive 5: Manziel
"I don't see a real obvious comparison, but I get some of the Manziel comps. Both of those guys have incredible improvisational skills."
Summary: That's two votes for Manziel and one apiece for Daniel, McCoy and Wilson.
Conclusion: It's interesting to see the range of opinions about Mayfield. One thing everyone agrees about is his level of competitiveness. That's a good sign. I went back and looked at my notes from studying Mayfield over the summer and I wrote down that he was a better version of Colt McCoy. They have similar skill sets, but I think Mayfield has a little more upside.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.
