Different but similar paths bring Grier and Murray to Big 12 showdown

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Jake Spavital has a unique perspective when it comes to two of the nation’s top quarterbacks.

That’s because he’s coached both Kyler Murray and Will Grier.

It was Spavital, who now serves as the offensive coordinator at West Virginia, that recruited Murray to Texas A&M as an elite high school quarterback out of powerhouse Allen program.

A two-time Mr. Texas Football and the Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, Murray drew offers and interest from the nation’s elite. During his three years in the program, Murray accounted for 186 touchdowns and close to 15,000 yards while never losing a game.

“He was the guy who I put all my eggs in one basket on. If I didn’t sign Kyler Murray at Texas A&M, I probably wasn’t going to take a quarterback that year,” Spavital said. “He’s a special player.”

What has become commonplace on Saturdays for Murray was something that Spavital had already become accustomed to seeing play out. It was what drew him to the dynamic athlete in the process.

“The thing that made him special is his ability to make plays, extend them with his feet. He’s probably one of the fastest guys on the field,” he said.

Spavital only had one season to work with Murray at Texas A&M where he was used primarily in packages that accentuated what his athleticism brought to the table before he earned the starting job later in the season. But at the end of the season, Spavital and Murray needed a change.

The coordinator would take the coordinator job at California for a season prior to returning to West Virginia, while Murray would find his way to Oklahoma.

As for the other piece of the puzzle, Spavital didn’t have to recruit him. Grier had already committed to the program during the spring of 2016 after playing at another SEC program in Florida. The attraction for Grier was in large part because of the ability to play in Dana Holgorsen’s offensive system.

It didn’t take long for the two to mesh to the point that Holgorsen has referred to their working on the field relationship as one of the best he’s seen in his career. Grier has emerged as the centerpiece of the West Virginia offense and into one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.

Both players had to sit out a season due to a transfer buying their time to get into their current positions. Grier had his season cut short last year with a broken finger after a breakout campaign, while Murray was stuck behind eventual Heisman Trophy Winner Baker Mayfield.

So the two players at the center of this matchup between West Virginia and Oklahoma weren’t really on the minds of many this time last year, although Murray certainly opened some eyes on the first drive of the game. You don’t have to worry about that this year with the stakes as high as ever.

“Both of these kids who are going to play Friday, it’s a testament of overcoming adversity and staying out of the limelight when they’re used to it all through high school and at the beginning of their college careers. Then, you take that two-year lull where you have to stay away from the limelight. Now, they’re out there doing what they’ve always done. It’s pretty impressive to watch those kids play at a high level,” Spavital said.

Murray has accounted for 4,000 yards and 44 total touchdowns while leading the Sooners to a 10-1 record, while Grier comes in just behind at 3,300 yards and 35 touchdowns in one less game.

Two of the three finalists for the Maxwell Award, given to the nations’ best offensive player, will square off in Morgantown with the stakes as high as ever.

Win and that quarterback not only will head to the Big 12 title game but perhaps becomes the front runner for several of the different post-season honors a well.

“Two really good players, similar past, and it should be fun. It doesn’t get any better than that. Both have had a lot of success and are obviously two of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Holgorsen said.

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