KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As long as they remain together in the NFL, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Browns passer Baker Mayfield will likely find themselves hearing the same comparisons given their origins at Texas Tech and one of the craziest games in college football history.
Texas Tech briefly served as college football's cradle of quarterbacks thanks to the future stars. The school's 2013 recruiting class included Davis Webb and walk-on Mayfield. The duo hosted Mahomes on a recruiting visit, and he arrived on campus in 2014.
“Both of those guys are really, really cool dudes and they kind of just let me come in and hang out with them and all their friends,” Mahomes said.
Mayfield started for the Red Raiders in 2013 before transferring to Oklahoma after the season. Webb took over over as starter in 2014, but an injury forced him from the lineup. Mahomes stepped in as the stater, a job he never relinquished, and Webb later transferred to California.
“Just kind of watching them and watching them play and have success doing their things, it’s cool to watch knowing we were all kind of in the same spot at one time,” Mahomes said.
Mayfield returned to Lubbock, Texas in 2016, leading the Sooners to visit the Red Raiders, and Mahomes and Mayfield engaged in one of the most explosive shootouts in college football history. Oklahoma prevailed 66-59, but Mahomes finished with 734 yards passing, tying the FBS record for most passing yards in a game.
“At the time it felt like we were playing basketball with the score,” Mayfield said. “It was a crazy game to be a part of.”
Mahomes completed 52-of-88 passes with five touchdowns, while Mayfield finished 27-of-36 for 545 yards and seven scores.
“It was an exhausting game back and forth, an exciting way,” Mayfield said “And looking back on it it's one that I'll probably never forget.”
Mayfield sees himself and Mahomes as part of a new generation of quarterbacks changing the prototype of an NFL passer.
“I think the old school frame of mind is to find your 6-5 quarterback to stand in the pocket and throw the ball,” Mayfield said. “The game's changing. Guys are a lot faster, you're able to get to the quarterback, you've got to be able to move and extend plays and just make things happen.”
