Kyler Murray Wants to Keep Playing Both Football and Baseball 'If Possible'

Murray doesn't want to pick just one of his sports if he doesn't have to.

Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray would like to play both football and baseball professionally "if possible," he told reporters at a pre-Heisman media availability on Friday.

"I'd like to do both [football and baseball] if possible," Murray said. "But I don't know how possible that is."

Murray, the ninth pick in the 2018 MLB draft by the Oakland A's, is vying with Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins for this year's Heisman Trophy, which will be announced on Saturday night. He led Oklahoma to a 12-1 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff, throwing for 4,053 yards and 40 touchdowns and running for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. He currently holds the best passer efficiency rating in FBS history. Murray was also a star centerfielder for Oklahoma's baseball team last spring, hitting .296 with 10 home runs.

Since this June's MLB draft, after which he agreed to a signing bonus worth nearly $5 million, Murray's plan has been that this football season would be his last. However, the quarterback's remarkable success has raised the question of whether he'd consider sticking with football. His agent, Scott Boras, has insisted that Murray is committed to playing professional baseball and will be in Spring Training with the A's in 2019.

LITMAN: Will the Timing of of Tua Tagovailoa's First Bad Game Cost Him the Heisman?

Murray's language has not been as definitive. He has said that quitting football for baseball "is still the plan," and he has used the language "as of now" when discussing his intentions. Murray has also said he believes he could play in the NFL. ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay said this week that he thinks Murray would be a first-round pick if he chose to play football.

Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders famously played in the NFL and MLB during the 1980s and '90s. The main differences are that neither played quarterback or had questions about their size, while Murray is listed at 5'9".

No. 4 Oklahoma plays No. 1 Alabama in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 29.