Newcomer Profile: Freshman Brendan Zurbrugg Embracing Competition in Oklahoma QB Room

Confidence is key for the Sooners' Zurbrugg, the son of a Division I quarterback and one of two QBs OU signed in this recruiting class.

Alliance quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg takes off with the ball pursued by Marlington's Bryson McCord, / Ed Hall Jr / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — If nothing else, Brendan Zurbrugg’s dad taught him how to weather the storm.

“He definitely said, ‘Just stay confident, ‘cause things are going to be good and things are going to be bad,’” the University of Oklahoma freshman quarterback said last month, “and when the times get bad, you know, you’ve got to stay confident in yourself, just got to keep pushing, keep going.”

Chris Zurbrugg played quarterback at the University of Michigan from 1984-86. Then a redshirt freshman, Zurbrugg took the reins of Michigan’s offense in place of an injured Jim Harbaugh the back half of the year and guided the Wolverines to an appearance in the 1984 Holiday Bowl, where they lost to the eventual national champion BYU Cougars, 24-17. Zurbrugg also set Michigan’s single-game records for passing yards (259) and passing touchdowns (4) in his second start against Purdue on Nov. 3, 1984.

Like his father, 6-foot-3, 185-pound Brendan Zurbrugg was a commodity out of Alliance, a northeast Ohio town of 20,000 nestled in the Canton-Massillon Metro. It’s about a half-hour drive from Alliance High School to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and about 70 minutes to Cleveland.

WATCH: Oklahoma QB Brendan Zurbrugg Interview

“You've got two really good young quarterbacks, Michael Hawkins and Brendan Zurbrugg from Ohio, that bring a wealth of experience at the quarterback [position] at the high school level,” Sooners head coach Brent Venables said on National Signing Day. “They're incredibly talented guys. They've got all the right stuff to them from a leadership, instincts, humility and toughness standpoint.”

A three-star prospect, Zurbrugg was rated a top-20 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2024 by ESPN and Rivals. He passed for over 2,300 and rushed for more than 1,000 yards for a combined 39 touchdowns his senior year at Alliance and left with school records in total yards and touchdowns, completions and completion percentage. 

Zurbrugg also played basketball and was a two-time All-Ohio track selection. He earned fifth place at the OHSAA D1 state track & field championships in the 300m hurdles with a time of 38.16.

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“Everything [Venables] said recruiting me, he stays true,” Zurbrugg said. “He’s going to coach us hard. He’s a really good fit for this program, I think. He’s going to help us be the tough team we want to be, the physical team we want to be, and he’s going to help us win.”

Zurbrugg set his heart on Syracuse in June of 2023 but flipped eight days later to Northwestern. In August of 2023, Zurbrugg flipped again when Jeff Lebby offered him. Just 4 1/2 months later, he was in Norman, fully enrolled at OU.

“A big part of it was the people there, the coaches that I was going to be surrounded by," Zurbrugg told Sports Illustrated's AllSooners during a interview in December. "When I went in July, I immediately clicked with the coaching staff and built relationships with them. Along with that, the culture that they have there, the football culture. Like a blue-blood program."

Zurbrugg also met his fellow quarterback recruit, Michael Hawkins Jr., on that visit. Hawkins was a 4-star prospect and rated the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2024 by ESPN. He led Emerson High School (Texas) to a 5A state semifinal appearance while racking up over 4,000 all-purpose yards and 55 touchdowns — with only three interceptions — his senior year. Presumably, they’ll share the quarterback room with projected starter Jackson Arnold for at least a year.

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“It’s good, you know, we’ve built a relationship just as well as the other quarterbacks and the offensive coaches, I spend a lot of time with [Hawkins],” Zurbrugg said. “We compete with each other, but it’s friendly competition.”

“I expect every position on our football team to be impacted. I don't see one position, you know, that is going to have more impact. ... Mike Hawkins and his development and Brendan Zurbrugg and his development are as critical as any part of our team, their play and their opportunity to take reps,” Venables said.

After Lebby’s departure made him the head coach at Mississippi State, some wondered how the Sooners would keep both Zurbrugg’s and Hawkins’ commitments. Seth Littrell called Zurbrugg the day after he was promoted to offensive coordinator in November and visited him in Alliance at least once.

“[Littrell] told me that sometimes when a staff changes, and they get a new offensive coordinator, the recruit always wonders, 'I wonder if this guy thinks the same thing,’” Zurbrugg said. “He made sure to tell me that he still really liked me.”

Zurbrugg is chomping at the bit to test himself against SEC competition.

“It’s awesome. Best conference in college football,” Zurbrugg said. “I’m just excited for the whole season.”