QB Chandler Morris announces he will transfer

After just one season as Spencer Rattler’s backup at Oklahoma, the Dallas product wants to explore his options

Freshman quarterback Chandler Morris has entered his name into the transfer portal.

“I want to thank Coach (Lincoln) Riley, the staff and the University of Oklahoma for the opportunity they gave me,” he said in a statement on Twitter. “After much thought, prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided to leave OU.”

“I will forever be indebted to this great program.”

In his only season of action for the Sooners, Morris completed 3-of-5 throws for 39 yards.

Morris, son of former Arkansas head coach Chad Morris, also rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns, including the opening score of Oklahoma’s Big 12 Championship victory against Iowa State.

Initially committed to the Razorbacks, Chandler Morris landed with the Sooners after his father was dismissed as the head coach in Fayetteville.

When he signed with Oklahoma in January, Morris said Riley was “guiding” him.

“There’s a list of coaches he trusts that I could go play for,” Morris said, “and coach Riley was one of them and he was at the top of that list.”

When OU announced its signing class in February, Riley said Morris was his favorite quarterback in the 2020 class.

“I felt like all along if Chandler didn’t go play for his dad that he would come here,” Riley said. “We had a great relationship and it was a great fit.

“Frankly, we got to the point in this class that we said if we get Chandler, then obviously we're gonna take him. And if we can't get him, to be honest, I didn't find another quarterback out there that we really fell in love with and we thought was the right guy for us.”

Chad Morris served as offensive coordinator at Auburn this year, but was not retained after the Tigers fired Gus Malzahn.

Chandler Morris could potentially link up with his father once he lands another coordinator job.

Lincoln Riley has now lost two quarterbacks to the transfer portal since the Big 12 Championship game, as Morris joins quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who transferred to SMU.

With Spencer Rattler the clear starter heading into 2021, SI All-American Caleb Williams waits in the wings to back up Rattler. Williams, a class of 2021 signee, is SI All-American’s No. 1 overall prospect in the country.

Riley was thrilled to be able to land Williams after Brock Vandagriff decommitted earlier this year. Williams’ blend of arm talent and athleticism is exactly what Riley looks for in a quarterback, he said.

“He really kind of checked all the boxes,” Riley said. “Caleb the entire time felt like this program and offensive system, all of that could really maximize him as a player.”

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Morris is the third quarterback to transfer under Riley, following Austin Kendall and Mordecai.

As a senior at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Morris was an Under Armour All-American. He was rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN, and a 3-star recruit by Rivals. ESPN ranked Morris as the nation's No. 10 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 38 prospect in the state of Texas.

Morris went 27-2 as a starter his final two seasons, with 7,694 passing yards, 88 passing touchdowns, 1,286 rushing yards and 37 rushing TDs.

He led Highland Park to a 16-0 record and Class 5A-1 state title as a junior in 2018 when he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 4,036 yards with 46 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 651 yards and 20 TDs.

He was named state championship game MVP after completing 23 of 35 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-17 win over Alvin Shadow Creek.

In 2019, Morris passed for 3,658 yards and 42 touchdowns and rushed for 635 yards and 17 TDs and was named district MVP as Highland Park went 11-2 and advanced to the regional semifinals.