Baker Mayfield on Oklahoma, college transfers & Bucs outlook for 2026
Yahoo Sports spoke to the former Oklahoma Sooner and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback about the recent trends in college football and his team's prospects for this season. Baker joined Yahoo Sports on behalf of Sonic Drive-In.
Video Transcript
I'm Erica Tamposi with Yahoo Sports, and I am joined by the one, the only Baker Mayfield.
Baker, how are you today?
I'm doing great.
How are you?
Good.
So tell us about your partnership with Sonic.
Like, what are you up to with them?
Yeah, so, second campaign with Sonic.
This time around it's the $7 Big Deal Meal.
So kind of a fun little play on, on the football aspect of get a touchdown, an extra point for the 7 points, and $7 exactly for a burger, fries or tots, a drink, and a sundae.
So obviously it's a great deal, but it's a big deal.
And it was fun to film, film the commercials, and, got Emily in there.
So it they'll be funny, a little, little sarcasm in there, kind of a sit-down interview style.
But alway- always great to work with people that, you know, are able to put the creative together and have a fun spin on it, and kind of just let us go have fun with it and, and be ourselves.
Awesome.
Yeah.
Who has the best ice, and why is it Sonic?
It's, it's never been a question, and if, if you think otherwise, you're just wrong.
It's not your opinion, you're just wrong.
Uh- Yeah it's classic.
I, I don't call it nugget ice, crushed ice.
It's, it's Sonic ice.
Yeah.
Definitely.
Definitely that should be trademarked.
Okay, so, you know, there's been a lot of serious news around college football, and contracts, and a lot of just serious nitty-gritty stuff.
So I just really wanna know, what was Travis and Taylor's wedding like?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Well, you were there.
Wasn't it a blast?
Did you, did you- I, uh- bust out your moves?
The Sonic burgers at the end were great.
Yeah, that would be, that would be quite a thing.
I mean, you're known for your famous dance moves.
Like, did you bust those out?
There was a few moves broken out.
There you go.
Okay, good.
LSU has been in the news a little bit here recently, and you won a Heisman at Oklahoma.
Is your number six retired?
It is not.
Do you think it should be?
No.
No?
I mean, maybe, maybe eventually down the road, but, you got a ton of kids that come in and out, and, I mean, college programs, you got so many guys on the roster that a lot of times people are doubled up with jersey numbers, whether it's offense and defense.
And so, yeah, I, I think you'd probably be in a sticky situation if you didn't have enough jersey numbers.
So I, yeah, I don't, I don't take any offense to it.
They've, they've honored me m- more than enough there.
A- and I know, I know they love me there, and I, I love OU, so there's no issue.
Nice.
I love that.
I, I'm sure you've been asked this 100 times, but what are your thoughts on, you know, NFL or NBA players returning to play their fifth year in college?
Yeah, yeah, it's, definitely a tricky landscape.
I, I think just they opened a can of worms when the, the whole thing came out about the 2022 class.
I mean, it's not gonna be, it's not gonna be every year.
I, I think it's just a right-now thing.
You fast-forward a year from now and people will probably forget about it.
But, I don't know.
I, I think if some of these guys would've known that they were able to go back, they would have.
So I, I think it's, it's always kind of a case-by-case scenario.
I mean, you were part of a rule change, like allowing walk-ons to transfer without losing a year of eligibility, and now transfer in college football is a bit of a free-for-all.
Like, what are your thoughts on the overall transfer process in college football?
At some point they're gonna have to reel it in a little bit.
Yeah, it's, it's definitely been chaotic.
I, I think, I think the initial stuff of that you could transfer if your coach was leaving, I think that's justified, or after you graduate.
But college football is supposed to be about going to school with your buddies, growing and working out together, and, you know, playing for the tradition of the school.
A- and that's, that's my thoughts on it, and that might be a little old-fashioned, but I mean, that's I wouldn't change what happened for me in college and, and getting out, you know, going to Tech, and then transferring, having to sit out a year.
Eventually got that year back, because it was the walk-on thing.
But, yeah, just being able to play with the same group of guys and you learn and grow together.
A- and from 18 to 22, like, there, there's so much you can learn and grow from in those years, and, and so much fun to be had.
And, yeah, I, I think to be able to stick it out, and grass is not always greener on the other side.
And I also think just entering your name in a portal a- and taking the easy way out for more money teaches you nothing about life, and that's just, that's just not how I roll.
What are your general thoughts on Oklahoma football this season?
I'm excited.
I, I think getting Metoyer back healthy, a- and just the guys up front.
Those guys were banged up to the o-line there.
They had a ton of, ton of different five position guys playing.
I mean, ton of different rotations.
And defense will be great.
That's, that's what Venables does best, and I, I think the offense is gonna come back with a vengeance, and, I'm excited about it.
Would you rather plant the flag on Ohio State or Texas?
Texas.
Texas?
Why?
It's just a, it- it's a one-of-a-kind rivalry.
Growing up in Austin and being right there in the backyard for University of Texas, and, yeah, it's just one of those things that when you get to the Cotton Bowl, half the field is burnt orange, half of it's crimson.
And it's, it's just one of those special traditions that, you know, growing up in it makes a big difference, but also, just the atmosphere.
It, it, it's, it means a lot to the fans and, and the players.
You, you talked earlier this, this off-season or during training camp that you thought the Bucs are being counted out this season.
Do you still feel that way with all the, the news going around?
Yeah.
I, I think, you know, whether people are still picking us to win the division or not, they're still picking the record to be nine and eight or something.
So it's, and listen, that, it's probably based on the fact that you lose Mike Evans, Lavonte David, two Hall of Famers.
We didn't finish the year strong.
But we were pretty banged up, so I'm, I'm excited to get those guys back on the field and just ready for week one.
Awesome.
Well, Baker, thanks so much for, for hanging out with us today.
We really appreciate it, and I'm ready for Sonic.
I'm excited for the commercials.
Absolutely.
Let's go.
