Oklahoma Heisman winner weighs in on Lincoln Riley to the NFL talk

Since taking over the Oklahoma Sooners, Lincoln Riley has become one of the best coaches in all of college football. Every winter, rumors of NFL teams enamored with Riley swirl, but the offensive genius has stayed put in Norman so far. 

Now, an Oklahoma legend and Heisman Trophy winner is chiming in on the Riley to the NFL talk. In an appearance on ESPN Radio, former Sooners quarterback Jason White weighed in.

“I think he’ll stay awhile,” stated the winner of the 2003 Heisman Trophy. “He’s kind of a mold of Coach Stoops, when it comes to he’s comfortable here. I feel like if he keeps heading in the right direction and keeps winning and keeps improving, I think he’ll stay awhile.”

While White doesn’t believe Riley would leave Oklahoma for another college coaching job, the lure of the NFL could be the reason he moves on.

“If he does have that desire to step up to that next level, I think that’s the only reason he would make a change,” said White. “I don’t think he would actually make a change to go to a different school to be a head coach, but I do think maybe down the road, if the opportunity to step up to the next level of the NFL, I do think he might try his hand at that eventually.”

Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer, Bud Wilkenson … Lincoln Riley?

Continuing, White mentions that Riley has aspirations to join the greats in Oklahoma’s illustrious coaching history. While he’s not there yet, the former Sooners quarterback believes it motivates the university’s current head coach.

“I think he’s here at Oklahoma for a while. I know he wants to be just like the rest of those coaches and have a few national championships up there,” said White. “Engrain his name in there with Coach [Bob] Stoops, [Barry] Switzer and Bud Wilkenson.”

In Riley’s career as the head coach at Oklahoma, the Sooners have been one of the premier programs in all of college football. However, they haven’t reached the pinnacle of the game yet. Still, the consistency of the team’s coached by Riley have been on the level of teams like Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State.

Paul Finebaum reveals prediction for Lincoln Riley in 2022

On Friday, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum gave his prediction for Riley’s future in an appearance on Keyshawn, JWill and Zubin. 

“I thought he went to the Cowboys a couple years ago,” Finebaum joked. “I was watching ESPN, and everyone, including me by the way, was talking about that.”

“He will be there [at Oklahoma],” Finebaum said about speculation over Riley leaving the Sooners for another job. “I think Lincoln Riley has found his niche. He is one of the great quarterback whisperers in recent college football history. And I cannot imagine him leaving, especially now that Oklahoma is headed to the SEC.”

While the NFL may continue to try to court Lincoln Riley, it seems his heart will keep him at Oklahoma for the foreseeable future.