[caption id="attachment_18033" align="alignleft" width="300"]Photo by Tom Sooter Photo by Tom Sooter[/caption] There is nothing wrong with not revealing your hand before the first game of the season. Texas A&M got ahead of the curve when it announced that returning quarterback Kyle Allen will start the season opener, closing the door on the idea that true freshman Kyler Murray could win the job in fall camp. Oklahoma did the same when it announced former Lake Travis and Texas Tech quarterback Baker Mayfield beat out San Antonio native Trevor Knight for the starting quarterback spot. Texas and Texas Tech, however, are keeping its cards closer to the vest. And that is okay. There is nothing wrong with keeping the door open to competition and making an opponent prepare for two different options. The Red Raiders are deciding between Patrick Mahomes and Davis Webb. The Longhorns are also fielding a competition between Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard. Both schools seem to have an obvious choice. Mahomes is far more talented than Webb. The former Whitehouse High School prospect was a big recruiting win for head coach Kliff Kingsbury and his staff in the 2014 class. Mahomes played well as a freshman when he got opportunities and looks poised to take over the reigns as a sophomore. It is less clear at Texas, but Swoopes remains the man. Reports throughout camp said Swoopes is the more consistent passer. Longhorn fans have clamored for new blood at quarterback, but Swoopes is still the best option. Charlie Strong has insisted both will play against Notre Dame. There are advantages of making a decision and getting it out of the way, namely that the media will stop asking questions about it. A quarterback competition can be a distraction, but it doesn’t have to be. Competition makes everyone better. Texas and Texas Tech aren’t ready to show its hand.
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