Kyler Murray and Lincoln Riley go way back, all the way to their days at Oklahoma, where Riley, then coach of the Sooners, helped mold Murray into a Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL draft.That player-coach connection has stood the test of time, and on Murray’s 28th birthday on Thursday, Riley shared a few throwback photos on Instagram, including one where they are hugging on the sidelines.“Happy Birthday to one of the best to do it,” Riley wrote. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostLincoln Riley is known for developing great quarterbacks. He also coached Baker Mayfield to a Heisman Trophy the year before Murray won his. What sets Riley apart as a coach is how he builds his offense around what his quarterbacks do best, rather than forcing them into a system. With Murray, Riley used his speed, arm talent and instincts while downplaying concerns about his height."He took it to the next level," Murray said in 2022 via ESPN. "His knowledge of the game, the way he coaches it and the way he sees it, just the relationship he has with the quarterbacks, he's great at it."Lincoln Riley is confident in his current quarterback at USCMany college football analysts see USC quarterback Jayden Maiava as average in the Big Ten. However, Lincoln Riley is confident in Maiava’s real potential."His arm talent and his decisiveness in which he plays and how he sees things is really unique and has a chance to be really special," Riley told The Sporting Tribune in July.“We have really focused in on two big areas this offseason, him continuing to find his voice as a leader, in which he's really grown and matured and has become comfortable with and I think the second for him, like a lot of young quarterbacks that we've had that become pretty solid players, is making sure that your mistakes don't kill us."NCAA Football: Las Vegas Bowl-Texas A&M at Southern California - Source: ImagnMaiava started four games last season, going 3-1 with 1,201 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. While he needs to cut down on turnovers, that should come with more experience and time in Riley’s system.