Tag: Bauer Sharp

LSU tight end transfer target commits to Big 12 school

LSU was hoping to keep adding to its tight end room, but a transfer target committed to Texas Tech

LSU football is off to an excellent start in the transfer portal, but you can’t land them all.

On Tuesday, LSU tight end target Terrance Carter committed to Texas Tech. LSU was interested in the Louisiana transfer as the Tigers try to rebuild the tight end room following the departures of [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag].

LSU already signed one tight end, adding former Oklahoma TE [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] over the weekend.

Sharp is your prototypical tight end that can block and catch a pass when needed. LSU was looking to complement Sharp with a receiving threat like Carter.

With Louisiana in 2024, Carter caught 48 passes for 691 yards and four scores. He’ll now try to replicate that production on the Big 12 level.

Along with Sharp, LSU returns [autotag]Trey’Dez Green.[/autotag]

Green was a five-star tight end recruit in 2024, but most of Green’s action came at wide receiver. The coaching staff wasn’t ready to trust Green in a blocking role.

If LSU plans to keep Green at receiver in 2025, the Tigers likely need another tight end.

LSU is also counting on the arrival of four-star TE JD LaFleur.

Former Sooners starting tight end commits to LSU Tigers

Oklahoma Sooners transfer portal tight end Bauer Sharp commits to the LSU Tigers.

Another Oklahoma Sooners product has found a new home via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. After it was reported that Brenen Thompson committed to Mississippi State, tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] has reportedly committed to the LSU Tigers.

Sharp led the Oklahoma Sooners in receiving in 2024 after making the move from Southeastern Louisiana State last offseason.

He’s an athletic tight end that wasn’t used quite properly in the Sooners passing attack. Only 12 of his 55 targets came on throws 10 yards or more down the field.

It was an up-and-down season for Sharp, who is still developing as a tight end after making the move from quarterback early in his collegiate career. But he was one of the few bright spots in the passing game.

Too many times, however, the offensive coordinators asked Sharp to be the point man on trick plays instead of taking advantage of his athleticism down the field.

Now, Sharp will have the opportunity to face much more favorable coverages with the Tigers, who employ an impressive group of wide receivers. In 2024, Sharp led the Sooners with 42 catches and 327 yards receiving. He also had two receiving touchdowns this season for the Sooners.

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Oklahoma Sooners lose starting wide receiver to transfer portal

Oklahoma has lost another wide receiver to the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be replacing their top two pass catchers this offseason.

[autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] entered the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] earlier this week, and now, [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] has as well. Hester is the third wide receiver to depart via the portal this cycle, following [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag].

“First and foremost, thank you to my brothers and OU,” Hester shared on social media. “I’m grateful for everything that has happened throughout my career. Memories that’ll last forever. With that being said, I’ll be entering my name in the transfer portal.”

Hester was second on the Sooners in receiving yards with 315 yards on 14 receptions. He had one touchdown, a 90-yard score against Maine. His big game came against the Auburn Tigers: three receptions for 86 yards. His 60-yard reception helped set up a Jovantae Barnes two-yard score that put the Sooners back in the game at 21-16. Kip Lewis’ interception return for a touchdown followed and the Sooners earned their first SEC win.

After transferring from Missouri in 2022, Hester had a hard time getting on the field during his first two seasons in Norman. But with injuries at wide receiver, 2024 provided an opportunity to see extended playing time. Though the numbers may not be eye-popping, he provided an explosive element in the Sooners’ struggling passing game, averaging 22 yards per reception. Hester was second among Sooners wide receivers in snaps this season.

Oklahoma has been linked to wide receivers [autotag]Donaven McCulley[/autotag] and [autotag]Reginald Virgil[/autotag] in the first few days of the transfer portal as the Sooners look to rebuild their wide receiver corps.

More: 2024 Oklahoma Sooners transfer portal tracker

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Oklahoma Sooners lose starting tight end to the transfer portal

OU’s starter at the tight end position is on the move again.

The Oklahoma Sooners will lose their leading receiver from the 2024 season. Starting tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] plans to enter the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag], according to a report by On3 Sports.

Sharp was [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag]’s answer at the tight end position this season, and the position group as a whole underwhelmed for the second straight year under Finley’s watch. Sharp led the Sooners with 42 catches for 324 yards, but was often penalty prone, a poor blocker and made mistakes on trick plays. His team-leading receiving totals are the lowest in decades for Oklahoma.

He spent one year in Norman after transferring from Football Championship Subdivision program Southeastern Louisiana. He has also played quarterback in his collegiate career, and he’ll have one year of eligibility remaining at his next school.

The portal doesn’t open until Monday and will run until Dec. 28. So far, a handful of Sooners have declared their intentions to leave the program. Quarterback Jackson Arnold, running backs Kalib Hicks, Emeka Megwa and [autotag]Chapman McKown[/autotag], wide receivers Nic Anderson and Jaquaize Pettaway and defensive back [autotag]Jayden Rowe[/autotag] join Sharp in leaving Norman.

Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Oklahoma’s 37-17 loss to LSU

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from the Oklahoma Sooners 37-17 loss to the LSU Tigers to close the regular season.

There wasn’t a lot to like about Oklahoma’s performance in their 37-17 loss to the LSU Tigers. It was a letdown after what they did to the Alabama Crimson Tide the week before. It was an unfortunate way to end the season and now the Sooners will hope to find the answer at offensive coordinator and get some guys healthy ahead of the 2025 season.

As we await Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator decision and ahead of the opening of the early signing period and the transfer portal, here’s the final edition of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Oklahoma’s loss to LSU.

The Good: Defensive Line

The Oklahoma Sooners got their first score of the game when the defensive line created pressure, Gracen Halton forced a fumble, and then R Mason Thomas picked it up and ran into the end zone for the touchdown. The Sooners tied the game up at seven, and it looked like they would have a chance against the Tigers.

Later in the first half, Thomas registered his ninth sack of the season, when he cleanly beat the left tackle blasted Garrett Nussmeier and forced a fumble. LSU recovered the ball, and remarkably, Nussmeier returned to the game later in the second quarter and had a great game.

But the defensive line had a good game. Was it the best game they’ve had this season? No, but it was far from the biggest issue on the defensive side of the ball on Saturday night. The defensive front held LSU to 3.8 yards per carry and 110 rushing yards.

Brent Venables, Todd Bates, and Miguel Chavis have been working over the last few years to turn the Sooners defensive front into a unit that could create havoc in the SEC and they’re doing just that.

If the Sooners are able to talk Thomas into coming back for one more year that would be huge for a defense that will lose Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman, and Ethan Downs this offseason.

Up Next: Oklahoma goes from bad to worse

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Oklahoma Sooners captains against Missouri Tigers

The Sooners will be led by some of the biggest names on the team as captains against the Tigers.

The Oklahoma Sooners take the road this week, heading to Columbia, Missouri as they jump back into [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play. The 5-4 Sooners will look to win their second straight game, as they’ll visit the Missouri Tigers for a primetime battle away from home.

OU head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has announced his game captains for this conference tilt, and his team will be represented by some of the biggest names on the roster in a pivotal contest. Quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag], defensive linemen [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and defensive back [autotag]Billy Bowman Jr.[/autotag] will lead Oklahoma into battle as captains in week eleven.

Arnold has gone from the heir-apparent, to the no-doubt starter, to being benched, to being re-inserted in the lineup, and now back to captain status in a whirlwind month and a half. The sophomore has looked more comfortable since regaining his starting spot, and his play will go a long way toward deciding this week’s game.

Sharp has shown some positive things at tight end, but there’s still plenty to work on for a player still new to the position. The coaching staff clearly trusts him to get the lion’s share of the reps, and he’s been more effective since the offensive coordinator change.

Williams was a big offseason addition for this team, and has been been reliable in the interior of the defensive line. He hasn’t been spectacular, but he’s helped one of the strongest units on the team consistently shut down the inside run game week after week.

Halton has improved so much over the last couple of seasons, and is really coming into his own as another great interior line option on this defense. He’s found a knack for getting into the backfield and making big plays, none bigger than his game-changing safety against Houston all the way back in week two.

Stutsman is the unquestioned leader of this team, and one of the best inside linebackers in college football. He hasn’t seen as many wins in his senior season as he’d like, but he continues to excel no matter how far back against the wall the offense puts the defense this year.

Bowman Jr. hasn’t matched his unbelievable production from a year ago, but he’s still a very good veteran player in the back end of OU’s defense. If he can return to his ball-hawking, turnover-causing 2023 form, it’ll help this team immensely over the final four weeks of the regular season.

The Sooners are putting some of their biggest stars front and center for this game. The noteworthy names, especially Stutsman, Bowman Jr. and Arnold will have to play like stars on Saturday, and the rest of the season, for Oklahoma to begin stacking wins in the SEC.

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Oklahoma Sooners fall 26-14 to No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t protect Jackson Arnold on their final two drives and dropped to 4-4 on the season in their 26-14 loss to Ole Miss.

For the third consecutive week, the Oklahoma Sooners will wake up Sunday morning with the taste of defeat. Oklahoma traveled to Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday to take on Lane Kiffin’s 18th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. The Sooners put up a fight in the first half but ultimately fell 26-14.

The game started rough as the Rebels marched down the field in six plays and scored the game’s opening touchdown on a nine-yard TD run from Henry Parrish Jr. It looked as if Ole Miss was going to have its way with the Sooners, but Zac Alley’s unit made considerable adjustments the rest of the half.

The Sooners used their first possession, aided by some key penalties on the Rebels, to march all the way down to the Rebel’s two-yard line, where the Sooners were unable to convert on 4th and goal. Jackson Arnold hit Brenen Thompson in the gut with an Ole Miss defender draping him and couldn’t come up with the catch.

Oklahoma’s defense settled in forcing a punt on the Rebels’ next possession. The Sooners finally found pay dirt in the first half for the first time since they traveled to Auburn. Jackson Arnold delivered a rainbow of a throw to tight end Bauer Sharp for an 11-yard score.

Oklahoma and Ole Miss traded punts before the Rebels nailed a field goal to go up 10-7 in the second quarter.

Despite Ole Miss forcing a fumble to give themselves incredible field position, the Oklahoma defense stopped the Rebels on fourth down to get the ball back at their own eight-yard line.

Jackson Arnold and the OU offense, led by terrific running from Jovantae Barnes and timely decision-making from Arnold, pushed all the way downfield 92 yards, culminating in a nine-yard touchdown toss to Jacob Jordan. Arnold made an incredible individual effort to evade pressure and roll right before throwing a dart to the walk-on receiver for Jordan’s first career touchdown.

Oklahoma would go into the half up 14-10, their first lead at halftime in almost two months.

Out of the half, the Sooners were unable to get anything going on their first possession and Ole Miss responded with a touchdown to take a 16-14 lead.

Oklahoma’s offense began to sputter, and the Rebels scored another touchdown on their second drive of the second half. That all but sealed the game. The Sooners had a drive in the fourth quarter to potentially cut a 26-14 lead to a one-score game, but consecutive sacks right outside the red zone knocked Oklahoma back and forced them into an impossible fourth-down situation.

Jackson Arnold was calm despite the constant pressure he was under en route to finishing 22 of 31 for 182 yards,  two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was sacked eight times. That comes a week after the Sooners offensive line gave up nine sacks last week. Barnes had 16 carries for 67 yards and added five catches for 57 yards as he had his best game of the season.

Bauer Sharp led the team in catches with eight but struggled to secure the ball and was put in some bad positions by the offensive coordinator with failed tight end screens and a tight end pass.

Ultimately, this game came down to the offensive line’s inability to pass protection in the fourth quarter. The Sooners lost Jacob Sexton to injury and that killed any momentum the offensive line had created through three quarters. Arnold was under siege, and the offensive line allowed nine sacks for the second straight week.

Oklahoma will put its head down and get back to work searching for win number five this season as they host the Maine Black Bears next week.

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Oklahoma Sooners name captains for Week 7 vs. Texas Longhorns

The Sooners announced their captains for a huge game against the archival Longhorns.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns are just days away from renewing one of the greatest rivalry games sports has to offer. The [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] pits the undefeated Longhorns against the 4-1 Sooners in Dallas.

Oklahoma head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has chosen six captains to represent his team in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. Tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag] represent the offense, while defensive linemen [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] and defensive back [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] represent the defense.

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Sharp, a transfer from Southeastern Louisiana, is making his first appearance in this rivalry. He’s been OU’s leading receiving tight end so far this season. While he’s struggled a bit with blocking, he’s been a reliable target over the middle in the passing game.

Nwaiwu is also a newcomer to this game, after transferring in from North Texas. He’s been a constant at right guard for OU this season, and has had his fair share of good and bad up front. Still, he’s been healthy and good enough to hold down the starting gig.

Williams is another new face in this matchup after arriving in Oklahoma from TCU via the portal. A big NIL and recruiting win for Venables, he’s been a strong starter on OU’s nasty defensive front. Sooner Nation is still waiting for Williams’ true breakout game, but he’s been very good in his first five games in Norman.

Downs is a Red River veteran, playing in his fourth game against Texas. He was one of the stars of this matchup a season ago, pressuring QB Quinn Ewers again and again. Downs is one of many players that OU rotates in and out at defensive end, but his veteran leadership and his technique are huge for  the coaching staff.

Stutsman continues to serve as the leader of OU’s defense and is responsible for so much from play to play. His now-iconic quote before last year’s game is indicative of what he brings to the table for this team. He’s playing in his fourth Red River game and leads the Sooners in tackles so far this season.

Bowman is another veteran on this defense, also playing in his fourth matchup against the “Horns. He was another one of Oklahoma’s many defensive stars in this game last year, forcing an interception in the first quarter with a huge hit, and coming up with the defining fourth-down stop of OU’s legendary goal-line stand. He’s the leader of an excellent safety trio for the Sooners that will have to come up big once again in this game.

Oklahoma and Texas will kick things off on ABC on Saturday, and the game will begin at 2:30 p.m.

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Pair of Oklahoma Sooners included on Pro Football Focus’ SEC Team of the Week

Two Oklahoma Sooners earned spots on Pro Football Focus’ SEC Team of the Week.

It took a team effort from the Oklahoma Sooners to leave Jordan-Hare Stadium with a win. After the Auburn Tigers took an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, it appeared the game was beginning to slip away. Then the Sooner Magic happened.

True freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins responded with a 60-yard completion to J.J. Hester, and Jovantae Barnes punched it in for the touchdown to cut Auburn’s lead to five. After that score, it was all Oklahoma, highlighted by [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag]’ interception return for the go-ahead touchdown.

In the win, two Sooners in particular stood out to the analysts over at Pro Football Focus. Lewis and tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] were among the highest-graded players of the week, earning a spot on PFF’s SEC Team of the Week. Lewis also earned a spot on Pro Football Focus’ National Team of the Week.

The standout linebacker finished the day with five total tackles, a tackle for loss, and the huge pick-six that turned the tide for good in Oklahoma’s favor. Lewis was the highest-graded among Power Four teams in week five. He’s fourth on the team in total tackles with 21 despite just the 10th most snaps on defense.

Sharp, who’s become one of the more reliable options in the Sooners passing attack, recorded four receptions for 48 yards. His day could have been even bigger if not for an offensive pass interference call on a botched pick play in the first half.

Sharp’s had at least four catches in four of Oklahoma’s five games this season and at least 36 yards in three of the five games. Saturday against Auburn, Sharp earned his best grade yet as a run blocker from Pro Football Focus.

The Sooners have some talented players on both sides of the ball. As they wade into the second half of the season with five games against top 15 teams, Oklahoma will need that talent to continue to shine every week.

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3 keys that could lead to an Oklahoma victory over Tennessee

Three keys to the game as the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

It’s safe to assume Oklahoma’s preparation has intensified over the last week. The Sooners are preparing for a much more talented foe than they have seen at any point this season. No. 7 Tennessee presents an incredible challenge for OU on Saturday night, but that’s to be expected with the Sooners entering the SEC. The conference games will be more challenging than they were in the Big 12.

The rest of the college football world doesn’t give the Sooners a real chance to win this game. Brent Venables, a master motivator and no stranger to coaching in high-profile matchups over the last 20 years, knows what it will take for his team to come out on top Saturday night.

While Tennessee is the higher-ranked team, it is not invincible. Oklahoma has a path to victory. We took the time to highlight that path with our three keys to the game below.

1. Start Fast

It’s such a cliche statement, but it does hold a lot of weight in a football game. Especially in a game where one team has heard they were the underdogs and didn’t have a chance at winning. It’s a confidence thing that can boost one team and psychologically damage the other.

Oklahoma has had some decent starts to their games this season, but they’ve yet to carry it into the second quarter. And that’s where Oklahoma needs to hone in on Saturday. Play a complete first half, take a breather, and gear up to scrap in the second half because Tennessee will not go away if you come out swinging.

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Seth Littrell must get his young quarterback into a rhythm. Maybe start out with the short passing game and mixing in designed QB runs along with the regular run game to ease him in. As the results show and his confidence grows, Littrell can then start to open up the playbook even wider.

Up Next: More Keys to the Game

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