Tag: Davis Beville

Who will be Oklahoma’s backup quarterback in 2024?

Oklahoma has options on the quarterback depth chart behind starter Jackson Arnold.

Backup quarterback is a position few fans or coaches ever want to think about. However, it’s an important role to have decided before going into any season.

The Oklahoma Sooners have zero doubt who their starting quarterback will be in Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] was tabbed long ago as the player who would be the face of the Sooners as they left the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] for the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

The quarterback room as a whole has seen a major reshuffle around the former five-star prospect. Former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] is the head coach at Mississippi State. Former offensive analyst [autotag]Matt Wells[/autotag], who worked with the QBs, is the co-offensive coordinator at Kansas State. Former assistant quarterbacks coach [autotag]Matt Holocek[/autotag] followed Lebby to Starkville.

[autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] were promoted to co-offensive coordinators to replace Lebby, with Littrell coaching quarterbacks and likely serving as the primary play-caller. Finley will continue to coach tight ends. [autotag]Kevin Johns[/autotag], who was the OC and QBs coach at Duke for the last two seasons, was hired by Venables as an offensive analyst this offseason to replace Wells. Johns has worked under Littrell before and received his coaching start working for former Oklahoma OC and current Tulsa head coach [autotag]Kevin Wilson[/autotag]. [autotag]Jack Lowary[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Hatcher[/autotag] were hired in December as offensive support staff, and both have worked with QBs.

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag], [autotag]General Booty[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Switzer[/autotag] left the program via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] this offseason, leaving Arnold as the only player in the QB room who was here a season ago.

Behind Arnold, Oklahoma has four other quarterbacks on the roster heading into the 2024 season. Veteran transfer [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag], true freshmen [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag], and late transfer enrollee [autotag]Steele Wasel[/autotag] make up the rest of the quarterback unit.

Which of these players has the best chance to be called upon if something happens to Arnold? After all, we saw the situation play out last season when Arnold’s redshirt year was burned because he had to replace Gabriel in the second half of a must-win game against BYU.

Casey Thompson has the experience you look for in a college football backup quarterback. The seventh-year “senior” has made stops at Texas, Nebraska and Florida Atlantic over the past few years. He’s Oklahoma royalty, having seen his father [autotag]Charles Thompson[/autotag] and his older brother [autotag]Kendal Thompson[/autotag] play for the Sooners before him. He joined the program as a walk-on transfer this offseason, and has been recovering from injury, meaning he was unable to participate in spring football.

Michael Hawkins Jr., another Oklahoma legacy, provides the young and uber-talented backup option. The true freshman hails from Frisco Emerson High School in Texas, and he could be the future of the position if he develops over the next two seasons behind Arnold. He’s a dual-threat quarterback, flashing his talent in the [autotag]2024 spring game[/autotag].

Brendan Zurbrugg was the second quarterback the Sooners took in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag], and his road to playing time is longer than his fellow true freshman’s. Zurbrugg is from Alliance, Ohio, and will be a depth player this season. He was taken by Oklahoma this year for a reason. He’ll have a chance to show what he has in practice.

Steele Wasel is the newest member of the group, transferring in from Akron in early June. He’ll be the fifth quarterback on the roster this season, and the in-state product will provide depth and a practice arm as a walk-on, getting the opportunity to practice against [autotag]Power Four[/autotag] players in Norman.

Thompson and Hawkins Jr. are the front-runners to serve as Arnold’s backup, but they’re on opposite ends of the experience spectrum. It may depend on the nature or severity of an Arnold injury to see which of them plays. Zurbrugg and Wasel are farther back in the competition, but college football has a way of making the unexpected the reality sometimes.

For instance, if Arnold is injured for part of a game and Littrell needs someone to finish the job, he might go with the steady hand of Thompson to help the Sooners win a close game, especially if it comes in a tough environment. If Arnold’s absence stretches multiple games, the talent and upside of Hawkins Jr. might be the way to go, considering the microscopic margin of error in the SEC. If either of those backups go down, Zurbrugg or Wasel could see an expanded role.

The competition will likely extend throughout fall camp, but Venables, Littrell and Finley need to have an answer at backup QB.

They’ll need to prepare either the experienced Thompson or the young Hawkins Jr. to hold the weight of Sooner Nation on their shoulders if the worst-case scenario happens. While they’re at it, it doesn’t hurt to get Zurbrugg or even Wasel ready to go just in case chaos reigns in 2024.

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Oklahoma Sooners quarterback room will look completely different in 2024

The Sooners have almost completely restacked the quarterback room going into their first season in the SEC.

In early December, Oklahoma’s starting quarterback for the last two seasons, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], announced he was entering the transfer portal.

Gabriel saw the writing on the wall that it was former five-star [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s time to take the reins under center for the Sooners. Gabriel transferred to Oregon to play the final year of his college career.

While Gabriel was certainly OU’s most notable loss in the portal at the QB spot, his was just the first of many departures that have completely reshuffled Oklahoma’s quarterback depth chart.

But let’s start at the beginning. Last season’s quarterback room in Norman consisted of Dillon Gabriel, Jackson Arnold, [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag], [autotag]General Booty[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacob Switzer[/autotag].

Gabriel’s departure wasn’t even the first domino to fall. Former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] was hired to be the head coach at Mississippi State in late November. So, regardless of the portal or recruiting, a different voice was going to call the shots on offense.

[autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] were promoted to co-offensive coordinators. Finley is still serving as the tight ends coach, and Littrell is expected to be the play-caller and quarterbacks coach. Additionally, offensive analyst [autotag]Matt Wells[/autotag], who has experience coaching quarterbacks and as an offensive coordinator, was hired away by Chris Klieman to coach QBs for Kansas State in January.

Arnold stuck with the Sooners after Lebby’s departure. By doing so, ehe stablished himself as the starter until he decides to leave Norman. Seemingly, this was the plan all along.

But the QB room has changed around Arnold. From the coach in charge to the players behind the highly-touted sophomore.

After Lebby took the job in Starkville and Gabriel moved to Eugene, the next exit came courtesy of Beville. The former backup transferred to South Carolina after two seasons at OU.

Switzer, the fifth-string quarterback and grandson of [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag], entered the portal in April, having spent only 2023 as a Sooner.

And, finally, first-ballot all-name team Hall of Famer and name, image and likeness legend General Booty, entered the transfer portal on May 5. That leaves Arnold as the only player left from the 2023 quarterback room still on the roster.

Though the departures have changed things, the argument could be made that the Sooners have more talent overall under center than they did in November when the regular season ended.

First, the Sooners added two quarterbacks as part of the 2024 recruiting class: [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] out of Texas and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] out of Ohio.

Hawkins is the more highly touted of the two, and has a chance to be the future of the program after Arnold’s time is up. However, Zurbrugg was a very good prospect. He’ll compete for snaps when given the opportunity. Though both are young, they offer potential and talent for the future of the position.

But Littrell needed a veteran backup behind Arnold to offer stability in case of injury, so the Sooners went and picked up [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] in the transfer portal by way of FAU.

Thompson is OU royalty by way of (most notably) his father [autotag]Charles Thompson[/autotag] and his older brother [autotag]Kendal Thompson[/autotag]. Casey made stops at Texas and Nebraska before his time at Florida Atlantic. He brings six seasons of college football experience to Oklahoma. He carved up the OU defense in the fabled 2021 Red River Rivalry game, holding his own on a field with two five-star quarterbacks in crimson and cream.

In addition, the Sooners have an extremely strong commitment from [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] in the 2025 class. He will likely compete with Hawkins Jr. (and possibly Zurbrugg) for the starting spot going into the 2026 season if all goes as [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the coaching staff think it will.

To recap, we’re just over five months removed from the regular-season finale against TCU, and the quarterback room looks vastly different. As it stands, the Sooners will take Jackson Arnold, Casey Thompson, Michael Hawkins Jr. and Brendan Zurbrugg into the 2024 season.

But this is Jackson Arnold’s time to be the face of Oklahoma Sooners football, an opportunity he’s relished and prepared for for years. He is now the most tenured player in the QB room. It’s one more way that the OU faithful will be counting on him to lead the way in 2024 and beyond.

Fortunately, the reshuffling at the position looks to have been a success from a talent acquisition standpoint and quarterback is a strong point for the Sooners heading into Year 3 of the Venables era and Year 1 in the SEC.

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Sooners quarterback Davis Beville enters the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Davis Beville entering the transfer portal.

As the Oklahoma Sooners usher in a new era at quarterback, they’ve lost two of their top three passers on the depth chart to the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

According to Pete Nakos of On3, [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag] is entering the transfer portal, joining former starting quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] in the portal. Gabriel’s found a new home with the Oregon Ducks, and now Beville will look to ply his craft elsewhere in 2024.

Beville started one game with the Sooners, the infamous 49-0 loss in the Red River Rivalry game in 2022. During his tenure with the Oklahoma Sooners, he completed just 50% of his passes for 102 yards and an interception. Prior to his time with the Sooners, in two years at Pitt, Beville completed 59.7% of his throws for 339 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

With [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] expected to take the reigns at quarterback in 2024 and an influx of talent at the position in [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag], the Sooners still have a talented quarterback room for new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell to work with.

Oklahoma could look to add a veteran quarterback to join a group that also includes [autotag]General Booty[/autotag]. [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag] is a name that has been suggested could be a fit in Norman.

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Jackson Arnold set to redshirt for the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma’s 5-Star freshman quarterback is set to redshirt this season.

Late in last week’s blowout win over the [autotag]West Virginia Mountaineers[/autotag], the starters for the Oklahoma Sooners came out of the game. But it wasn’t former five-star [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] who replaced [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. Instead, it was [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag].

This had many, including myself, scratching their heads. They were excited to see Arnold get a chance to sling the football around. After the game, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] both spoke about redshirting the freshman.

Venables elaborated on that plan going forward in his press conference on Tuesday.

“You are always trying to be mindful of that,” Venables said. “Every player and sometimes you can potentially do it and sometimes that was the plan but there’s disaster that happens and then you got to make a hard right-hand turn. You always are looking at Plan A or Plan B, best-case scenario, worst-case scenario but he’s still been able to take all of the reps just in case something unforeseen happens. So he can stay ready. He’s had tremendous growth and maturity.”

I understand both sides to redshirting Arnold or not. On one hand, it makes sense to get him as many reps as possible before he takes the reins, possibly next season. In a blowout win, it would be great to let him play a whole quarter.

On the other hand, it’s not always a guarantee he’s gone in three seasons. Is it likely, sure. But what if something unforeseen happens and you wish you had that redshirt season? It makes sense not to blow it in a blowout win.

Also, if Gabriel decides not to play in the bowl game, assuming he doesn’t come back for 2024, Arnold can play that whole game and it doesn’t affect the four-game rule for redshirting. That would probably be the best-case scenario for Oklahoma: to have Arnold start and play in the bowl game.

Everyone is anxious to see the talented freshman play again, but just be patient, his time is coming.

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Dillon Gabriel looking forward to making up for last year’s Red River Rivalry

After missing the game last year, Dillon Gabriel is ready to make an impact in his first OU-Texas game.

It was 2022 and the Oklahoma Sooners were set to take on the Texas Longhorns in the 118th edition of the rivalry game. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] went out for his pregame routine in anticipation of the game.

Gabriel, who was concussed the week before, seemed like a long shot to play in that game. But he was still going through warmups, causing confusion on if he would play or not. Ultimately when the Sooners came back out of the locker room, Gabriel would not be dressed in uniform.

The Sooners would go on to lose 49-0 with backup [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag] in at quarterback and the offense mostly running the wildcat. Gabriel now gets his first shot in the game.

He told reporters he’s not putting any extra emphasis on this game.

“I think naturally they’ll try to make this one a big one, rightfully so. Two great teams going at it. But for me, I’m just continuing to take it day by day, prepare my butt off and make sure I’m ready to go come Saturday at 11:00 a.m.,” Gabriel said.

Gabriel has been stellar through the first five games of the season. He’s completing 75% of his passes for nearly 1,600 yards and has thrown 15 touchdowns. He’s also started to use his legs more, rushing for 95 yards and four scores.

But one critique on Gabriel even back to his [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] days was his play in big games. There’s no bigger game he’s played up to this point than the one on Saturday. If he plays well in that one, he can put all of the other criticism to bed.

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Oklahoma flips three-star Northwestern QB commit Brendan Zurbrugg

Oklahoma flips Northwestern quarterback commit Brendan Zurbrugg as he joins Oklahoma’s 2024 class.

Oklahoma had one of the worst offensive displays in a long time in their rivalry game against Texas last season.

In the offseason, Oklahoma brought in five-star signee QB Jackson Arnold. He’s the program’s future at the position. He’ll likely be QB2 on the depth chart come game one against Arkansas State.

Beyond Arnold, the depth chart could use a bit more freshening up. Enter three-star Brendan Zurbrugg, who flipped his commitment from Northwestern to Oklahoma today.

Zurbrugg had been committed to Northwestern Since June 26. Over that time frame, Northwestern fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald amid hazing allegations.

Oklahoma swooped in and offered Zurbrugg an opportunity to join four-star quarterback Michael Hawkins in the 2024 class. Oklahoma’s been diligently searching for a second QB to add to this group to add depth to a position group that options should injuries arise.

 

Zurbrugg has excellent size at 6-foot-4. He visited Oklahoma for “Party at the Palace” over the weekend. Last season for his Alliance High School team, he went 154/202 with 2,184 yards passing and 23 touchdown passes.

Last year’s debacle at the Cotton Bowl between Oklahoma and Texas has left a permanent mark in Oklahoma’s mind. The Sooners aren’t going to allow themselves to be without a capable quarterback option again should the starter get hurt.

Landing not one but two quarterbacks in 2024 who can be developed into starting options down the road is intelligent team building.

It shows a willingness to correct mistakes.

With Zurbrugg in now, Oklahoma remains at No. 15 in team recruiting rankings but has closed the gap between itself and Alabama. A mere five points separate the two right now.

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Sooners predicted to flip 2024 3-Star QB Brendan Zurbrugg

After hosting Northwestern commit Brendan Zurbrugg this week, SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuistion issued an On3 prediction favoring the Sooners.

We are in the midst of two massive recruiting events for the Oklahoma Sooners.

2025 and 2026 prospects are in town for “Sooners under the Stars.” Then comes the final bash of the summer, the “Party at the Palace” for 2024 recruits.”

One player in attendance this week is Northwestern Wildcats commit Brendan Zurbrugg, a three-star quarterback.

It’s been clear for a while the Sooners would like to add a second quarterback in the 2024 class. They’re hoping to enter the SEC and the 2024 season with three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

The recent controversy at Northwestern that led to the dismissal of long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald opened the door for Oklahoma to flip the Ohio native.

Josh McCuistion from SoonerScoop and On3 is predicting the Oklahoma Sooners to land Zurbrugg.

Last season, Zurbrugg threw for 2,184 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 76% of his passes. He ran for 804 yards and 11 more scores.

He’s a talented track athlete who runs the 110-meter and 300 hurdles. He won the regional title in the 300 hurdles. Zubrugg was an All-Eastern Buckeye Conference selection in both.

He is a raw prospect, but he’s a talented player with plus athleticism. With a unique athletic background, Zurbrugg could be developed into a contributor.

It happens all of the time but with five-star Jackson Arnold presumed to take the reins from Dillon Gabriel, Michael Hawkins committed to the 2024 class, and Kevin Sperry on board for 2025, it’ll be an uphill battle.

However, one can never have enough talented quarterback prospects and Zurbrugg’s potential makes him an intriguing option for the Oklahoma Sooners.

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General Booty named to 247Sports’ CFB all-name team

There are a ton of unique names in college football that it sometimes feels like a sketch from “Key & Peele” and one of those is none other than General Booty.

There are numerous unique names in college football that it sometimes feels like a sketch from “Key & Peele.”

247Sports comes up with a team just about every year of the players with the unique names at each position.

This year, the starting quarterback is none other than Oklahoma’s backup General Booty.

Booty transferred to Oklahoma before last season after spending one year at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.

While there he threw for more than three thousand yards and 25 touchdowns.

Those numbers ranked second in the nation among NJCAA players. In one game, he threw for 528 yards and eight touchdowns.

Booty comes from an athletic family. His father, Abram Booty played wide receiver, and his uncle Josh played quarterback for the LSU Tigers.

Another uncle, John David Booty played quarterback for the USC Trojans and Pete Carroll.

So, he definitely has some talent and comes from a great football background. However,  he probably will never take a meaningful snap at Oklahoma unless there’s some kind of injury.

He comes into the season as Oklahoma’s fourth-string quarterback behind Dillon Gabriel, Jackson Arnold and Davis Beville.

But having that last name has also opened him to making some serious NIL money. According to On3, Booty has a NIL evaluation of $118K.

He has partnerships with “Crimson and Cream” and “More Than Just a Name” collectives.

He has merchandise you can purchase, and, yes, even “The General’s” Crimson and Cream in a hilarious video he posted on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CnP7sEsD4Jx/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

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Oklahoma’s quarterback situation in much better shape than it was a year ago

The quarterback position is in a much better spot in year two under Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Jeff Lebby, to say the least.

This summer, Sooners Wire breaks down each position group for the Oklahoma Sooners heading into the 2023 season.

We start with the most important position on the field: quarterback.

The quarterback position is in a much better spot in Year 2 under offensive coordinator/QB coach Jeff Lebby.

Last year the Sooners had [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who had significant collegiate experience. Additionally, he had substantial experience in Lebby’s system. But as we saw, once Gabriel went down, there wasn’t much after him.

[autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag] played much of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs and started versus the Texas Longhorns. The two games without Gabriel were the only two the Sooners lost by more than one score. It was obvious against the Horned Frogs and the Longhorns, Oklahoma didn’t feel comfortable letting Beville throw the ball.

Though the fall was a struggle for Beville, he looked much better in the spring game.

After Beville was true freshman Nick Evers and junior college transfer General Booty. Neither saw significant playing time, and Evers transferred to Wisconsin.

This year though, the Sooners return Gabriel and Beville and added five-star freshman [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

They arguably have the best quarterback room in the Big 12. Having that depth should open the offense more with the quarterback run game. Better depth behind Gabriel means more security in the event the starting quarterback suffers an injury.

This is Gabriel’s job. And as we saw a year ago, when Gabriel plays a full game, he gives the Oklahoma Sooners a chance to win. While he’s been a target for why the season went south in 2022, Sooner fans should want Gabriel to play meaningful snaps all season. Because that means he’s playing well, the team is playing well and he didn’t get injured.

Arnold is talented. He has a fantastic skill set. However, Gabriel’s experience sets him apart.

If you consider the relative inexperience of the Sooners’ wide receiver group, having a player with Gabriel’s experience lead the way makes a significant difference.

The show will be Arnold’s in 2024. Let him learn from Gabriel and Lebby, so he’s ready for the SEC next year. There will be opportunities to get Arnold playing time in the 2023 regular season, and the Sooners’ coaching staff should take every opportunity to let him throw in a game.

Playing true freshmen at quarterback is generally not a great plan when you have a talented, experienced option. True freshmen don’t often get the opportunity to start for the Oklahoma Sooners. [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] was an exception, and even he didn’t begin the season as a starter. He was incredible as a true freshman but not many have near the success he had. Even Williams struggled against Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State.

We’ve seen too many times when a talented true freshman gets in over his head, loses his confidence and never reaches his full potential. You don’t want that to happen to Arnold.

With Gabriel starting and Arnold the presumed heir apparent, the Oklahoma Sooners have a strong group of signal callers heading into 2023.

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Red River Showdown among College Sports Wire’s ‘must see’ of 2023

College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn chose OU-Texas as the “must-see” game for week 6 of the 2023 season.

The 2022 Red River Showdown was a surreal experience. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it actually happened.

It was a performance [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], the Oklahoma Sooners, and their fan base are eager to forget. Texas fans try their darndest to remind their Red River Rivals to the north of the historically bad loss for the Sooners at every turn.

This year’s edition of the greatest college football rivalry game will be even more highly anticipated. But this year’s game should go much differently.

Brent Venables and his staff want to show that what happened in the Cotton Bowl last season was nothing more than an aberration. The Sooners will have a better defense and a much better offensive plan than what they rolled into Dallas with last October.

Every year, the game is must-see television, but because of what happened last year, it’s going to carry more weight. Taking a look at each week of the college football season, Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire chose one game from each week that is “must-see” television. For Week 6, he chose Oklahoma-Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

The Sooners have had to deal with the sour taste of that loss for a year, and by the time the game kicks off they will be champing at the bit to return the favor. Last year [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] was sidelined after a vicious hit by Jamoi Hodge of TCU the week prior. The offense gets a boost with Austin Stogner returning after one year at South Carolina.

The Texas offense will be absolutely loaded this season despite losing Bijan Robinson to the NFL draft. Quinn Ewers will have Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington catching passes, along with a pair of newcomers. Isaiah Neyor who missed last season with a torn ACL returns and the team added former UGA WR A.D. Mitchell. Ja’Tavion Sanders might be the biggest weapon from the tight end position. – Conn, College Sports Wire

Texas is still an incredibly talented team and will go into the game as the favorites. However, the Sooners are a much-improved team. They have an improved quarterback situation with the signing of [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] and the development of [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag]. The Sooners will not look anything like the team that walked out of the Cotton Bowl a year ago.

As it does every year, this game will be a big key to Oklahoma’s season. The two teams could very well be undefeated heading into the matchup, putting even more importance on the second Saturday in October.

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