A decade after the 'Belldozer,' Sharp looks to be OU's next QB-turned-TE

The emergence of Bauer Sharp in the tight end room this spring has given Joe Jon Finley and Seth Littrell something to be very excited about heading into the summer portion of the 2024 schedule.

There's no question who's been TE1 for Oklahoma to this point in spring practice, as Sharp has flashed immense potential as a big-bodied target with great speed and elusiveness at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds.

This is just the second time in Bauer's career that he's entered spring football as a tight end, though, as he made the switch from quarterback during spring practices in 2022 at Southeastern Louisiana.

In 2023, Sharp made eight starts at tight end for the Lions, including each of their last five games, and totaled 288 yards and three touchdowns on 29 receptions. He also rushed 25 times for 133 yards and five touchdowns in an offensive set that resembled the "Bulldozer" packages we saw from 2011-14 when Blake Bell made a similar transition from quarterback to tight end.

Bell played quarterback for Oklahoma for three years, appearing in 31 games with eight starts. Despite that experience, Bell had just 253 passing attempts as a Sooner but was more well-known for his prowess in short-yardage situations. In 2011 and 2012, the "Belldozer" was born, as OU's goal line offense morphed into a direct snap and pile forward while the 6-foot-6, 259-pound quarterback drove his way into the endzone. Bell scored 24 of his 36 career touchdowns on the ground, and the vast majority of those games were in short-yardage goalline situations.

After Trevor Knight led Oklahoma to a 45-31 victory over Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, Bell started to look toward the NFL and decided his best route would be at tight end. So, he made the switch, and it didn't come without its challenges.

"I’d say the blocking has been the most difficult part, but you know, getting in the film room and having guys all around, coach Joe Jon (Finley) and coach (Jay) Boulware have done a great job helping me," Bell told The Oklahoman in 2014.

He played in 12 games and made eight starts for the Sooners there in 2014, recording 16 receptions for 214 yards and four touchdowns that season.

Then, after a lone season at his new position, Bell entered the 2015 NFL Draft. With excellent measurables, he was projected as a fifth-round pick but was eventually selected in the fourth round by San Francisco.

When the 49ers drafted Bell, he again spoke about the transition to tight end, but this time, it was on the other side of having a season under his belt.

"It's one of those things that, you know, it's becoming a lot easier as the season went on and that's what was nice," Bell said at the time. "It's just kind of repetition. You know, when you haven't done something for that long, it's all about just getting reps and getting used to the switch."

He also pointed out that having that knowledge as a quarterback helped him become a more effective tight end.

"It's kind of one of those things, where you're on the field and running routes and you kind of know when the quarterback is hot, when you need to break it off," Bell said. "In your eyes, you kind of just, hey, I played quarterback before. So, it's I can see the coverage, man, zone, what the corner's doing, linebackers, D-ends, stuff like that. It obviously helped...

"When I made the switch, I knew 100 percent, you know, I'd keep working and I knew I had the size. So yeah, I just wanted to get an opportunity. I just wanted to prove that I can play tight end and I want to play tight end. The more reps and I got out there I knew, ‘hey, I can do this.' You know, and just kept working."

A decade later, and sporting the very same No. 10 jersey that Bell wore before him, Sharp hopes that he'll have similar success with the transition. For now, though, he's just thankful for an opportunity with the Sooners.

""It's just a blessing every day," Sharp said of his first spring in Norman. "I just try not to take it for granted. I've just come from so little, but now I have so much. Just compete with these guys every day. They're pushing me to be great. I'm thankful to do that every single day."

In a new town and under a new coaching staff, the former quarterback is learning an acquired trade with an entirely new set of expectations. But leaning on his former experience as a quarterback has helped him through the process.

"Greg Stevens, my OC my freshman year, for me to learn his offense as a quarterback my freshman year was just a blessing in disguise," Sharp recalled. "It's a hard offense, so for me to learn the inside and out of that to now go to tight end, where it's just one position and not everyone and a whole coverage is definitely set me up [for success]."

That experience has also helped Sharp quickly develop a relationship with current quarterback Jackson Arnold, and also alludes to his experience as a signal-caller helping them get on the same page quickly.

"It's awesome," Sharp says of his relationship with his new quarterback. Being a former quarterback, I feel like I can see what he's seeing in a man/zone look. You know what I'm saying? My roommate at my past school was the quarterback as well, so we have a good relationship already."

Sharp was asked about the transition to tight end, and just like Bell answered nearly 10 years ago, Sharp says that learning how to block is the biggest challenge for a former quarterback.

"That was definitely the hardest thing in the transition. I just got the technique down from the great coaching I've had at Southeastern and from Joe Jon here. It's been a great transition, and I'm just super blessed."

It's no secret that Bauer's physical traits have coaches and the media feeling very good about his role for the Sooners in 2024, but his work ethic and attitude also stand out. When asked how he feels his spring has gone, Sharp inadvertently gives a glimpse into his mindset, and it speaks volumes.

"You can get better each and every day," Sharp says. "I try to never be content, but it's just the Lord's blessed me with the opportunity to just make some plays here and there. I try to do that, but never be content. Just keep working for these guys."

The similarities between Sharp and Bell are uncanny, but there is one major difference. Sharp enters 2024 with two seasons of tight-end experience under his belt. And to this point, he's looked like he has the physical tools to be the best tight end Oklahoma has had since Mark Andrews won the John Mackey Award in 2017.

Now, is Sharp due for 62 receptions, 958 yards, and eight scores in 2024? That might be a bit lofty, but Bell's blueprint gives him a clear path to success, both in Norman and at the next level.

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