How Bauer Sharp landed at OU, fulfilling a lifelong dream
Long before becoming a standout football player, Bauer Sharp was once a fierce neighborhood boxer in Dothan, Alabama.
The only problem for Sharp was that he had just one opponent — the kid next door.
“He just wanted to hit people,” said Sharp’s mom, Amy. “When he started playing football, he was the quarterback. But I remember him telling me, ‘Mom, I want to play defense so I can hit people.’”
Neither Sharp nor his parents thought he had a future in boxing. Instead, he took that desire for contact to the football field where he’s had a remarkable journey, going from standout quarterback at Dothan High School to a budding star at tight end at Southeastern Louisiana to now playing for one of college football’s bluebloods at Oklahoma.
And only a few months into his time in Norman, the 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end has made a favorable impression on his new teammates and coaches for his athleticism, physicality and work ethic. He’s been the talk of spring ball, taking the majority of the first-team reps at tight end — a position group OU needed to improve this offseason.
Many believe he could play a crucial role in Oklahoma’s offense next season.
“Bauer Sharp has been really good,” coach Brent Venables said. “The buy-in and the toughness of a guy like a Bauer Sharp that just got here. Man, he’s trying to earn the respect of his teammates.”
It’s clear Sharp has already won that respect. He’s come a long way to potentially being a starting tight end in the SEC. And he admits he still has a ways to go. But it wasn’t long ago that he didn’t know if he’d even have the opportunity to play college football, after COVID-19 wrecked his recruitment, leaving him with Southeastern Louisiana as his only offer.
Now that he’s here, he hopes to make the most of his opportunity, similar to what he did at Southeastern Louisiana. Only difference now is he’s on a much bigger stage, just like he’d always hoped.
“I think any time you can see your kid doing something that they’ve dreamed about doing is very fulfilling,” said Sharp’s dad, Jason. “He didn’t always want to be an NFL football player. But he’s always wanted to compete in a sport at a high level. And when he was a kid, we never thought he’d be playing for the Oklahoma Sooners. But it is the kindness of the Lord that has allowed him to fulfill a dream and a passion. For parents, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
‘Fell in love with it’
In seventh grade, Sharp broke his left hand playing football. He had a full cast covering his left hand that went to his elbow.
That didn’t sideline Sharp, though. He finished the season with the cast, playing quarterback with only his right arm.
“He is a physical, tough person. Always has been,” Amy said. “And he loved football. He fell in love with it. He became passionate overnight about it.”
Sharp doesn’t come from a football family. His mom attended South Alabama and wasn’t an athlete. She’s currently an occupational therapist. His dad played baseball at Auburn University at Montgomery and now owns a pool business in Dothan.
But Sharp did grow up an Alabama football fan. Jason’s entire side of the family grew up in Tuscaloosa. The affinity for football was always there. That’s why, after homeschooling him since first grade, his parents enrolled him at 3A Northside Methodist Academy for high school where he became the starting quarterback.
After an impressive first two years at Northside, it was clear Sharp needed to play at a higher level to have a chance at playing college football. So he transferred to 7A Dothan High School where he immediately made an impact playing multiple positions as a junior and as the starting quarterback as a senior.
“He was such a good athlete that we couldn’t keep him off the field,” said J.D. Atkins, who was Sharp’s offensive coordinator at Dothan. “We used him in some wildcat stuff. He played special teams for us. Played a little receiver for us when we needed him to. And then that second year, he became the full-time starting quarterback. He had a cannon for an arm. And he was a really good runner. Physical. It was really weird to have a quarterback that loves contact. But he kind of had that Tebow mentality. He was a physical inside runner. Obviously being a bigger kid, he was willing to get down in there — QB power, QB counter and some downhill runs.
“I just really remember him being different than any other quarterback I’ve coached because of how much he loved contact.”
In the spring following his junior season, former Alabama coach Nick Saban visited Sharp at Dothan. The Crimson Tide didn’t offer him, but were clearly interested, as were several other local schools, including South Alabama. But only a few weeks after Saban’s visit, the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down and college football recruiting with it.
Dothan went 2-7 in 2020 with Sharp being one of the lone bright spots. He totaled 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in just eight games played. Still, his recruitment was minimal. South Alabama offered Sharp a football scholarship, but later pulled it because the NCAA gave every player an extra year due to COVID-19, meaning they no longer needed Sharp.
That left Sharp with one option: Southeastern Louisiana.
“There was no recruiting. There was no wining and dining,” Amy said. “This was his one offer and that was it. We just had to trust him and his dream to play at the next level.”
Sharp redshirted his first season at Southeastern Louisiana before moving to tight end the following spring. He played in 13 games and made two starts, catching 11 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and rushing 10 times for 83 yards. But it was on special teams where he made a name for himself, becoming known for his knockout blocks.
“I couldn’t stand watching kickoff because I knew he was going to take someone out,” his mom said.
In 2023, Sharp’s role increased dramatically. He was the starter, playing 11 games and totaling 288 yards and three touchdowns through the air and 133 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. But it was in the season opener at Mississippi State when Sharp realized his potential.
He only had two receptions for 20 yards and one rush for 13 yards, but his blocking and athleticism was on full display. So much so that after the game, Mississippi State players were asking if he’d enter the portal to come play with them.
That was when the idea of transferring first entered his mind. And after the season, he decided to enter not knowing the amount of schools that would soon be knocking on his door.
“He talked to all his teammates and coaches and they all said, ‘Yes, dude. You need to go. You’re different,’” Jason said. “He talked to his head coach, which he was really nervous about it. But he gave him his blessing and told him, ‘You need to be on a bigger stagefell in love with it. You have the ability to play on Sundays.’
“He knew what he wanted to do when he was at Southeastern but didn’t quite have the infrastructure or the support and obviously the capital, to grow like he wanted to grow. Now, he’s got unlimited access to everything. He just eats it up — the nutrition, the weight room, the film room, the technology.”
‘Checked all the boxes’
One of the first schools to reach out to Sharp was Oklahoma.
The Sooners immediately wanted to schedule a home visit with Sharp. There were plenty of other suitors though — Tennessee and Utah were the main competitors to OU. But after co-offensive coordinator/QBs coach Seth Littrell and co-offensive coordinator/TEs coach Joe Jon Finley visited Sharp and his family in December, it was clear where he wanted to go.
Sharp was sold on not only OU’s plan on the field but also off it. Off the field, he loved the S.O.U.L. Mission and the resources in place to help him in life after football, as well as the program having a strong faith presence. And on the field, he saw an opportunity to play right away in a system that would show off his skills and help him pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.
He silently committed to the Sooners on the spot in Dothan before he ever took a visit.
“We were sold in the living room,” Sharp’s dad said. “We could just tell the coaches were authentic and genuine. It felt like that’s who they were and that’s a direct reflection of who Venables is. There wasn’t a lot of smoke and mirrors. It was, ‘This why we want you. This is what we’re going to do with you. This is what we want for our football players on the field and off the field.’ It just felt real. Every other recruiting visit they want to talk football. They want to sit down and look at X’s and O’s and say, ‘This is how we’re going to use you.’ Which is important.
“But these guys came in and wanted to know who we were. And they told us who they were as people and what they’re like and what their families are like and they wanted to get to know Bauer. They did it right. And it was very impactful. It checked all the boxes for us and Bauer.”
In his short time at OU, Sharp has been impressive in every aspect of the program. After just a few weeks of winter workouts, Finley called Jason with an update.
“Schmitty loves Bauer,” Finley told Jason. “Schmitty doesn’t love anybody, but for some reason he likes Bauer.”
Strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt isn’t the only one who has a good early review of Sharp.
“He’s extremely athletic. He’s super physical too,” quarterback Jackson Arnold said. “Obviously he runs great routes and catches the ball, but he’ll go and move some people in the run game too which is what I love. He’ll do it all, you know? And of course, like you said, he’s super athletic and that showed the first week when he was here. We were running routes and you could tell this dude was a little different.”
Watch practice and it’s easy to see Sharp is going to help the Sooners. He’s not the tallest or biggest tight end — that title goes to freshman Davon Mitchell. But he does look smooth with the ball, as if making plays is effortless for him. And once real games are actually played, his craving for contact is sure to shine.
But he’s also clearly well-liked by his teammates and coaches. He’s always first in line among the tight ends and constantly encouraging those around him. He may not be the most vocal leader on the team just yet, but he’s certainly earned many people’s respect from within the program.
“That’s my guy,” said OU defensive tackle Gracen Halton, who was Sharp’s roommate during their mission trip to Hawaii. “I honestly didn’t even know he was before the trip. But man, that’s my brother. He’s a great guy and a great teammate.”
As for Sharp’s family, the reality of their son playing at a school like Oklahoma hasn’t set in just yet. They said it likely won’t until the season kicks off next year.
But they couldn’t be more proud of Sharp and all that he’s accomplished, knowing his dream still lies ahead.
“We’re helping him keep it real. Stay humble. He is still Bauer Sharp from Dothan, Alabama. It’s fun, but we’re staying in a place of humility.”
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