Why Davis Beville won OU's backup quarterback battle: 'He's played ball'
NORMAN — OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby wanted stability in his team's backup quarterback.
Davis Beville gave him that.
Redshirt junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been the starter for OU since he transferred from UCF in January, but the battle to back him up proved to be an ongoing one this offseason. Beville finally emerged victorious from that competition Monday when the Sooners' named him as their second-string quarterback for Week 1's game against UTEP.
"Davis, he's created predictable outcomes," Lebby said. "That's what we're looking for. We want to be able to call a play and have a really good idea of what's going to happen before he snaps it. He's done that. He's taken care of the football."
General Booty is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore who spent last season at Tyler Junior College. He ranked first in the nation in passing yards (3,410) and fourth in touchdowns (27) at the junior college level.
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Beville bested the likes of Booty and Nick Evers, who are listed as interchangeable options for the Sooners' third-string quarterback.
Then there's Evers, a 6-3, 190-pound freshman who arrived at OU as a consensus four-star prospect. ESPN rated him as the 166th-best player in the Class of 2022.
But Beville's Division I experience separated him from the pack.
The 6-6, 225-pound redshirt junior spent the past three seasons at Pittsburgh before transferring to OU in May. He appeared in three games last season and completed 17 of his 22 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown.
Beville closed out the campaign with his best performance yet. He came off the bench and threw for 149 yards and a touchdown during Pitt's 31-21 loss to Michigan State in the Peach Bowl.
It's an encouraging sight for Beville, who hopes to bring stability to OU if his number gets called.
"He's played ball," Lebby said. "He's an older guy. He gets it, he understands it and he's been through it. That's why it was so important to get him here, and he's done a great job."
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Jaden Davis' depth chart climb
Jaden Davis kept getting in his own way.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native has been in and out of the starting unit since he arrived at OU in 2019. He has started in 13 of his 37 game appearances for the Sooners, and last season was the ultimate roller coaster ride.
Davis made six starts and finished with 25 tackles, which marked the second-highest total of his career. But he also came off the bench for seven games and only broke up two passes compared to his five in 2020.
It was a season of ups and downs, and Davis points to himself when directing the blame for it.
"I think it had a lot to do with just self-confidence for me," Davis said. "I feel like that's a big thing for me. I'm really a confident person, but certain things happened and I felt like I lost my confidence in myself.
"I felt like I just made everything way worse than what it was. I feel like if I do me, play confident and do what I need to do, I feel like we'll see a different me."
Davis will get the chance to show his true self on Saturday.
Now a senior, Davis has been named a starting cornerback for OU's season opener against UTEP. He bested numerous talented teammates including D.J. Graham, who delivered numerous highlight plays for the Sooners last season.
Atop that list was a one-handed interception during a Week 3 win over Nebraska, but Graham's previous success was outweighed by the work Davis put in during camp.
"He’s had a good camp," OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said of Davis. "He’s been very solid, very productive. Physical tackler. Has shown some leadership. Been very proud of him and his camp. I’m looking forward to watching him play."
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Tight competition among tight ends
Lebby didn't hesitate when asked which position group had the fiercest competition during camp.
He went with the tight ends, who have remained competitive in the aftermath of two key losses from last season. The Sooners watched Jeremiah Hall try his luck in the NFL and then saw Austin Stogner transfer to South Carolina.
Still, Lebby feels the retooled group hasn't missed a beat.
"Those guys are steady, and that's what we're looking for," Lebby said of OU's tight ends. "We're talking about uncommon effort, physicality, accountable, dependable, tough, that's what they are. I'm so proud of that group."
Fifth-year tight end Brayden Willis sits atop the depth chart as OU enters Week 1.
It's a decision that comes as no surprise. The longtime Sooner boasts the most experience and is a vocal leader for the group.
"He's a fierce competitor," Gabriel said on Thursday. "He's just a stud in every area of his life. Very calm. Also, when he speaks, everyone listens. You've got to have a guy like that."
OU's second-string tight end is senior Daniel Parker, who spent the last four seasons at Missouri. The 6-2, 239-pound veteran hauled in 12 balls for 97 yards and a career-high three touchdowns last season.
Freshmen Kaden Helms and Jason Llewellyn round out the rotation, respectively. The latter has impressed OU's staff despite being at the bottom of the depth chart, which is a testament to the depth of the room.
"I'm not sure Jason's not the most improved player on our entire offense from the spring," Lebby said. "What he's done for himself, just putting himself in a position to go out and do some things if he was needed."
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Saying yes to youth
Roof doesn't belief in seniority when it comes to playing time.
The Sooners released their depth chart on Monday, and numerous underclassmen managed to earn starting gigs at their respective positions despite competing against more experienced teammates.
One example is sophomore Ethan Downs, who bested Jonah Laulu for one of the team's two starting defensive end spots. A redshirt senior, Laulu registered 34 total tackles (eight for loss) and four sacks at Hawaii last season.
Billy Bowman is another sophomore who got the starting nod. He sits atop the depth chart at strong safety despite competing with senior Trey Morrison.
Finally, sophomore Danny Stutsman beat out junior Shane Whitter for starting weakside linebacker honors.
"This is performance-driven," Roof said of the depth chart. "I really don't care what class they're in. I really don't care about the name on the back of their jersey. I care about the name that's on the front of their jersey. That's what we worry about. I think we've got a good blend of experience and some guys that are younger."
While these underclassmen enter Week 1 as starters, their throne is far from secure.
Depth charts are known to change throughout the course of the season, and OU's rotation will be no different.
"This is a starting point," Roof said. "This isn't a finish line. This is a starting point for our players, so that's where we are. We just want a group of guys that gives us the best chance to be successful on the field, and we'll go from there."
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Week 1 team captains
OU announced its team captains for its Week 1 game against UTEP. The list consists of Gabriel, Willis, Broiles, DaShaun White and David Ugwoegbu.
Gabriel is the only non-senior of the group, but the redshirt junior is OU's starting quarterback and the face of the offense. Then there's Ugwoegbu, a senior who was named Monday as the team's starting middle linebacker.
Willis and White are both fifth-year players who have spent their entire college careers with the Sooners. Broiles is a redshirt fifth-year safety who has also only worn an OU jersey.
OU vs. UTEP
KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman (Fox)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Davis Beville named Sooners' backup quarterback
