Oklahoma Adds Transfer RB from UCF

Bentavious Thompson played at UCF with Dillon Gabriel and Jeff Lebby and had two productive seasons before sitting out 2021.

John E. Hoover | Jun 15, 2022

Oklahoma has added even more depth to the running back room.

Betavious Thompson, who played in 30 games for Central Florida — including two years with new Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel — has transferred to OU.

Thompson confirmed Tuesday night via email that he’s “already here” and is listed in the school’s online student database as a senior enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. It’s unclear if he’ll walk on or be placed on scholarship for the 2022 season.

The Sooners now have senior Eric Gray and junior Marcus Major back for 2022, and this year add freshmen Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk, plus walk-ons Tawee Walker, Jaden Knowles and Todd Hudson.

Thompson — who also goes by Beno — was a 3-star running back, according to 247 Sports, coming out of Miami’s Southridge High School, where he helped lead his team to the Class 8A State Championship.

Beno Thompson 2 — Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Bentavious Thompson has transferred to Oklahoma.

Beno Thompson 3 — Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Thompson rushed for 1,136 yards in three seasons at UCF.

Beno Thompson 1 — Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Bentavious Thompson at UCF

The 6-foot-1, 197-pound Thompson originally committed to Miami in February 2015 while in high school, but eventually decommitted from the Hurricanes and signed with UCF in 2017. He chose the Knights over offers from Florida, LSU, Louisville, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and others.

In Orlando, Thompson played in 30 games and compiled 1,136 yards and 13 touchdowns before leaving the team prior to the 2021 season.

Thompson entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in November 2021 but posted several times on social media that he was working out and staying in shape.

As a redshirt freshman in 2018, Thompson rushed for 150 yards in a reserve role. As a backup in 2019 — while playing under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and along side Gabriel (both now at OU), Thompson carried 87 times for 604 yards and scored eight touchdowns, and also caught five passes for 25 yards.

In 2020, Thompson was third on the team with 382 rushing yards and five touchdowns, including a career-best 110 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries against USF.

Thompson also earned American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honors twice as a Knight.

Published Jun 15, 2022

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.