Tight End Rocky Beers has Emerged as a Major Piece for Oklahoma's Offense

The Colorado State transfer has impressed in his first two games with the Sooners, but more touches could be on the way.

Oklahoma tight end Rocky Beers makes a catch against Michigan. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

NORMAN — Rocky Beers is wasting no time at Oklahoma.

The Colorado State transfer has made an immediate impact for OU’s offense. 

He caught two passes for 43 yards and a leaping score in the opener, then he backed that up with a nice showing in Ann Arbor. 

Beers’ six catches for 94 yards were one of the bright spots for Ben Arbuckle’s unit in Saturday’s 17-10 loss to Michigan, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. 

“He’s just ultra consistent,” OU coach Brent Venables said Monday night. “He played 50-something plays at tight end and then also played another 20-plus plays on special teams. He’s affected the game every time he’s on the field. He’s done a really good job. He’s just a really good football player.”

Beers’ impact has been outstanding, but it’s come as no surprise to running back Lloyd Avant, who played with the tight end at Colorado State. 

“It’s pretty cool, but I see this every day at practice with Rocky,” Avant said. “He’s a consistent guy. He did this at Colorado State. He does it here. He’s a practice player. He does everything at practice. So whatever I see at practice, he does at the game.”

Beers could be in line for an even bigger role, however. 

Venables confirmed on Tuesday that receiver Trell Harris will miss time after an injury that he suffered against Michigan. 

The Sooners hope that second-year receiver Elijah Thomas or a transfer, either Parker Livingstone or Mackenzie Alleyne, can help add depth to the rotation. 

But Beers has already shown that he has a great on-field relationship with quarterback John Mateer — something that should only grow as the year goes on. 

“Rocky has been a joy to coach. He's a joy to be around every single day,” Arbuckle said. 

And as much as Arbuckle has enjoyed seeing Beers thrive on game day, he’s been even more impressed with how Beers has adapted to the program off the field. 

“Once you're around him enough and you understand his personality, you really find that he's an incredible man,” Arbuckle said. “Not only is he married and has a kid, but the amount of care he has for his teammates and the amount of care he has for the game of football is something that, as a coach, you love seeing every day. 

“It's like — okay, one of your best players, and he cares. He cares about his teammates. He cares about the team's performance. He cares about his own performance.

“All of that in one, on top of the type of person that he is — I think that's why he plays so well.”

---

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.