NORMAN — When Joe John Finley visited Allen High School in Texas a few years ago, he knew he was going to see something special.
It's hard not to.
The university is a powerhouse and has produced several NFL players, including former OU stars Kyler Murray and Bobby Evans.
But even as a sophomore a few years ago, surrounded by a ton of the talent now on college rosters, Davon Mitchell stood out.
“I looked at him at 14 and thought he was a college player coming back to Allen High,” said Finley, the Sooners' tight ends coach. “What I like about him is he looks like an NFL player now. If he goes to the pro combine, you're going to be like, 'Oh man, this guy is a perfect fit.'
Tight end is a position in transition for the Sooners this season, with Austin Stoner leaving last year's team, Mitchell signing out of high school and two experienced players, Jake Roberts and Bauer Sharpe, joining the team through the transfer portal.
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Roberts in particular may have experience, but Mitchell is confident in his ability to break through at the position quickly and that the Sooners' offense can take advantage of that.
“I can do everything those guys can do,” Mitchell said of Oklahoma's tight ends, “maybe even more, but I'm still learning and trying to get better.”
Mitchell's father, Marco Mitchell, was a wide receiver at Nevada and played in the NFL.
Marco helped his son develop aspirations.
“They get up at 4 or 5 in the morning every day. They go to work. That's all he wants to do,” Finley said before Mitchell arrived on campus. “He's been texting me, calling me. 'Coach, when can I get the playbook? Can I talk to Schmitty and go to the weight room?' I'm like, 'Well, just relax and enjoy these two weeks, and then when you get here I'll have a lot for you.'”
Two weeks in, the freshman wasted no time and quickly made an impression.
“He's young and very physical,” defensive back Peyton Bowen said. “He needs to push himself a little bit more. He still needs to grow a little bit, but he's going to be a god.”
Mitchell decided to transfer to the Sooners last July because of Finley's strong relationship with Sooners coach Brent Venables.
After offensive coordinator Jeff Levy left to take the head coaching position at Mississippi State, it didn't take long for Mitchell to reaffirm his commitment to the Sooners.
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That momentum continues to grow with Finley being promoted to co-offensive coordinator, where he will team up with Seth Littrell to lead the offense.
Littrell has also shown he is keen to use tight ends.
Mitchell (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) was a big jumper in high school.
He's originally from York, Alabama, near the Alabama-Mississippi border, but transferred to Allen and was named to the district first team in 2022 after 33 catches for 731 yards and nine touchdowns.
After that season, he not only transferred to Los Alamitos, Calif., but also reclassified from the 2025 class to the 2024 class.
Mitchell's time at Texas convinced him he could not only compete at the highest level, but excel.
“They say Texas is one of the toughest, best football states,” Mitchell said. “I felt like I was made to believe I wasn't good enough. Not everybody can hang with those guys.”
He said his time in California helped him improve.
“It helped me grow a lot,” Mitchell said. “We have a very young team. I was one of the oldest there, so I had to take the initiative and lead them and show them the way.”
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