{{Short description|American football player (born 2003)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox gridiron football biography |name=Bauer Sharp |team=Tampa Bay Buccaneers |number=84 |position=Tight end |birth_date={{birth date and age|2003|5|3}} |birth_place= |bowlgames= |heightft=6 |heightin=5 |weight_lb=249 |highschool=Dothan (Dothan, Alabama) |college= *Southeastern Louisiana (2021–2023) *Oklahoma (2024) *LSU (2025) | draftyear = 2026 | draftround = 6 | draftpick = 185 | pastteams = * Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|2026}}–present) |status=Active |highlights= *First-team All-Southland (2023) |espn=4890373 |pfr=SharBa00 }}
'''William "Bauer" Sharp''' (born May 3, 2003) is an American professional football tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southeastern Louisiana Lions, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the LSU Tigers.
==Early life== Sharp and grew up in Dothan, Alabama and initially attended Northside Methodist Academy, where he played quarterback. After his sophomore year he transferred to Dothan High School.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dothaneagle.com/sports/high_school/coaches-day-notebook-bauer-sharp-leaves-nma-to-vie-for-dothan-high-qb-slot/article_cd7b8eb0-aff5-11e9-9b03-9f10b747cc2d.html|title=Coaches Day notebook: Bauer Sharp leaves NMA to vie for Dothan High QB slot|first=David|last=Mundee|work=Dothan Eagle|date=July 26, 2019|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref> Sharp passed for 1,082 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wdhn.com/sports/early-football-signing-day-dothans-sharp-and-folmar-both-sign-to-division-one-schools/|title=Early Football Signing day: Dothan’s Sharp and Folmar both sign to division one schools|first=Michael|last=Rinker|website=WDHN.com|date=December 16, 2020|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref> He committed to play college football at Southeastern Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dothaneagle.com/townnews/sport/dothan-wolves-jayden-folmar-to-rice-bauer-sharp-to-southeastern-la/article_0d43fe5c-3fff-11eb-842f-673787f82e3c.html|title=Dothan Wolves' Jayden Folmar to Rice, Bauer Sharp to Southeastern La.|first=David|last=Mundee|work=Dothan Eagle|date=December 16, 2020|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref>
==College career== ===Southeastern Louisiana=== Sharp redshirted his true freshman season with the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/bauer-sharp-transfer-portal-recruiting-kentucky/|title=Kentucky is reportedly showing interest in FCS TE Bauer Sharp|first=Adam|last=Luckett|website=On3.com|date=December 8, 2023|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref> He caught 11 passes for 78 yards and one touchdown while also rushing ten times for 83 yards at quarterback in the wildcat formation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/oklahoma/football/tough-blocking-or-dynamic-receiving-oklahoma-te-bauer-sharp-can-do-it-all-01j5waex6ezk|title=Tough Blocking or Dynamic Receiving, Oklahoma TE Bauer Sharp Can Do It All|first=John E.|last=Hoover|website=SI.com|date=August 22, 2024|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref> Sharp was named first team All-Southland Conference as a redshirt sophomore after catching 29 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 133 yards and five touchdowns on 25 carries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oklahoma.rivals.com/news/bauer-sharp-s-first-season-at-oklahoma-fueled-by-underdog-mentality|title=Bauer Sharp's first season at Oklahoma fueled by underdog mentality|first=Jesse|last=Crittenden|website=Rivals.com|date=August 21, 2024|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref> Following the end of the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dothaneagle.com/sports/college/former-dothan-star-bauer-sharp-weighing-offers-from-power-5-schools/article_5adb2888-9872-11ee-bd82-9b94d9e061cf.html|title=Former Dothan star Bauer Sharp weighing offers from Power 5 schools|first=Jon|last=Johnson|work=Dothan Eagle|date=December 11, 2023|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref>
===Oklahoma=== Bauer transferred to Oklahoma.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/ou/southeastern-louisiana-te-transfer-bauer-sharp-commits-to-ou-bolstering-what-was-a-thin-position/article_e756814a-9dc2-11ee-b5ba-e3c4fdc358ae.html|title=TE Bauer Sharp commits to OU, bolstering thin position|work=Tulsa World|date=December 18, 2023|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref> He entered his first season with the Sooners as the team's starting tight end.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma/article/bauer-sharp-makes-emotional-impactful-debut-for-oklahoma-football-235524609/|title='That's real': Tight end Bauer Sharp makes emotional, impactful Oklahoma debut|first=Tom|last=Green|website=247Sports.com|date=September 2, 2024|access-date=September 3, 2024}}</ref>
On December 7, 2024, Sharp announced that he would enter the transfer portal for the second time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/college/oklahoma-sooners/news/oklahoma-tight-end-bauer-sharp-plans-to-enter-ncaa-transfer-portal/|title=Oklahoma tight end Bauer Sharp plans to enter NCAA transfer portal|website=On3.com|first=Griffin|last=McVeigh|date=December 7, 2024|access-date=December 8, 2024}}</ref>
=== LSU === On December 13, 2024, Sharp announced that he would transfer to LSU.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-13 |title=Football Adds Tight End Bauer Sharp to 2025 Roster |url=https://lsusports.net/news/2024/12/13/football-adds-tight-end-bauer-sharp-to-2025-roster/ |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=LSU |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 4 5/8 | weight = 249 | dash = 4.63 | ten split = 1.68 | twenty split = 2.73 | shuttle = 4.30 | cone drill = 7.05 | vertical = 35.0 | broad ft = 10 | broad in = 0 | bench = 20 | arm span = 31 3/4 | hand span = 9 3/4 | wingspan ft = 6 | wingspan in = 5 | note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/bauer-sharp/32005348-4137-5359-e6e7-a204c5ea9274 |title=Bauer Sharp Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=March 14, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1097975&DraftYear=2026 |title=Bauer Sharp College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 14, 2026}}</ref> }}
Sharp was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 6th round with the 185th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Scott |title=Bucs Conclude 2026 Draft with LSU TE Bauer Sharp in Round Six |url=https://www.buccaneers.com/news/bauer-sharp-nfl-draft-te-lsu-rd-6-no-185-2026-bucs |website=Buccaneers.com |access-date=27 April 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.buccaneers.com/team/players-roster/bauer-sharp/ Tampa Bay Buccaneers bio] *[https://lionsports.net/sports/football/roster/bauer-sharp/9520 Southeastern Louisiana Lions bio] *[https://soonersports.com/sports/football/roster/bauer-sharp/17359 Oklahoma Sooners bio] *[https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/bauer-sharp/ LSU Tigers bio]
{{Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2026 NFL draft picks}} {{Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Bauer}} Category:2003 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Players of American football from Dothan, Alabama Category:American football quarterbacks Category:American football tight ends Category:Southeastern Louisiana Lions football players Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players Category:LSU Tigers football players Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players