By: Colin Lacy

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

When the lights get flicked on at Womack Field in Statesboro each week, they shine on a Statesboro Blue Devils team that has been building over the past few years under third year Head Coach Matt Dobson.

A big piece of the growth being seen in Statesboro is the young quarterback Beckham Jarrard.

Jarrard has become a regular name with anyone around the Blue Devils program, and possibly even more-so around programs that have played Statesboro in the last year plus.

The now sophomore field general started right out of the gate. As a freshman, Jarrard was named the starter from the word go opening up the 2024 season with cross county rivals Southeast Bulloch and raised eyebrows.

The then 5’10” 145-pound freshman connected on 17 of 25 passing for 161 yards and a touchdown. Southeast Bulloch would end up with the win but coming away from the game both sides realized that this was the beginning of something special for the signal caller.

Jarrard would finish his freshman season with the most passing yards in the state for a freshman racking up over 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns in Statesboro’s 10 games while rushing for 200 more and a couple of scores. The growth of Jarrard was unmistakable throughout the season and that’s just the beginning.

He has dove into the deep end to become the best quarterback he can be…literally. It was while he was on vacation to the beach that a random connection turned into the next step in the progression for Jarrard.

While on the annual family vacation in the summer of 2024, he started throwing the football with a family friend that was with them at the beach. A few minutes went by before someone asked if he could join. After throwing and exchanging stories and getting to know them better, turns out the random encounter would be Jarrard meet Gino English (former quarterback at Florida State and East Tennessee St).

Gino was impressed by the then rising freshman and invited him to come train with him at his childhood home nearby. There he would meet Gino’s QB coach, Pat O’Hara.

Pat O’Hara is a well-known quarterback coach in football to say the very least. After a playing career with the Buccaneers, Chargers, and Redskins, O’Hara ended up in the Arena Football League.

For a few years, Pat would be getting into the coaching side of the game while also still on the roster before a couple stints as a head coach in the AFL.

Then O’Hara would break into the pinnacle of the sport with the NFL.

In February 2015, O’Hara was hired as an assistant coach by the Houston Texans. After 3 seasons in Houston, O’Hara would be named quarterbacks coach (and later pass game coordinator) for the Tennessee Titans.

O’Hara has also worked in broadcasting for UCF radio and CBS Sports Network along with working in the movie scene as a football guru teaching actors how to play in films like The Longest Yard, Invincible, We are Marshall and most recently serving as the football administrator for the TV Series Chad Powers.

So, from the football mind that helped mold Paul Crewe, Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tennehill, Brock Osweiler, Deshaun Watson, O’Hara’s insight is now going into Beckham Jarrard. While it’s not feasible to make the trip to Florida much during the season, O’Hara works weekly with Jarrard via zoom on breaking down game film, helping teach how to break down defenses along with the mental side of being a quarterback.

While other rising sophomores in the summers are playing video games, going to the pool, Jarrard is heading to Florida to work with Pat O’Hara.

The commitment to the game is as impressive as the skills he has already (again, reminder, he’s a sophomore).

Now as a sophomore at 6’0 and 165 pounds (gained 20 pounds from the start of Freshman year), Jarrard has developed relationships with so many high-profile quarterbacks’ coaches and soaking up as much as he can.

Charley Loeb of QB Country (former Syracuse QB) is the main mechanical coach to help mold the young quarterback to someone that is now a big problem for defenses.

Having seen him live a handful of times, in addition to on film and through the eyes of others, there’s no doubt in my mind that on June 15^th (the date that college coaches can legally begin full contact with recruits), the phone of Beckham Jarrard will be lighting up almost constantly with coaches from all of the southeast.