NORMAN -- Sam is the man.

Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops announced Tuesday that Sam Bradford would begin the 2007 season next week as the Sooners' starting quarterback.

OU opens the season Sept. 1 against North Texas.

Bradford, a redshirt freshman who graduated from Putnam City North High School in 2006 after three years as the Panthers' starter, sat out his freshman season at OU, working on the scout team for the Sooner defense. He has stood out in Oklahoma's two preseason scrimmages, completing 23-of-35 passes for 213 yards with four touchdown passes and one interception.

The 6-foot-5, 213-pound Bradford won the competition by beating out first-year freshman Keith Nichol of Lowell, Mich., and fourth-year junior Joey Halzle of Huntington Beach, Calif. Neither of the three has any extensive collegiate experience, although Halzle played a season at Golden West (Calif.) Community College (he passed for 2,077 yards and 13 TDs) and spent the 2006 season at OU as Paul Thompson's backup, getting into two games and completing 1-of-2 passes.

"We feel very good about all three of those guys," Stoops said in a statement released by the university. "All three have made great improvement and contributed a lot to our program.

"We are going with Sam because he earned the position. We expect both Joey and Keith to continue working hard and competing for playing time just like all our players do at every position. There may be an opportunity for them at some point and it will be important for them to be ready."

In their two preseason scrimmage appearances, neither Nichol (6-2, 204) nor Halzle (6-3, 208) had Bradford's consistency or productivity. Nichol was 13-of-32 for 133 yards with two TD passes, and Halzle was 20-of-44 for 132 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Oklahoma has nine returning starters back on offense, so delivering the football to the team's playmakers and avoiding turnovers were the two prime directives for this season's quarterback.

At Putnam City North, Bradford was an Oklahoma Coaches Association All-Stater as a senior, when he threw for 2,422 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also was a standout basketball player, averaging 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds as a senior, and was nearly a scratch golfer before turning his attention full-time to football, and as a youth excelled at baseball and hockey.

Bradford's father, Kent, played offensive tackle for the Sooners under Barry Switzer from 1975-78. His teams went 31-6-1 and won four Big Eight Conference championships and a national championship. The Bradford family has maintained ownership of season tickets through the years, he said.

Kent Bradford said the quarterback competition that has raged since players reported for winter conditioning following the Fiesta Bowl was at times challenging for the whole family, but also a lot of fun.

"I just tried to teach him patience and probably play the role of the parent and offer him all the encouragement I could -- 'Hang in there, buddy,' that kind of thing," Kent Bradford said.

His mother, Martha Bradford, offered similar advice.

"All you can do as a parent is encourage 'em and tell 'em to keep working hard," she said. "You've just got to believe it'll work out the way it's supposed to."