Bessinger feels comfortable calling the shots on the field. In four years at quarterback, the four-star Kaysville native has learned how to complete fifth-year Davis coach Scott Peery’s play calls before his signals leave the sideline.

A double-overtime thriller with then-No. 6 Lone Peak saw No. 3 Davis crumble 41-38 at home amidst the biggest postseason run of Bessinger’s prep career. He’d been the team’s starter for roughly three years, and that 6A state quarterfinal loss ended his dream of a state title.

But without checking the news, you’d never know it.

The Iowa commit walks, talks and performs at a championship-caliber, according to Peery, who gave Bessinger his first starting nod in 2023 when now-Southern Utah quarterback Jackson Stevens transferred to Skyridge for his senior season.

BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

“You spend 5 minutes with him and you’ll know right away the kind of individual he is,” Peery said. “I’m fortunate to have that relationship with him. He’s as good as it gets, man, he’s one of my best buddies of all time, and I see that continuing for a long time.”

Lone Peak ultimately reached the title game, where they’d succumb to Corner Canyon and newly introduced Weber State head coach Eric Kjar.

It takes a lot to win a state title, and Davis flirted with such an opportunity with quarterfinal appearances in 2023 and 2025, as well as Region 1 titles in both of those seasons. Bessinger himself became the first 10,000-yard passer in school history with 10,908 career yards.

Bessinger also became the first Davis quarterback to throw over 500 yards in a single game during a 54-22 win over Syracuse in Week 7.

“It’s kind of how it needs to be on the football field,” Peery said of Bessinger’s play. “We’re just in sync, we’re ‘synergized’ on the field. He can finish a play that I’m about to call.”

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Of Northern Utah fame, Bessinger and Fremont senior Manase Tuatagaloa (10,163 yards) now rank eighth and 10th in all-time passing yards. Since September, Bessinger has climbed more than 1,100 spots to join the nation’s top 200 recruits in 247Sports’ Class of 2026. He’s currently the sixth-best recruit in Utah and the 12th-ranked quarterback in the country.

But without those voices — some motivating, some antagonizing, some both — Bessinger could be walking a much different path as an emerging Davis graduate.

Bessinger is the 2025 Standard-Examiner All-Area Football Player of the Year.

* * *

On the back half of Generation Z, Bessinger isn’t online very much at all.

His father, Chad Bessinger, managing partner of a Utah-based real estate firm, runs his X account and tracks all the recruiting buzz from a distance. Outside of football, Bessinger works part-time cleaning up construction sites under his father’s eye.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Bessinger, traveling to Iowa with his family the weekend of Oct. 24, decommitted from Boise State just three days after his campus visit. Committed to Boise State for five months, Bessinger knows there’s going to be conflicting opinions about his life decisions. It would be naive to think otherwise.

“Other people, they’ll all want a different thing for you,” Bessinger said. “They’ll say, ‘Why Iowa?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s my choice.’ … A lot of people hate on it, a lot of people love it. It’s OK.”

But for five months, including the bulk of the regular season, Bessinger seemingly had his college plans already figured out.

Bessinger committed to Boise State last spring, following the Broncos’ 31-14 loss to then No. 5 Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. In the time since, Bessinger’s profile blossomed to include two more Big Ten offers and one from local recruiting powerhouse BYU.

Bessinger saved news of his Iowa decision until after the season ended with Lone Peak’s double-overtime victory at Davis in the quarterfinals.

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

“I didn’t want anything to go out and stuff because we had a big game that day,” Bessinger said.

“It’s not about me, it’s about the team and winning football games. I mean, it’s a lot. It’s a little stressful going into recruiting and stuff, but at the end of the day, you just have to look back and be like it’s the funnest time of your life. These guys want you, so it’s awesome.”

The recruiting process is a gauntlet. In Bessinger’s case, a little and then, suddenly, a lot.

Peery, in a unique position not only as Bessinger’s coach but a close, personal friend, can speak directly to the quality of folks guiding the Davis star onto his biggest challenge yet.

“He comes from a great home,” Peery said. “(Iowa) was built on relationships. The relationship with Tim Lester played a big part in that. Getting to meet Tim and sitting down here for a couple of hours, and going on that trip I think solidified it.

“Tradon knows what he wants, and when that opportunity came, and that was a good situation for him, I think it made the decision easier.”

One can easily draw parallels between Bessinger’s recruitment and his prep debut.

Bessinger’s football foundation begins with Peery, who has led Davis to two 10-2 finishes and two region titles since taking over as head coach in 2021. Peery thrust Bessinger into the role of starting quarterback as a wide-eyed sophomore.

Davis finished that season 10-2 for the program’s first 10-win season since 2009. The 15-year-old threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in that fateful season, which cracked open the door to college football enough to let some light peek through.

Bessinger received his first official offer via Weber State in April 2024.

“He’s been nothing but solid for Tradon,” Chad Bessinger said about Peery. “Tradon’s got his buddies that’re his age, but I think (Peery) literally could be like his best friend. I think they talk all the time about all kinds of stuff, even outside of football. As a coach and as a scheme at (Peery) has, there’s not a better system for a quarterback.”

Even before high school, Bessinger had the term “quarterback” in his head while deciding between Davis, Farmington and Northridge. Childhood friend and fellow senior Tyson Baggett ultimately had the winning argument for Davis.

Selling Bessinger on his hometown was the easy part.

“It’s the safest place ever,” Bessinger said of Kaysville. “You can go on the streets downtown at 3 a.m. (and) not a worry in the world. It’s a great place. A great community. Everyone loves everyone here. Everyone’s bought in, so it’s great.”

Neither Bessinger or Baggett could’ve predicted the latter getting 2,229 career receiving yards out of the deal. They just wanted to play football where they grew up.

There wasn’t a planned sitdown or deliberate peer pressure, but rather someone Bessinger had played sports with since they were just 3 years old.

“He’s probably the main factor why I came here,” Bessinger said about Baggett. “He just pounded it into my head like, ‘Bro, you’ve gotta come to Davis.’ And so I came to Davis and it all worked out great.”

* * *

Bessinger couldn’t quite land on his No. 1 favorite Michael Jackson song.

In fact, when participating in the Standard-Examiner’s 2025 Gridiron Grooves high school football feature, Bessinger tabbed Daniel Caesar’s “Never Enough,” released in 2023, as his go-to, pregame record.

But there’s a unique magic to Jackson’s work, specifically 1982’s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” 1988’s “Man in the Mirror,” and 1995’s “They Don’t Care About Us,” according to Bessinger — a former dancer in his youth, long before his football days.

His pregame playlist, however, always wraps with Chris Stapleton’s “Joy of My Life,” released in 2022. After that, it’s time for football.

“I love that song,” Bessinger said. “I put it between every single Instagram (post) that I have — joy of my life, joy of my, joy of my life.”

High school football, a fleeting joy in life, now sits in the rearview.

Bessinger and 35 other outbound seniors won’t get another opportunity to slide on that glistening, gold helmet again. But with one hand, Bessinger carries his Davis story into an exciting, ever-changing era of college football in one of the country’s top conferences.

Peery can’t replace Bessinger stat-for-stat on next year’s roster, but he’s at least got an idea of who to look for.

“It’s huge,” Peery said. “Just because of his mark on the field, but equally important is his leadership, how he wins teammates over and just how he’s contagious in the fact that he raises the level of play for other players because of who he is.”

Bessinger plans to study real estate and business next fall.

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.