Oklahoma landed its newest high-profile quarterback Monday when class of 2026 pocket passer Jaden O’Neal, No. 31 within the ESPN Junior 300, introduced his dedication to the Sooners.
O’Neal, the third-ranked quarterback in his class, picked Oklahoma over finalists Ohio State, Miami, Florida State and Washington. The 6-foot-3, four-star passer from Harbor Metropolis, California, is now the sixth top-10 quarterback from the 2026 class to announce his choice this month, and O’Neal is the Sooners’ highest-rated quarterback pledge since third total prospect Jackson Arnold dedicated in 2023.
“I like the way in which they assault soccer,” O’Neal instructed ESPN. “All people there loves soccer. There’s not numerous distractions in Norman. They’ve a very good educational program. I am a student-athlete and scholar comes earlier than athlete. After which it was simply the gamers that I will be surrounded with. They have some top-notch quarterbacks.”
Gifted with one of many strongest arms within the 2026 class, O’Neal threw for two,475 yards and 27 touchdowns as a sophomore at California’s Newport Harbor Excessive Faculty final fall. In March, O’Neal introduced his switch 40 miles up the Southern California coast to Narbonne Excessive forward of his junior season.
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
O’Neal started June with camp visits to Texas, Colorado and Florida State, then took an unofficial go to to Miami in the course of the month earlier than concluding his camp slate with Oklahoma and Ohio State in current weeks. The collection of visits left O’Neal with finalists on each coasts, nevertheless it was his newest journey to Oklahoma that helped seal his dedication to the SEC-bound Sooners.
“Norman, man, the expertise alone was unimaginable,” he stated. “The usual was simply as excessive as the primary time I visited. I used to be capable of get on the market and speak to the coaches and regroup. Simply ensuring the communication was nonetheless excessive and simply ensuring the relationships had been nonetheless there.”
Oklahoma initially made its supplied to O’Neal on Feb. 7. The relationships he solid with Brent Venables and first-year offensive coordinator Seth Littrell within the months since stood among the many connections that in the end pulled O’Neal to Norman.
“The power wasn’t pretend,” O’Neal stated. “It was very genuine and actual. I actually just like the robust custom that they maintain, the event alternative and simply what they will carry for my household and I, on and off the sphere. All of that was necessary to me.”
O’Neal famous the Sooners’ custom of creating high quarterbacks, and he’ll step right into a deep quarterback room when he arrives in Oklahoma.
The Sooners added two quarterbacks — four-star passer Michael Hawkins and three-star newcomer Brendan Zurbrugg — within the 2024 class. In 2025, Oklahoma holds a dedication from four-star prospect Kevin Sperry, the Eleventh-ranked quarterback within the class. Arnold, the previous five-star recruit, is ready to take over beginning duties within the Sooners’ backfield this fall.
O’Neal’s dedication comes after three of his fellow top-10 2026 quarterbacks introduced their commitments final week: Texas’ Dia Bell (No. 2 pocket passer in 2026), Florida State’s Brady Smigiel (No. 6) and Michigan’s Brady Hart (No. 8).
Now that he has dedicated, O’Neal plans to close down his recruitment and give attention to his junior season at Narbonne this fall.
“Now that I’ve made my choice, I am sticking with it,” he stated. “I am solely planning on taking official visits to that one college.”
