Tag: Jaden O’Neal

Oklahoma near the top of ESPN’s top recruiting classes for 2026

Oklahoma Sooners have one of ESPN’s best recruiting classes for the 2026 cycle.

Recruiting hasn’t been a problem for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff since taking over in Norman. In fact, it’s been better than his predecessor. The Sooners have earned three top 10 classes in a row since Venables arrived, and it looks like they’re headed for another top-10 finish in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

The recruiting success and a 10-win season in 2023 have the Sooners off to a fast start in the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag], already picking up three commitments. Interestingly for the defensive-minded Brent Venables, Oklahoma’s three commits for 2026 are blue-chip prospects on the offensive side of the ball.

The Sooners have pledges from running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag]. Each prospect is considered a four-star player, so it is no surprise OU has ESPN’s No. 2 class at this point in the 2026 cycle (ESPN+).

The Sooners’ past four four-star quarterback pickups have all come out of Texas, including 2023 signee [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]. For the 2026 class, they have traveled a different path, pulling [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] out of California. Among the most physically talented QBs in the class, he could be the player to replace five-star Arnold if he meets expectations. O’Neal has a strong arm with a smooth release and also can adapt well and do a nice job of changing arm angles.

The Sooners returned to the familiar recruiting ground of Texas to land ESPN Junior 300 running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton Jr[/autotag]. He has a nice blend of size (6 feet, 205 pounds) and speed. As a sophomore, he rushed for more than 1,200 yards. – Craig Haubert, ESPN

There’s slightly less than 18 months until the 2026 early signing period, but Oklahoma has hit the ground running. It trails only Florida State and is in front of the USC Trojans. Syracuse comes in at No. 4 and Texas rounds out the top five.

There’s a long way to go, but if these last few years are any indication, the Sooners aren’t going to slow anytime soon.

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247Sports impressed by 2026 Sooners 4-star QB Commit Jaden O’Neal

247Sports director of scouting, Andrew Ivins, came away impressed by Jaden O’Neal at the Under Armour Future 50 camp.

[autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] feels like he’s due for an increase in ranking before all is said and done. The new Sooners quarterback commit is a talented prospect in a [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag] full of good signal-callers.

Even though he’s already chosen the Oklahoma Sooners, the grind has not stopped for Jaden O’Neal, who went to Florida to participate in the Under Armor Future 50 event. The event showcases the best high schools nationwide in combine events, skill drills, and a seven-on-seven competition. It’s a considerable evaluation tool, and recruiting services from across the country descended upon the Sunshine State to scout some top-flight talent.

The event was two days, and on Sunday, Jaden O’Neal was named one of the offensive standouts by Andrew Ivins of 247Sports.

Ivins, the director of scouting at 247Sports, said this about O’Neal.

We noted that it was a promising group of signal callers and we felt like O’Neal had the second-best weekend of the bunch. Weighing in at just over 210 pounds, O’Neal has a sturdy frame and that allows him to generate plenty of torque with a compact motion. He flashed some side-arm action during 5v5 play and wasn’t afraid to challenge tight coverage windows. The Sooners are set at quarterback for the next few seasons with Jackson Arnold taking over, but O’Neal is someone the staff should be excited about. He will play his junior season at Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne. – Ivins, 247Sports

The lone quarterback that Ivins believed was better over the weekend than O’Neal was the number one prospect in the class [autotag]Faizon Brandon[/autotag]. So it should speak volumes that O’Neal was able to elevate his play and come out as the second-best passer of the bunch.

With a big junior season, it would seem highly likely that we will see a jump in the national rankings for Jaden O’Neal sooner rather than later.

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Oklahoma QB commit Jaden O’Neal named top performer at UA Future 50

Sooners QB commit, and four-star prospect, Jaden O’Neal shines bright at UA Future 50 event.

Oklahoma’s quarterbacking future is in excellent hands. The Sooners have depth on the current roster and have talented quarterbacks committed from the classes of 2025 and 2026.

Oklahoma’s latest quarterback, [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag], chose the Sooners during the last week of June over offers from Miami, Washington, Ohio State, and Florida State.

With his recruitment over, O’Neal’s number one objective is to continue improving as a quarterback so that he’s even better equipped when he officially joins the Sooners in 2026.

O’Neal took his talents to Under Armour’s Future 50 event, where some of high school football’s top 50 underclassmen are invited to train and compete in an intense two-day summer camp at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

They utilize combined training and skill development sessions that are capped off by a competitive 7-on-7 competition.

Cody Bellaire of On3 recruiting shared his takeaways from the second day of the session, and he mentioned Jaden O’Neal as his third-best performer of the day.

Brady Hart wasn’t the only quarterback that shined out on the field during Saturday morning’s workout. Jaden O’Neal was out there throwing darts today. It felt like every station he moved to throughout the day he got better and better. He is able to generate so much velocity on the football and makes it look so effortless. He utilizes that dense build of his to get so much zip onto the football and he can air it out with ease. O’Neal showed excellent mobility and clean mechanics on the move as well. Even when he had to throw off-platform and rely mostly on his arm, he was able to show off the natural arm talent and ability to throw an accurate football. O’Neal has one of the bigger arms early on in the 2026 cycle and put together a stellar showing on Saturday. – Bellaire, On3

One recurring theme in O’Neal’s game is how effortless he looks as a passer. He has the arm talent to make every throw needed. His one area of improvement that other analysts have keyed in on is being more of a threat from outside of the pocket, and it looks like O’Neal was able to showcase his ability to throw on the move.

Oklahoma and [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] have identified a talented player and should be extremely excited about what he can bring to Norman.

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Oklahoma receives FutureCast for 2027 QB Peyton Houston

Oklahoma gets a prediction to land 2027 QB Peyton Houston.

Fresh off the heels of Oklahoma landing its top target for the quarterback position in the class of 2026, the dominoes have already begun to fall for the Sooners and their recruitment of the QB position for the class of 2027.

On Monday, [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag], a top-100 player and four-star quarterback from California, announced his commitment to Oklahoma. Oklahoma surged past Miami in the last few months and never looked back as the Sooners got their guy.

It’ll be a few years before O’Neal suits up for the Sooners, but Seth Littrell is already showcasing his ability on the recruiting trail. However, he’s not done yet.

Late Monday evening, Parker Thune of OUInsider issued a FutureCast predicting 2027 quarterback prospect Peyton Houston, out of Louisiana, will ultimately land with the Sooners.

Houston is a dual-threat quarterback. He can make all the throws but also has the athleticism to affect games with his legs. He has the ability to stress defenses by throwing on the run or in the quarterback-run game.

He stands 6-foot-0 already. He camped with Oklahoma this summer and dominated, which led to his offer.

One of his favorite players growing up was Oklahoma’s own Kyler Murray. Since he is from Louisiana, LSU cannot be written off, and Oklahoma will be fighting with the Tigers the whole way. Aside from those two, Miami, Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee are among the other schools showing interest.

Still, the Sooners have already put themselves in an excellent position for the talented rising sophomore.

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Sooners earn commitment from 2026 4-star QB Jaden O’Neal

Oklahoma is the choice for four-star QB prospect Jaden O’Neal who picks the Sooners over Miami. Ohio State, Florida State and Washington.

The demise of quarterback recruiting at the Univeristy of Oklahoma was greatly exaggerated. Seth Littrell wanted to ensure he reminded the rest of the nation of that.

The Sooners had a massive weekend, hosting nearly their entire collection of 2025 commits, plus a few uncommitted guys they are heavily pursuing. OU received even more good news on Monday when four-star quarterback prospect [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] chose the Sooners over offers from Miami, Florida State, Ohio State and Washington.

Heading into his junior season, O’Neal is already a terrific QB prospect, yet he still feels like he’s scratching the surface of what he could become. He’s as pure a passer as Oklahoma has recruited in quite some time, with the arm talent to make every throw and incredible accuracy on short, intermediate, and deep throws, too.

While he may not be the dual threat like multiple quarterbacks who have taken the field in Norman recently, he makes up for it with his ability to sling the ball over the field. He’s a big quarterback prospect, too, standing 6 feet, 3 inches and weighing 200 pounds.

As a sophomore, he was credited with 2,475 passing yards and 27 touchdowns, completing 61% of his passes in 11 games. He’s rated the No. 91 player in the nation in the Top247 and the No. 6 quarterback. He’s rated the No. 64 overall player on the 247Sports composite and looks like a prime candidate to see his ranking improve by this time next year.

This is the Sooners third commitment of the 2026 recruiting class. Along with O’Neal, the Sooners have earned commitments from four-star running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton[/autotag] and four-star tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag].

With O’Neal in the boat, Oklahoma shoots into the top three national in 2026 team recruiting, trailing behind Florida State and USC.

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Sooners 2026 4-Star QB Target Jaden O’Neal sets decision date

Oklahoma QB target Jaden O’Neal set to announces commitment date coming soon.

In a pleasant surprise, Oklahoma’s top target at quarterback for the 2026 recruiting class announced on Friday that he would be moving up his commitment timeline..

2026 four-star QB [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] will announce his commitment on Monday, June 24. His commitment will be a part of the College Football Recruiting Show from 247Sports and can be streamed on YouTube.

On Wednesday, O’Neal announced a top 10 list, but it looks like O’Neal is down to these five schools. Miami, Florida State, Ohio State, and Washington join Oklahoma.

 

Marshall Levenson of Rivals had reported a commitment timeline for July or August. The sudden shift in commitment date could only benefit the Sooners. Every prediction from any of the primary recruiting services has O’Neal committing to the Sooners.

OU grabbed the lead in the spring and has run away with it. After a successful summer of camps and visits, it seems O’Neal has seen what he needs to see and is ready to make his choice.

If Oklahoma were to land the talented four-star signal-caller, they’d get an incredible QB prospect with an extremely high ceiling. There’s reason to believe O’Neal could crack the five-star ceiling when all is said and done for 2026.

He is a genuinely gifted passer at all levels of the field, with arm strength to spare. He’s a pure passer with plus athleticism and has NFL size.

Oklahoma has two players currently committed to the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag], with running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag] pledged to OU. If the Sooners are able to earn a commitment from O’Neal, it will really get the ball rolling on the 2026 recruiting class.

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Priority 2026 QB target Jaden O’Neal names top 10, commitment expected in July

Oklahoma Sooners Priority QB target Jaden O’Neal names top ten.

Over the last few months, Oklahoma has entrenched itself in building the foundation for its [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag]. They are right in the thick of finishing their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag], but by December, things should be signed, sealed, and delivered in that respect.

This summer, along with their efforts for 2025, Oklahoma has offered 2026 players left and right and has hosted many of them during Brent Venables Football Camp.

The Sooners are set at QB for the next few years, we’d venture to say. The Sooners expect [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] for at least the next two years, and they have [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] behind him. In the 2025 class, four-star field general [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] is already committed. With that depth already, the Sooners can focus even further, bringing us to 2026.

On the radar for 2026, one name stands out above the crop for the Sooners: [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag]. The Sooners have an overwhelming amount of love from the recruiting industry to land the talented passer out of California, and right now, it’s hard to see the recruitment not ultimately ending up in the Sooners’ favor.

Predictions from On3, 247Sports, and Rivals all favor the Sooners, with the most recent coming from Sooners Illustrated and 247Sports’ Collin Kennedy and James Jackson.

On Wednesday, O’Neal updated the world on his recruitment by announcing his top ten schools.

Colorado, Auburn, Washington, FSU, Ohio State, Miami, Penn State, Arizona State, and Oregon join the Sooners in fighting for O’Neal’s commitment.

O’Neal has visited and camped with the Sooners this summer, as well as many of the other schools in his top ten. He competed at their camps as well. He has a competitive drive that should be admired.

His recruitment could be coming to a close before the end of the summer as he told Marshall Levenson of Rivals that he was eyeing a “late July, early August” commitment date.

Oklahoma is in a prime spot in every possible way, but closing is the key. [autotag]Seth Litrell[/autotag] has been around the recruiting block a few times, and this would be his first quarterback recruit since becoming Oklahoma’s play-caller and co-offensive coordinator. If he could close the deal, Littrell would start his tenure off with a massive win.

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Oklahoma the leader for 2026 four-star quarterback Jaden O’Neal

The Oklahoma Sooners have a long history of impressive quarterback play since the beginning of the Bob Stoops era. From Josh Heupel to Dillon Gabriel, and regardless of the offensive play-caller, the Sooners have had a number of dynamic passers at …

The Oklahoma Sooners have a long history of impressive quarterback play since the beginning of the [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] era. From [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag] to [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], and regardless of the offensive play-caller, the Sooners have had a number of dynamic passers at the position.

And that’s helped them recruit at an incredibly high level. And despite the change in offensive coordinator this offseason, it doesn’t appear OU’s quarterback recruiting prowess is slowing down any time soon.

The Sooners look like a significant leader at the moment for four-star quarterback prospect [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag]. O’Neal, who just spent time in Norman at the [autotag]Brent Venables Football Camp[/autotag], told Rivals’ Marshall Levenson that the Sooners are his No. 1 team at the moment.

It’s still very early in the recruiting process for the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag], and O’Neal is being pursued by big-name programs from across the country. O’Neal mentioned that he has trips to Michigan and Ohio State upcoming. Given the success of those two programs in recent years, the Sooners will have to hold off the Big Ten powers to land their 2026 quarterback.

O’Neal is considered a top-10 quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class, but with his size and ability, he has a chance to be one of the top players at his position in the class.

More: Jaden O’Neal projected to land with the Oklahoma Sooners

O’Neal was in Norman back in April before attending the Venables camp last week. He put on a show with his passing display and it’s clear he and the Sooners have hit it off.

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Cornhuskers offer four-star 2026 QB Jaden O’Neal

Nebraska recently offered one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting class.

Narbonne, California, signal caller Jaden O’Neal is one of the top quarterbacks in the country within the 2026 recruiting cycle.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback is ranked as a four-star prospect by each of the major recruiting services, including being ranked No. 31 overall by ESPN and No. 63 by Rivals.

Earlier this week, the Huskers became the latest program to offer O’Neal, as he announced the offer on X.

“After a great workout and conversation I’m blessed to receive an offer to University of Nebraska,” he said. Huge Thanks to @_CoachGThomas (Nebraska co-offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas) for blessing me with this opportunity to further my education.”

O’Neal now has over two dozen offers in his recruitment, including from Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, UCLA, and Washington.

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Four-star QB Jaden O’Neal to visit Auburn this summer

O’Neal is one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Auburn football is off to a hot start in its 2026 recruiting efforts with two commitments and a No. 7 national ranking. This summer, the Tigers will look to build its class by welcoming in one of the nation’s top quarterbacks.

[autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag], a four-star quarterback from Long Beach, California, has scheduled a series of summer visits and included Auburn in his itinerary. Auburn will be O’Neal’s eighth visit of the summer, which will take place on June 22.

When choosing a program, O’Neal tells On3 that he wants to feel comfortable not only as an athlete but also as a student.

“Do I feel comfortable walking around there? Is it a social environment? Is it a calm environment? It will matter being in an environment that suits me,” O’Neal said. “Also, I look forward to seeing the community outside of football and how people treat football players off the field.”

In addition to Auburn, O’Neal is considering several other programs such as Texas, Florida State, Michigan, and Oklahoma. O’Neal is a top-10 quarterback of the 2026 class by all major recruiting outlets, and is the No. 11 overall recruit from California according to On3’s industry ranking.

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