It was supposed to be a smooth transition.
Oklahoma fans were gearing up for the John Mateer show in 2025 — with the electric dual-threat quarterback poised to bring swagger back to Norman. But behind the scenes, the Sooners were already plotting for the next era… until their future just flipped upside down. Jaden O’Neal, Oklahoma’s longtime 2026 quarterback commit, has pulled the plug — leaving fans stunned, coaches scrambling, and all eyes now shifting to a rising star named Bowe Bentley. What’s going on in Norman? And who’s really next in line to lead the Sooners?
After being committed to Oklahoma for over a year, O’Neal confirmed his decommitment to On3 Sports’ Hayes Fawcett. O’Neal has been a part of Brent Venables’ 2026 recruiting class since June 2024 before deciding to open up his options.
Before decommitting, O’Neal was one of the top candidates to take over the Sooners’ offense in 2026. Oklahoma landed Mateer, the top quarterback in the college football transfer portal, but fully expects him to enter the 2026 NFL Draft after one season with the program.
O’Neal’s decision only furthers Oklahoma fans’ hopes of landing another top 2026 quarterback recruit, Bowe Bentley. As one of the top dual-threat prospects of the class, Bentley seems to be narrowing his decision down to either LSU or the Sooners. Many believe that O’Neal’s decommitment indicates that the coaching staff could feel optimistic about Bentley.
O’Neal received interest from Arizona, Auburn, Florida State, Arkansas, Boston College, Michigan and many others before committing to Oklahoma, per 247 Sports. He visited Arizona and Florida State before giving Venables his word. Without a solid reason for his change of heart, all options could be back on the table.
Despite losing Jackson Arnold in the college football transfer portal, Oklahoma’s 2025 outlook remains sky-high with Mateer. The Texas native broke out in 2024, recording 3,139 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions with 826 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Shortly after landing Mateer, Oklahoma made another splash by snagging former California running back Jaydn Ott in the portal. Some saw Ott as the top running back available, giving the Sooners two of the best offensive players on the market.
Oklahoma desperately seeks a bounce-back year with its new additions after going just 6-7 in 2024. They started the year 4-1 before falling flat, going just 2-6 the rest of the way. While uninspiring, the Sooners’ listless late-year stretch included a massive 24-3 upset win over No. 7-ranked Alabama.
Through three years, Venables has a 10-3 season sandwiched by two 6-7 campaigns. The program still seeks stability since Lincoln Riley abruptly left in 2021, hopefully beginning in 2025.
