Bowe Bentley’s epic rankings rise proves OU’s gamble is paying off

This time last year, quarterback Bowe Bentley was nowhere to be found in recruiting rankings. Now, he's a top-5 quarterback in the country.

Bowe Bentley on Monday cracked the top 5 at his position as the No. 4 QB in the 2026 class in Rivals' newest recruiting rankings. He also rose as a top-50 overall prospect at No. 41 compared to 56th before.

Bowe Bentley cracks top 5 in newest Rivals recruiting rankings

Bentley committed to the Sooners last month as a consensus four-star recruit after narrowing down his choices between OU and LSU. The Sooners didn't land Bentley without some risk and drama, though, but it seems OU hit the jackpot after betting the house.

OU already had a 2026 QB committed in Jaden O'Neal, but after Ben Arbuckle was hired as offensive coordinator and he saw what Bentley did in his first year as a starter at Celina High School in Texas, he took a gamble and offered what was an under-the-radar recruit at the time.

Bentley was named a Navy All-American after a junior season in which he threw for 3,467 yards and 52 touchdowns and rushed for another 991 yards and 16 scores while leading Celina High School to a state championship.

When OU offered Bentley, Rivals didn't even have him rated on its site. On3 and 247Sports had already given him four stars, though, with On3 ranking him at No. 26 and 247Sports 11th. But the Sooners were part of a flood of interest for Bentley and he quickly rocketed up recruiting rankings, and even soon surpassed O'Neal.

In February, Bentley finally debuted in Rivals' rankings at 208th. In April, he jumped to 101st. And now he's in the top 50 heading into his senior year.

Ultimately, O'Neal decommitted from OU, and less than 24 hours later, Bentley committed to the Sooners. And with that, Arbuckle looked like a genius who apparently knew the outcome before anyone else did. There's a real possibility that by Early National Signing Day in December, Bentley could be OU's only five-star signee from the 2026 class after getting offered as an unranked prospect.

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