Hopefully, things have settled the way they're supposed to be after the Oklahoma Sooners' 2026 quarterback recruiting saga.
After decommitting from OU late Thursday night, quarterback Jaden O'Neal on Sunday announced his new commitment to Florida State. This time last year, O'Neal had pledged to the Sooners before some major shakeups ultimately led both parties in new directions.
🍢 C O M M I T T E D 🍢 @FSUFootball https://t.co/cAnSOlCNPk
— Jaden O’Neal (@Jadenoneal_26) June 22, 2025
Jaden O’Neal walks away from Sooners for Florida State
O'Neal had committed to OU when Seth Littrell was still the offensive coordinator, but after only seven games as play-caller, Brent Venables fired Littrell. Ben Arbuckle was then hired away from Washington State to replace Littrell, and shortly after the move, Arbuckle started pursuing a different 2026 quarterback in under-the-radar prospect Bowe Bentley.
Bentley eventually rocketed up recruiting rankings as a consensus four-star recruit and even surpassed O'Neal as a prospect. The growing interest between OU and Bentley led O'Neal to explore other options after being committed for months. He ultimately decommitted less than 24 hours before Bentley announced his pledge to the Sooners.
O'Neal first announced a new offer from Georgia before the Bulldogs secured their 2026 QB. He then took official visits to Arizona and Florida State. After O'Neal's trip to Florida State last weekend, most recruiting outlets started predicting his flip to the Seminoles. Bentley's impending decision likely only hurried that process.
Fortunately for the Sooners, O'Neal left the SEC. Only time will tell how O'Neal does as a college quarterback, and if he even spends his entire career at Florida State, but you can bet a date with the Sooners would have been highlighted by O'Neal after they basically pushed him to the curb for a different player.
The greatest news, though, is that the recruiting drama is now over for both parties. The Sooners got the quarterback they really wanted for Arbuckle's new offense and O'Neal found a new home at a program that really wants him.
Read more about OU football recruiting