Oklahoma has been transferring quarterbacks since before it was even cool

On the eve of Early National Signing Day, Ben Arbuckle flipped Oklahoma State quarterback commit Jett Niu to sign with Oklahoma the next day. It was an impressive feat for OU's new offensive coordinator, but with the Sooners' track record, don't expect Niu to finish his career with OU.

On the same day Niu signed to become the Sooners' future quarterback, it was reported that their current QB1, Jackson Arnold, was planning to enter the transfer portal once it officially opens on Monday. In the age of the transfer portal we've become accustomed to, no one bats an eye when a big-name player leaves their favorite program. But that's been a common occurrence in Norman even before the transfer portal existed.

This time last year, it was Dillon Gabriel who was in the portal after two seasons with OU to finish his career at Oregon. It was an expected move. Gabriel was just a rental until five-star phenom Arnold took over, only for Arnold to also transfer a year later. But, again, Arnold's transfer was also not a shock after a season filled with turmoil and a new offensive coordinator who could be bringing in his own quarterback.

The Sooners are trendsetters, though. While this is normal around the country now, it's been the norm for OU for over a decade.

Take a look:

That's only one quarterback in 14 years that the Sooners have signed, developed and graduated. And Blake Bell didn't even finish his OU career as a quarterback, let alone as QB1. After backing up Landry Jones as the Bell Dozer for two seasons, Bell became the starter his junior year. But before his senior season, Bell was converted to tight end and replaced by Trevor Knight, who ultimately transferred and finished his career at Texas A&M.

Bell signed with OU as a five-star recruit, according to Scout. He, like Arnold, was expected to be the next great thing for the Sooners. But he was just in the midst of OU's bad luck with five-star quarterback recruits.

I'd actually include only seven on that list, as Malachi Nelson never actually signed with OU. He was committed but then followed Lincoln Riley to USC and is now the backup at Boise State.

Recruiting was foggy in the early days, though, with top recruiting services like Scout now dead, and 247Sports didn't even exist. But the misfortune started in 2001 with Brent Rawls, a high school All-American who was supposed to replace Josh Heupel but ultimately transferred to Louisiana Tech after Jason White took control of the offense.

In 2003, Tommy Grady signed before also backing up White and eventually going to Utah. Rhett Bomar signed with OU a year later and emerged as QB1 in 2005, but after only a season as the starter, he was dismissed from the program because he was illegally paid by an OU donor and finished his career at Sam Houston State. So maybe today Bomar could have actually become OU's next great quarterback.

There was a gap without five stars until Bell signed in 2010. He stuck it out in Norman but still never met expectations as a quarterback.

Then the Lincoln Riley era. Spencer Rattler signed in 2019 before being replaced by another five-star guy and followed Shane Beamer to South Carolina. Williams signed in 2021 and dethroned Rattler but followed Riley to USC, where he won a Heisman Trophy and became a No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

Finally, 2023 brings us to Arnold and where we're at today. And it looks as if another new transfer will be running OU's offense next season.