Sooners target rockets up rankings past OU’s current QB commit

Bowe Bentley started from the bottom, and the Oklahoma Sooners were there with him.

247Sports recently updated its recruiting rankings with Sooner target Bentley jumping to No. 7 among 2026 quarterbacks. OU commit Jaden O'Neal dropped to No. 19 and also went from four stars to three.

Bowe Bentley rising in recruiting rankings

It's been a quick and steady rise for Bentley. He was No. 9 after the last update, and when the Sooners offered Bentley back in January, he had just popped up at No. 11. 247Sports was actually the highest on Bentley after ranking him late last season, as On3 ranked him at No. 26 and he didn't even appear in Rivals' rankings yet.

Now, every major recruiting service has Bentley as a top-10 quarterback recruit. Between Feb. 14 and March 5, Bentley went from 247Sports' No. 181 overall prospect to No. 75.

It was a head-scratching move when OU offered an under-the-radar quarterback, especially since the Sooners already had a 2026 QB committed in O'Neal. Bentley was a spot above O'Neal in 247Sports' rankings, but other than that, O'Neal was head and shoulders above as a top-5 prospect according to Rivals and top-10 according to On3.

There didn't seem to be enough separation in the two players for OU to risk losing O'Neal, another four-star recruit who had been loyal to the Sooners since last summer and even recently moved from California to nearby Mustang High School for his senior season.

O'Neal, though, had committed when Seth Littrell was still the offensive coordinator, but after only six games, Littrell was fired and O'Neal still stuck with his commitment. Brent Venables then hired Ben Arbuckle from Washington State, and the first offer OU made after Arbuckle's hire was to Bentley.

Bentley had just finished an exceptional season while leading Celina High School to a Texas state championship in his first year as the starter. He was named a Navy All-American after tallying over 4,200 total yards of offense and 63 touchdowns.

Arbuckle apparently not only saw Bentley's potential exploding, but also realized he fit the mold of the quarterback that has succeeded in his offense. 247Sports' player comparison to Bentley is OU's John Mateer, who followed Arbuckle to Norman from Washington State. Mateer led college football with 44 total touchdowns last year in his first season as Arbuckle's QB1.

An unknown at this time last year like Bentley, Mateer has also emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the country and an NFL Draft prospect under Arbuckle.

Getting Bentley to Norman will be trickier than luring Mateer, though. Although the Sooners were early on Bentley, everyone else has now caught on. Bentley has narrowed his choices down to OU, Georgia and LSU. However, Georgia has secured a QB since, so the Bulldogs have likely been crossed off Bentley's list.

With the race down to OU and LSU, 247Sports just predicted Bentley to choose the Tigers, while On3 still leans toward the Sooners. Bentley will be in Norman on June 13 and will then visit LSU the next weekend.

O'Neal has also been entertaining other options, and although he's recently slipped in recruiting rankings, he's still a prospect worth having, and the Sooners can't afford to let both quarterbacks get away. The hope for the Sooners is that their early bet on Bentley pays off instead of busting their 2026 class.

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