OU and OSU now locked in fierce battle for No. 1 in-state recruit

As it should be, it's a Bedlam clash for the best basketball player in the state of Oklahoma.

Owasso's Jalen Montonati has scheduled official visits for this fall to both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, according to Sam Kayser. Montonati will be in Norman on Sept. 6, when the Sooners host the Michigan Wolverines for a massive nonconference football game in primetime. He'll then visit OSU on Oct. 18.

Montonati already visited Kansas State and is also expected to visit BYU sometime.

Jalen Montonati visiting OU, OSU

Even though Montonati is an in-state recruit, the odds were still against Oklahoma from the beginning. Montonati is an OSU legacy, as his dad, Brian Montonati, played for the Cowboys under Eddie Sutton in 1997-2000. Brian is now his son's coach at Owasso High School, where the father-son duo led the Rams to their first state title in school history in 2024. Montonati dropped 34 points in the championship game.

Houses have been divided before, though, in the state. Just a few months ago, Jenks running back Kaydin Jones chose the Cowboys over his dad's alma-mater. He's the son of former OU running back Kejuan Jones.

The prior connection had the Cowboys on Montonati early. They were his first major offer way back in Sept. 2022, when Montonati was just a freshman and OSU had a different coach. Porter Moser and OU offered Montonati in March 2023. His other reported offers include Alabama, Arkansas, BYU, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan, Ohio State, St. John's, Tennessee, Texas A&M and plenty more.

Montonati, listed at 6-foot-7, is the consensus top recruit in Oklahoma as a small forward. According to the 247Sports Composite, Montonati is the 15th-best small forward in the 2026 class and No. 32 overall prospect.

The last time OU landed the top in-state recruit, based on 247Sports' ratings, was Dayton Forsythe in 2024.

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