Harbor City, California quarterback Jaden O'Neal has committed to the Oklahoma Sooners football program for the class of 2026. O'Neal is rated as the 3rd overall quarterback recruit out of the 2026 class and a composite 4-star recruit.
O'Neal marks the 3rd verbal commitment for the Sooners 2026 class and the 2nd composite 4-star recruit along with RB Jonathan Hatton Jr.
O'Neal is a dynamic dual-threat quarterback with pocket passer prototype size. At 6-foot, 3 inches and 200 pounds, O'Neal has the size of a traditional pocket passing quarterback and the athleticism of a modern-day dual-threat playmaker. He committed to the Sooners over offers from UCLA, TCU, SMU, and Miami.
The committment of an early quarterback recruit is pivitol for a recruiting class. When quarterbacks commit early in their process they tend to serve as recruiters in their own right. Take 2025 Sooner quarterback commit Kevin Sperry. Sperry has turned into a de-facto recruiter for the Sooners 2025 class, assisting with the recruitment and committment of the Sooners previous two wide receiver commits Emmanuel Choice and Marcus Harris. There is an advantage to committing an early quarterback and the Sooners have done it for the 3rd year in a row (Hawkins, Sperry, O'Neal).
The Sooners have also shown the ability to close with recruits effectively over the past month. Marcus Harris was an unknown on Sooner recruiting enthusiasts' radars until recruiting guru Emmett Jones had him verbally committed before Soonernation fully knew who he was. Likewise, just last week Jaden O'Neal was set to announce his top-10 and now he's committed to the Sooners. This further promotes Coach Venables' ability to close the deal with recruits, something he's developed national recognition for doing.
1000% Committed B⭕️⭕️MER S⭕️⭕️NER @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/EK5TGQh4oo
— Jaden O’Neal (@Jadenoneal_26) June 24, 2024
As far as the 2025 recruiting class goes the Sooners currently ranks 10th nationally with several expected big name commitments coming before the end of July. It's early, but the 2026 Sooner recruiting class currently ranks 2nd overall in the country, a feat that will surely be solidified by Jaden O'Neal's commitment today.