How Oklahoma QB Commit Jamison Roberts' Patience led to Opportunity With Sooners

Jamison Roberts waited his turn, and now he is reaping the benefits.

Roberts is a quarterback from Saraland, AL, who committed to Oklahoma on March 7. He chose the Sooners over offers from Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss and several other SEC schools.

Roberts, though, didn’t become a commodity on the recruiting trail until the 2025 fall.

The Class of 2027 quarterback spent his first two seasons at Saraland High School as the backup to KJ Lacey, who committed to and eventually signed with Texas as part of the Longhorns’ 2025 class.

It would’ve been easy for Roberts to rush the process. As a dual-threat quarterback with lofty goals, Roberts easily could have become complacent or chosen to transfer schools.

Instead, the quarterback used his time on the bench to develop.

Oklahoma Sooners, Jamison Robert — Saraland's Jamison Roberts (10) passes the ball against Pike Road during their AHSAA football playoff game in Pike Road, Ala., on Friday November 21, 2025. | Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“When he was behind KJ, he worked like he was the guy,” Jeff Kelly, the head coach at Saraland High School, told Sooners on SI. “He worked while he waited. That’s almost a lost art in QB development these days.”

As a sophomore backing up Lacey in 2024, Roberts flashed his potential.

The 6-3, 190-pound quarterback completed 34 of his 48 pass attempts for 492 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions. Lacey’s starting role was never in jeopardy, but Roberts cemented himself as a reliable quarterback for Saraland in the two seasons ahead.

As a result, Roberts began to catch the attention of Division I programs. He earned offers from Troy, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Charlotte and South Alabama before even becoming Saraland’s starting signal caller.

In the 2025 fall, Roberts had his breakthrough.

Roberts completed 73 of his passes for 3,370 yards, 37 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also rushed for 641 yards and 21 touchdowns. The quarterback helped lead Saraland to a 13-1 record and a state title game appearance.

Kelly — who oversaw the quarterback’s development as he waited behind Lacey — was unsurprised by Roberts’ outstanding first season as a starter.

“He knew his time was coming, and when it did, he was ready,” Kelly said. “He has the ability to do it all. He has impressive arm talent and can make all the throws. He is probably the fastest player on the field every Friday night. A pretty good combination of physical traits accompanied by a competitive character makes him special.”

Despite being second on the depth chart as a sophomore, Roberts never doubted that he’d become a star.

“I knew I had it in me all along, and just to be able to showcase it felt amazing,” Roberts told Sooners on SI.

Roberts put up video-game numbers week in and week out during the fall, and he began to emerge as a prospect as the season progressed.

The quarterback is currently ranked as a 4-star prospect and the No. 235 overall player from the Class of 2027 by Rivals. He is graded as a 3-star by 247Sports.

Auburn became the first Power Four school to offer him in October, and Syracuse, Northwestern and Duke followed suit over the subsequent few weeks.

Roberts took a gameday visit to Oklahoma on Nov. 22, when the Sooners defeated Missouri 17-6.

One day after the Mizzou game, Roberts earned an offer from OU. And the Sooners went to great lengths to ensure that he ended up in Norman.

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle went to Alabama to visit Roberts and his family on Jan. 22. Just a few days later, Arbuckle, head coach Brent Venables and defensive tackles coach Todd Bates stopped by Saraland High School to visit the quarterback.

Great dinner with @arbuckle_ben I appreciate you meeting with me and my family. #BoomerSooner #HardToKill @OU_Football pic.twitter.com/3LE1AfaKPT
— Jamison Roberts 2027 QB 🏈 (@JamisonERoberts) January 23, 2026

Appreciate @OU_Football for stopping by! Much love 🫶🏾#BoomerSooner #BamaSooner #HardToKill #LND26 pic.twitter.com/9RxQeWt9AT
— Jamison Roberts 2027 QB 🏈 (@JamisonERoberts) January 27, 2026

OU then hosted Roberts and several other highly touted prospects at the “Future Freaks” junior day event on March 7. There, Roberts and four other Sooners made their decisions to commit to Oklahoma.

“Committing in the indoor practice facility, then seeing everyone else hop in the boat and commit after it was special to see,” Roberts said.

According to Roberts, the Sooners’ intentionality over the next few months helped him decide that Norman was the place for him.

“The consistent love and priority Oklahoma showed me was unmatched,” Roberts said. “It made the decision a tad bit easier.”

Other major programs like Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Ole Miss offered him over the next few months. But Roberts believes that Oklahoma’s staff will help him reach his full potential as a quarterback.

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“Something special is brewing in Norman and I can’t wait to see it unfold,” Roberts said. “Also the quarterback development Coach Arbuckle and (quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski) offer… their track record does not lie.”

Alabama isn’t a typical recruiting hotbed for the Sooners.

Most highly ranked players from the Yellowhammer State choose to attend either Auburn, Alabama or one of the SEC schools from bordering states.

Geographically, Oklahoma is more central than every other SEC school besides Texas.

But Roberts sees Norman as a place that has just as much passion for football as the conference’s other college towns — and he’s trying to show that to other prospects from Alabama.

“People from (Alabama) don’t usually go here, but (OU general manager Jim Nagy) sold us a vision, and we’re running with it,” Roberts said. “Bama Sooners aren’t done yet. We’re just starting.”

Roberts is one of 20 players from the Class of 2027 who have committed to Oklahoma. The Sooners have the No. 1 recruiting class, per 247Sports, while Rivals has OU at the No. 3 spot behind Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

Even though Roberts was outstanding as a first-year starter in 2025, he knows that he must improve in several areas to have a similarly strong senior campaign and, eventually, become a prolific quarterback in the SEC. Roberts underscored his footwork, his frame and his football IQ as three areas he hopes to improve upon before he enrolls at OU.

But while Roberts isn’t yet a finished product, he is confident that he’ll only improve as he matures and gains more experience.

“My senior season will be even better,” Roberts said.

While Kelly has only one season left coaching Roberts, he is excited to see what his quarterback can do at the highest level of college football.

Based on Roberts’ two seasons as a backup and his 2025 season as the starter, Kelly is convinced that he will be a star under the lights at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

“He’s a tough guy who will be a great leader and teammate,” Kelly said. “When the game is on the line, he has that special gift to be calm and decisive to get the job done. I am very confident that he will make a big impact with OU.”

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