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Quarterback Prospect Backs Out of Oklahoma Commitment

After nearly a year committed to the OU, Jaden O'Neal backed out of his pledge with the Sooners on Thursday.

Carson Field

Former Oklahoma quarterback commit Jaden O'Neal
Former Oklahoma quarterback commit Jaden O'Neal / Carson Field, Sooners on SI
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Class of 2026 Quarterback prospect Jaden O’Neal decommitted from Oklahoma on Thursday, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.

O’Neal seemingly confirmed the report on X (formerly Twitter) by sharing Fawcett’s post, later announcing his decommitment.

In the post, O'Neal said, "A lot has changed since last June. I understand that college football is a business, and with that comes constant change and the pressure to produce results. After much prayer, thoughtful conversations with my family and those closest to me, I've decided to re-open my recruitment."

O’Neal was Oklahoma’s second commitment in the 2026 class, as he pledged with OU on June 24, 2024. Now, almost a year later, he is now longer a part of the class.

O’Neal — who stands 6-3 and weighs 215 pounds — is the No. 161 prospect and No. 16 quarterback in the Class of 2026, per Rivals. He was one of 10 players committed to OU in the 2026 class.

The quarterback prospect attended Friday’s Brent Venables Football Camp at Everest Training Center. Originally from California, O’Neal relocated to Oklahoma in the spring and will play his final season of high school football at Mustang High School.

While committed to Oklahoma, O’Neal explored other options. He took an official visit to Arizona in May before officially visiting Florida State last weekend, also unofficially visiting Auburn in April.

O’Neal is the second OU prospect to back out of his commitment this week, as interior offensive lineman Will Conroy flipped his commitment from the Sooners to North Carolina on Wednesday.

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Oklahoma now has just nine players committed in the Class of 2026: linebacker Jakore Smith, wide receiver Daniel Odom, running back DeZephen Walker, offensive lineman Noah Best, cornerback Derrick Johnson II, edge rusher Matthew Nelson, tight end Ryder Mix, defensive lineman Brian Harris and safety Niko Jandreau.

Odom and Smith are graded as 4-star prospects by 247Sports, while the other seven are 3-star recruits.

Prior to O’Neal’s decommitment, the Sooners were ranked No. 39 in 247Sports’ Class of 2026 team recruiting rankings.

Without O’Neal, the Sooners have zero quarterback commits in their 2026 class.

The Sooners, though, are a finalist for 2026 arm Bowe Bentley of Celina, TX.

Bentley is a 4-star prospect, ranked the No. 78 overall recruit in the class by 247Sports. He led Celina High School to a 16-0 record and the Texas Class 4A-Division I state championship in 2024.

Fawcett previously reported that Bentley is down to Oklahoma and LSU as his final two schools.

ESPN’s Eli Lederman reported that OU is making a push to bring Bentley back to Norman this weekend before the quarterback makes his college decision.

Prior to O’Neal’s decommitment, Harris — who committed to Oklahoma on May 23 — encouraged Bentley to join the class.

Oklahoma will begin its 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 30 against Illinois State.

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Carson Field
CARSON FIELD

Carson Field has worked full-time in the sports media industry since 2020 in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming as well as nationally, and he has earned degrees from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University. When he isn’t covering the Sooners, he’s likely golfing, fishing or doing something else outdoors. Twitter: https://x.com/carsondfield

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