No.1 offensive tackle and 5-star recruit of the 2026 class, Felix Ojo, cancelling his Oklahoma visit was a big blow to the program. “Not needed. Nearing my decision a lot sooner than later,” Ojo had sent the message in Brent Venables’ way. Just when the Oklahoma head coach was yet to recover from the loss, here came another letdown. Another 2026 commit of Venables’ 2026 class chose to shut the doors even after giving his words. That’s none other than quarterback prospect Jaden O’Neal.

The 6’3,” 215-pound quarterback from Long Beach, California, decommitted on Thursday, June 19. Now, this might be hurting for Venables since O’Neal had been pledged to the Sooners camp since June 24, 2024.  On June 19, came forward Venables, now a former quarterback’s message for the Sooner Nation in Haye Fawcett’s Instagram post.

A part of it read, “It is with deep gratitude and heavy heart that I announce my decommitment from the University of Oklahoma. When I committed to OU nearly a year ago, I felt a genuine connection to the program […] But 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.” Oklahoma’s quarterback situation was in flux not long after Ben Arbuckle arrived as the permanent solution at offensive coordinator. Even when Seth Littrell was relieved of his duties after the loss to South Carolina, O’Neal refused to leave Venables’ hand. Then what has happened suddenly for him to flip his mind?

Arbuckle and the Oklahoma Sooners’ growing attention towards a $475,000 quarterback has stirred the pot, leaving O’Neal feeling like a second priority. And who is the one who might have filled O’Neal with a sense of insecurity? That’s none other than the fast-rising quarterback Bowe Bentley out of Celina, Texas. Initially, chances were there for Bentley and O’Neal to share seats in Venables’ quarterback room. But eventually, clouds of uncertainty started to fade away, exposing the clear picture.

O’Neal began taking visits to Florida State, Auburn, and Arizona while Bentley narrowed his recruitment to Oklahoma and LSU. Turns out that Bentley is yet to make the decision; however, Venables’ quarterback commit was in no mood to take part in the waiting game, always fighting the fear of getting replaced. Maybe he has looked up to the former Oklahoma commit, Kevin Sperry. Sperry, too, was committed to the Sooners for a long time before changing his pledge before the 2025 early signing period. That’s how O’Neal’s decommitment might have sparked some ugly memories for Venables about Florida State.

Chances loom high for the player to flip to Mike Norvell’s squad. If the plan materializes, that will be the second quarterback in the last two recruiting classes who was committed to OU but flipped to Florida State. Not the right time for Venables to go through all this.  

Brent Venables’ quarterback carousel 

Turns out that the Sooners have made mistakes in the past, too, when it came to their quarterback room. They have felt it was unimportant to land John Mateer, and one can sense the fire of revenge burning bright inside the quarterback. “Even Oklahoma passed on me. So now it’s great. It’s all on the schedule. There’s a couple (teams) here and there that really make me mad. I’m not over it.” While the confidence continues to loom high, not to forget, the pressure is on for Venables’ quarterback.

After all, it has been a long time since Oklahoma fans tasted quarterback success. Michael Hawkins Jr., the true freshman who replaced Jackson Arnold earlier this season, looked very much like a freshman. His stats were too ordinary- just 147 yards with just one touchdown in his three primary outings (Tennessee, Auburn, and Texas), but he also endured 10 sacks. Afterwards, when Venables’ boys got crushed during  South Carolina’s 35-9 heroic feat, Hawkins Jr. got benched too.

On that note, Josh Pate raised an alarm for John Mateer. “Every one of their potential or expectation levels depends on whether you [Mateer] perform.” While the quarterback room is all hazed out with doubts, Brent Venables must already be panicking. The reason? EC insider Chris Marler created an environment of fear by dropping some facts. “Oklahoma has got nine opponents next season that have odds currently to win the national championship among the top 25 in the country.” With all this already on the plate, Venables will now have to clean up the mess of the 2026 roster.