Right now, two SEC programs find themselves locked in the biggest tug-of-war in college football recruiting. It features Brian Kelly and Brent Venables staring each other down over an elite talent who’s narrowed his decision down to LSU and Oklahoma. The prize is a 6’2, 200-pound dual-threat QB from Celina, Texas. The one who dragged a blue-blood program to a perfect 16-0 season and its first state title since 2007. And as his decision month in June looms, insiders are already making hot predictions. 

4-star QB Bowe Bentley is set to visit LSU this weekend and Oklahoma next weekend. On May 29, Steve Wiltfong joined Josh Newberg in a new episode of On3 Recruits to clear the air of competition between Brian Kelly and Brent Venables. “The buzz has been picking up around LSU so they’re more than a dark horse in this recruitment,” he said. That’s a big sting for the Sooners because this kid’s always bled red for the team. “It’s a powerhouse,” he said of OU and revealed his family is big on them. He’s been to Norman twice, and the team’s got a solid OC in Ben Arbuckle and his QB, John Mateer. But there’s a twist. 

LSU has something that Oklahoma doesn’t. “LSU, the Heisman Trophy winners, the offense, the way they invest in their quarterbacks, Nussmeier coming back as a Heisman dark horse this year,” Wiltfong said. “LSU’s got a great chance to land Bowe Bentley.” Bowe Bentley’s visit to Baton Rouge lit a spark, and the way Joe Sloan recruited him stood out. Earlier this month, he told 247Sports’ Mike Roach how the Tigers’ OC handles QBs.

“He showed me the process of being a quarterback at LSU,” he said. “Each year, he sets out a plan for his quarterbacks in the spring and what they need to work on. This year, he has a plan for Garrett and what he needs to work on. He takes pride in his development with each player, and he’s produced a Heisman quarterback. I think it shows his history and background.” 

Yeah, LSU produced a Heisman winner in Jayden Daniels in his final collegiate season in 2023. Any QB fresh out of high school would want a developmental coach with the right directions. And if you’re not convinced, this is what Bowe Bentley told On3 back in late April that puts LSU ahead of Oklahoma in this race. “The Heismans they’ve had and the development Coach Sloan has with each quarterback, and being one of the top programs in the SEC,” he said. “Coach Kelly and my relationship with them has been amazing over the course of this process.” And here’s the part where Brian Kelly plays chess. 

Brian Kelly is deploying peer pressure for Bowe Bentley 

For months, the top-ranked 2026 LSU recruiting class has looked like a fortress. Nine commits featuring six from in-state. But one piece of that championship blueprint is still missing. A quarterback. They’ve already suffered a blow with Bryce Underwood’s flip to Michigan. Garrett Nussmeier will declare for the draft next year. Backups Michael Van Buren and Colin Hurley aren’t exactly proven QBs. So yeah, the stakes are high and the push is even greater. And it’s not just the coaches playing the recruiting game now. 

Rather than flooding Bowe Bentley with hype, Brian Kelly deployed an internal recruiter — 5-star WR Tristan Keys, the headliner of the Tigers’ 2026 class. As On3 Shea Dixon stated, “I go back to the receiver Tristan Keys is someone he’s gotten close with through texting and kind of getting to know each other as a headliner of LSU’s class.” A 5-star peer pressure! LSU might really be the winner in this one. 

Oklahoma’s got legacy and history. LSU’s got momentum and chemistry. But unless Brent Venables’ squad pulls off a late rally next weekend, Brian Kelly might just snatch Bowe Bentley to Baton Rouge.