The offseason is just as hectic for coaches as the regular season. Coaches are out to get the best talent from the recruiting pool. A part of this search also extends to rosters of other teams. Brent Venables, in particular, is on the receiving end of this fight involving star QB Jaden O’Neal. The Sooners HC has already suffered at the hands of the coach pursuing this blue-chip talent. He’s got to buckle up to not add Jaden O’Neal to a list of his growing pains.
4-star O’Neal is ranked the No. 11 QB prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, according to On3. He committed to Oklahoma 10 months ago. There was a time when a commitment that lasted this long would mean that the talent was loyal to his chosen program. Now, the tables can turn. Bryce Underwood, after an 11-month commitment to LSU, flipped to Michigan. O’Neal visited Florida State on April 3, and will visit Auburn on April 5. Even Georgia and Alabama are in pursuit of him. With these players in the game, it’s easy to assume it won’t be easy for the QB to decide with whom he’d begin the next phase of his career.
But even with talent flips becoming more prominent, Locked on Sooners’ John Williams thinks otherwise. In an April 3 episode, he said, “Jayden’s got interests across the country, Georgia, Colorado. I mean, big-time programs that are looking at adding him. And so, it’s understandable why he might want to explore those.” But, Smith sees a difference in the way recruiting is done these days. “Brent Venables, I mean, he’s been adamant about this no-visit policy in years past. But perhaps, it’s evolving a little bit more, where we’re seeing guys that are committed actually go take visits elsewhere, and it’s not leading to an imminent decommitment.” Smith has a feeling that O’Neal is just getting a feel of what these other programs have to offer to him, but he will stick with Venables.
NEWS Oklahoma 4-star QB commit Jaden O’Neal will visit Florida State today and Auburn on Saturday, @SWiltfong_ reports
Read: https://t.co/NLWGSalkUq pic.twitter.com/WHohWsOpEQ
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 3, 2025
He also thinks it might still take some time to get a good idea of where O’Neal will ultimately end up. “This is just gonna be one of those ongoing processes where he might take several more visits across the rest of the recruiting cycle, before we figure out exactly what’s gonna happen,” Smith said. High school recruiting is no cakewalk. If you do manage to get your hands on a treat, you’ll have to ensure it doesn’t end up in the hands of others. It is a test of patience for coaches. Not only do they hope that these talents will pick their programs, they have to keep other coaches at bay from swooping in. For Venables, the fight gets tougher, because SEC rivals Auburn have already cost him big time in the recruiting class.
Ghosts of the past come knocking again for Brent Venables
The Sooners HC has lost two equally important talents in the past to other teams. Auburn bagged QB Jackson Arnold when he entered the transfer portal. Venables also lost Kevin Sperry, a 5-star prospect of the 2025 class, to Florida State. This one hurt a little more, because Sperry was the only 5-star commit, which lasted for more than a year. Now, with Jaden O’Neal traveling to other grounds, Venables has a big reason to worry. Those two very programs are once again circling above his blue-chip commit.
The Mustang QB stands at a commanding height of 6’3” and weighs 210 pounds. He has equally impressive high school stats as well. Passing yards in 2024 were 1,798, 16 TD passes, and a pass completion percentage of 70.9%. It’s clear why so many programs want him. With Kirby Smart, Deion Sanders, and Kalen DeBoer also laying out the carpets for him, Venables has got to do his best to keep O’Neal with him. He should have something up his sleeve, because he’s been in this situation before.
High school recruiting is as cutthroat as one can expect it to get. It’s not an easy ride for any program, and it certainly isn’t looking so for Brent Venables. Will Jayden O’Neal decide to find a home elsewhere, or will he stick loyal to the Sooners? We’ll only know when he decides to sign that letter of intent for his ultimate destination.
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