It's still a year and a half from signing day in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

But Jaden O'Neal will readily acknowledge that his commitment to Oklahoma, which he announced publicly on Monday, has been a long time coming.

“I had took an unofficial visit during spring ball, so we kind of already knew this is the place," O'Neal told OUInsider in an exclusive interview. "Because they had already set the standard high, to be honest. It was Miami at first; Miami had set the standard. But once we went to Oklahoma that first time, it was like no other feeling being in Norman.”

That spring visit helped catapult the Sooners to the top of O'Neal's list, and the deal was sealed for good in mid-June when O'Neal returned to Norman for a prospect camp. He delivered a strong performance in front of the OU staff, which officially certified him as the man for Seth Littrell in the 2026 class. And before leaving campus, O'Neal silently committed to the Sooners' coaching staff.

“We just got a different feeling being at Oklahoma," he explained. "Meeting with Coach Brent Venables [was] definitely something to remember for the long run. Coach Seth Littrell having the same core values as my father was definitely a big [factor] as well.”

O'Neal is the third commit of the 2026 cycle for the Sooners, joining four-star RB Jonathan Hatton and three-star TE Ryder Mix. And it may not be long before the pied-piper effect begins, as a quarterback of O'Neal's caliber often possesses plenty of sway with his peers. By his own admission, O'Neal already has his sights set on several top targets.

“There’s definitely a number-one running back I’ve been eyeing a little bit: Kaydin Jones, right there in Oklahoma," said O'Neal. "Definitely want to recruit some of my guys at my school; definitely want to take a trip up there with them.”

One of his teammates at Narbonne High is three-star 2025 LB Mark Iheanachor, who holds an OU offer and is quickly drawing near to a decision. Four-star Oklahoma WR commit Marcus Harris is another Golden State native with whom O'Neal has plenty of history. And on a broad scale, O'Neal is eager to dispel the notion that Californians aren't SEC material.

“The SEC [is] big boy football," he remarked. "I definitely want to run straight to the competition. I’m always hungry… The competition that they play week in and week out definitely drew my eye. They kind of have this [narrative] that Cali players are soft. But I want to be one of many to prove that we’re not soft over here.”

O'Neal is currently regarded as the No. 63 overall player and No. 5 pro-style quarterback in the Rivals rankings for the class of 2026. He gives Oklahoma a blue-chip QB commit for the sixth consecutive class, as the 2020 cycle marks the last time the Sooners didn't secure the services of a Rivals250 quarterback.

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