ACC powerhouse predicted to receive great news from elite $172,000 QB Target

The Oklahoma Sooners suffered a tough blow on Thursday night when four-star quarterback Jaden O’Neal decided to back out of his commitment to the Sooners' program.

It was a tough loss for head coach Brent Venables, which dropped Oklahoma's 2026 recruiting class to No. 22 nationally and No. 10 in the SEC. O'Neal was the No. 2 player in Oklahoma and was perceived as a massive in-state target for the Sooners.

O'Neal played at Narbonne High School in California before transferring to Mustang High School in Oklahoma, so the local Oklahoma connection was set to be a strong one for both sides.

O'Neal is the No. 234 overall prospect and No. 16 quarterback in the class of 2026, according to the On3 industry ranking.

Now, another program has received a prediction for O'Neal: The Florida State Seminoles, per Steve Wiltfong of On3.

Wiltfong also spoke about O'Neal on Thursday night.

"Florida State is the program definitely trending for Jaden O'Neal in his recruitment right now, but Florida State has all the momentum for Jaden O'Neal."

Wiltfong did expect O'Neal to still take his visit to Oklahoma, but backing out of his commitment before that is quite the decision and should put Florida State back in pole position to land the talented Class of 2026 signal-caller.

O'Neal threw for 3,040 yards with 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his junior year of high school, and his senior year of high school, should be fun to watch, although maybe not for Oklahoma fans.

O'Neal's NIL valuation is at $172,000, per On3. But, a potential move to Florida State would be big, and new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn should be interesting to watch in his new role in Tallahassee.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but all signs point to O'Neal going to Florida State in a massive recruiting win for the Seminoles.