Oklahoma Sooners have expected recruiting shift that could signal a major move on the way for their 2026 recruiting class

For the Sooners, this is interesting timing. Bentley is a week removed from his visit to Norman, and the staff pulled out all the stops to make him feel welcomed as part of their plans for the future. By all accounts, that visit went well, and the Sooners have to like their odds on where they stand.

While we don't know for certain whether Oklahoma forced O'Neal's hand or if O'Neal decided enough was enough, I do doubt that Oklahoma would allow for this to happen if they didn't believe they already had an alternative on the way. 

New offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle has made Bentley his priority, and it's clear that Bentley fits his vision more than O'Neal. It's still a very risky process overall, as the Sooners now have to worry about Bentley's decision. 

If he flips to the other contender, LSU, the Sooners could be stuck without a quarterback committed and both O'Neal and Bentley could spurn this staff. His recruitment should be like every other recruitment, but he feels like a prospect Oklahoma needs a win on. 

For O'Neal, he's a talented prospect, but he wasn't invited to the Elite 11 camps and other schools have frequently chosen to recruit other prospects as well. If Oklahoma brings in Bentley, I don't suspect this is one they'll lose a lot of sleep over.