OU football lands Bowe Bentley, beats LSU for 4-star QB in Sooners' 2026 recruiting class
NORMAN — Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle found his 2026 quarterback.
Four-star Bowe Bentley, the No. 10 quarterback in the 2026 class, announced his commitment to Oklahoma over LSU Friday evening.
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Bentley is the No. 94 overall recruit in the 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' Composite ranking. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound rising senior from Celina, Texas, Bentley previously stood as the cycle's third-ranked uncommitted quarterback.
After gaining interest from a plethora of Power 4 programs, Bentley narrowed his finalists to LSU and OU in May before taking official trips to see each program in the following weeks.
A dynamic dual-threat with 4,200 total yards and 63 touchdowns as a junior at Celina High School, Bentley joins the Sooners as the top-ranked member of the program's 2026 class. Bentley's commitment comes less than 24 hours after the No. 14-ranked 2026 quarterback Jaden O'Neal decommitted from OU.
Shortly after hiring Arbuckle this offseason, the Sooners offered Bentley while O'Neal was committed. Bentley took two unofficial visits to Norman — one in February and another in March — before officially visiting earlier this month.
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Bentley visited Florida State, Georgia and Ohio State in March before zeroing in on LSU and OU.
Bentley, who led Celina to a 16-0 record and state championship as a junior, becomes the Sooners' potential quarterback for the future after current starting quarterback John Mateer's tenure.
Arbuckle and OU previously signed three-star quarterback Jett Niu in the 2025 cycle and welcomed transfers Whitt Newbauer (Mercer) and Gavin Frakes (Virginia).
More: Why OU athletic director Joe Castiglione feels Sooners are prepared for House settlement
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football lands QB Bowe Bentley over LSU in 2026 recruiting class
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