All Sooners

Who Are the Contenders for Oklahoma's First 2026 QB Offer?

With a slew of talented quarterback prospects in the 2026 class, it is only a matter of time before one of the talented signal callers picks up an offer from OU.

Randall Sweet

Schuylar "CJ" Turnbull via Twitter
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Brent Venables and company have had success recruiting quarterbacks since the new regime took over in Norman. 

In the 2023 class, the Sooners landed 5-star QB Jackson Arnold, followed by 4-stars Michael Hawkins Jr. and Kevin Sperry in the 2024 and 2025 cycles. With Sperry transfering to Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, the leader of OU's 2025 class is now closer to his future home. 

After Sperry, however, Oklahoma has yet to offer a quarterback, with no rising sophomore signal callers holding an offer from the Sooners yet. 

Still, Jeff Lebby and company have their eyes on a handful of impressive local passers in the 2026 class, showing that they already are looking towards the future. With such an advanced group of young QBs, Lebby and company will have plenty of options when considering which players gets the first offer.

One of the incoming sophomores that the Sooners' coaching staff has been able to see in person already is former Pinnacle (AZ) quarterback Dayton Raiola. Raiola is the younger brother of 2024 5-star QB and Georgia commit Dylan Raiola and the son of former Nebraska All-American center and NFL veteran Dominic Raiola.

While Dayton has played mostly on JV up to this point, the promising passer already has a Power 5 offer from Nebraska. After seeing Raiola throw the ball at the Brent Venables Elite Camp, it is easy to see why.

The 6-foot-1 gunslinger easily launched the ball over 50 yards downfield, consistently hitting his target in passing drills and one-on-one reps. With Dylan set for his senior year of high school, Dayton will likely have another season before he is in the spotlight. 

Once the younger Raiola brother gets his chance to shine, however, he will likely pick up his fair share of offers in a hurry. The Raiola family recently moved to Burford, GA, meaning it could be difficult for Oklahoma to pull Dayton from the grasp of the Bulldogs.

The Sooners' coaching staff was also able to see local rising sophomore CJ Turnbull at the Venables camp earlier this month. The Millwood (OK) QB was at multiple sessions, leaving an impression on media and coaches with a quick release and strong arm. 

The teammate of 2025 Oklahoma wide receiver offer Jaden Nickens had multiple conversations with Lebby, who seemed to keep his eye on the local prospect at camp. Being just down the road from Norman, the 6-foot-1 Turnbull could hear from the OU coaches early on in his sophomore season if he continues to perform well after he helped lead the Falcons to the state title game as a freshman.

Fellow in-state signal caller Connor Quintero of Stillwater High School is also a likely candidate to be the Sooners’ first 2026 QB offer. While he may reside in enemy territory, Quintero is an extremely talented passer who will end up as one of if not the top quarterback in the state in his class.

The Pioneers star already holds four offers from Kennesaw State, Tulsa, UNLV and Oregon. Listed at 6-feet tall, Quintero was named an Adidas Freshman All-American for his efforts in 2022. 

South of the Red River, Regents (TX) quarterback Quinn Murphy has been gaining a lot of traction on the recruiting trail. The rising sophomore is up to eight offers from schools like Michigan, Miami, Louisville and Houston, and could receive one from the Sooners in the near future. 

Listed at 6-foot-2, OU will have to build a good relationship with Murphy before Texas swoops in and attempts to land the the Austin native. While Oklahoma has pulled players from the Longhorns' backyard before, it is never an easy task.

As a freshman, Murphy threw for 2,406 yards and 33 touchdowns, helping lead the Knights to the state title game. 

In East Texas, Grand Oaks quarterback Grant Smith could also be hearing from Lebby and company soon. The 6-foot-3 rising sophomore already holds offers from TCU and Texas A&M and will likely hear from a host of schools over the next few seasons. 

At Mesquite Horn High School (TX), Legend Bey is also vying to be the Sooners' first QB offer in the 2026 class. The dual-threat playmaker currently holds an offer from Texas Tech, who offered Bey earlier this month. 

The 6-foot signal caller was formerly at Reedy High School (TX), where he was teammates with OU offer and Tennessee commit Max Anderson, who is the younger brother of Oklahoma offensive lineman Nate Anderson. With Lebby and company having already seen Bey in action while scouting Anderson, there is a chance that the Dallas-area star gets good news from the Sooners in the coming years. 

Bey is the state of Texas' No. 1 dual threat quarterback in the 2026 class, according to QB Hit List.

One of the country's top 2026 quarterback's, Carrollton (GA) standout Julian Lewis is already a national star after an incredible freshman season. The 6-foot-1 QB recruit already boasts over 35 offers from schools around the country, including Alabama, USC, Texas, Ohio State and Georgia. 

In his first year of high school competition, Lewis threw for a whopping 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns, earning the coveted signal caller MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year Honors. 

With Lewis being such a highly touted prospect, the Sooners will have to beat out all of the nation's top programs if they hope to land what will likely be a 5-star recruit.

Additionally, some other 2026 QBs to keep an eye on are Easton Webb of Charles Page (OK), Jeremiah Ssettimba of Broken Arrow (OK), Skyler Moorman of Collinsville (OK), Max Moore of Mannford (OK), Sawyer Rice of Duncan (OK) and Carson Kirby of Bixby (OK). 

While the OU coaching staff will likely not shell out offers to every player mentioned, they are keeping tabs on them all. 

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. 

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