Four-star quarterback Jaden O'Neal, ranked No. 112 in the 2026 ESPN 300, announced his commitment to Florida State on Sunday night, sealing a long-anticipated flip for the former Oklahoma pledge.
O'Neal, who spent nearly a year atop the Sooners' incoming class, lands as the Seminoles' second-ranked pledge in the 2026 cycle. ESPN's No. 7 pocket passer, O'Neal will arrive as Florida State's highest-rated quarterback since AJ Duffy (No. 60 overall) in the 2022 class if the 6-foot-3, 215-pound prospect from Southern California ultimately signs later this year.
O'Neal initially committed to Oklahoma on June 24, 2024, remaining the top-ranked pledge in the Sooners' 2026 class for nearly 12 months prior to last week's decommitment.
O'Neal visited the program often and remained an active recruiter for Oklahoma as the Sooners tumbled through their second losing season in three years last fall, which included the departure of offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. This past spring, O'Neal and his family relocated to Mustang (Oklahoma) High School, where O'Neal will complete his senior season in the fall.
Sources told ESPN that the relationship between O'Neal and the Sooners deteriorated in recent months, spurred primarily by the program's pursuit of four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley (No. 261) under first-year offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
As Oklahoma chased Bentley, who committed to the Sooners on Friday night, O'Neal took official visits to Arizona and Florida State before securing his new landing spot with the Seminoles on Sunday.
A strong-armed passer with an accurate deep ball, O'Neal joins Florida State's 2026 class as one of the cycle's most intriguing quarterback prospects and a recruit whose promise has been obscured by multiple transfers and a transfer-related suspension over the past 24 months.
O'Neal threw for 2,475 yards and 27 touchdowns as a sophomore at California's Newport Harbor High School. Last fall, transfer rules barred O'Neal from the first seven games of his junior season after his move to nearby Narbonne High School, where O'Neal went on to total 1,798 passing yards with 16 touchdowns in eight games while leading Narbonne to a Los Angeles City title.
At Mustang, one of Oklahoma's top high school programs, O'Neal expects to have the opportunity in 2025 to reestablish his place among the nation's top quarterback prospects.
O'Neal's pledge arrives as a major recruiting win for Seminoles coach Mike Norvell ahead of a pivotal sixth season at Florida State in the wake of the program's disastrous 2-10 campaign in 2024.
The Seminoles' worst season since 1974 also coincided with the collapse of Norvell's 2025 recruiting class, which lost 10 commits after Sept. 1, a group that included five-star offensive tackle Solomon Thomas, top-100 defensive end Javion Hilson and quarterback Tramell Jones Jr.
O'Neal lands as the program's 14th overall commit and fifth ESPN 300 pledge in the 2026 cycle, trailing only four-star wide receiver Brandon Bennett (No. 107 overall), who committed earlier this month on June 11.
As things stand, O'Neal will step onto campus in 2026 with a potential path to early playing time, with Boston College transfer Tommy Castellanos out of eligibility after the 2025 season, and quarterbacks Brock Glenn and Kevin Sperry remaining as the only other quarterbacks on the Seminoles' roster entering the fall.