It’s that time of year when you see more 4 and 5-stars over the On3 social media timeline than in downtown LA. With National Signing Day 2025 in the rear-view mirror, there’s absolutely no standing on ceremony. Nearsightedness is a cardinal sin in this sport, and focus has swiftly pivoted over to the class of ‘26. Coaches are hitting the road for off-campus visits. Parallely, recruits are reciprocating the efforts with on-campus ones. The no.11 quarterback in his class. 4-star Bowe Bentley has just announced 5 official visits over spring. A couple of notable schools are expectantly on the itinerary.

Since before his announcement, Bowe Bentley has been trending towards the Oklahoma Sooners. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) even gives Brent Venables’ program the highest percentage chance to land his services under the center. Merely 130 miles separate his home in Celina, Texas, and Norman. He’s a boyhood Sooners homer, too, and has already been on campus. Even with all this baked in, it would’ve been borderline delusional for his recruiter, new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, to think the process would be straightforward. It never is with a prospect of this ilk. OU knew there would be roadblocks to getting Bentley. Now, they’re privy to the exact ones. A mix of schools from the SEC, B1G, and ACC are preparing to host him, and they’re all blue chips.

On3 Recruits’ Steve Wiltfong broke the news that Bowe Bentley has finalized official visits to the following: Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, Florida State, and Georgia Tech. In that order, from March 8th all the way to March 29th. It’s not a surprise Oklahoma has received the first one, a positive for Venables. But the glass half-empty POV will be that this leaves the others with time closer to the final decision. As if the adversaries Oklahoma has to fend off weren’t daunting enough, a couple are extra motivated, too.

Mike Norvell and FSU are in search of a messiah figure that can propel them back to the top echelon of the ACC. They thought they found their man when a fellow 4-star QB for 2026, Brady Smigiel, committed to the Seminoles after their unbeaten 2023. However, the absolute collapse that was the 2024 season ensued and Smeigel decommitted. In under a week after this blow, FSU pivoted and offered Bowe Bentley. He may not have been their first, but he sure is their next big hope for a high-end QB. The Seminoles being on the list of OVs is an indication the program’s act of desperation may yet bear fruit. 

Elsewhere, LSU and Ohio State remain an allure for every football prospect in the country. The lineage of QBs that have walked through Baton Rouge and Columbus are a proponent of their work developing the position. Georgia Tech is a sleeper in this process but has shown its recruiting prowess at multiple junctures in the past. However, Oklahoma is indeed the school to beat. The aforementioned RPM suggests the field is still favored over Brent Venables and Ben Arbuckle, though, with On3 giving them a 41.7% chance. With a huge year beckoning in Norman with their new look offense, it is perhaps best for Bentley to dwell on things before a decision. This thing has the potential to skyrocket, but also bomb. Which he’ll be aware of as a fan.

Bowe Bentley needs to tread with caution given Brent Venables’ own dicey status and overarching issues at Oklahoma

Whoever followed on from Lincoln Riley in Oklahoma was drinking from a poisoned chalice. The roster he left behind for his successor wasn’t in great shape. The turnover required within the program was of seismic proportions. 3 years into the Brent Venables era, aftershocks from this seismic shift are still reverberating across the program. The problem for OU is, the shocks aren’t quite dissipating- in fact, they are tearing up the foundation. The house that Bob Stoops built and Riley supervised is standing rather precariously under the care of coach Venables. The foreseeable future of this blueblood is a concern now, and it’s surely a factor on the recruitment front. A potential deterrent for the likes of Bowe Bentley.

After being afforded growing pains in year 1, Venables lead OU to a double-digit win season in year 2. Then came about realignment to the SEC, and things took a turn for the worse. A below .500 season means Venables enters 2025 on the hot seat. Apart from results on the field, this blueblood has also lost some of its magnetic attraction for players. The sheen wore off after a season that culminated in a loss to a service academy in the Bowl game. The down year has inadvertently caused players to perceive them in a different light, lower down the hierarchy. As many as 29 players left Norman through the transfer portal this offseason.

With a head coach under duress, a new OC, and a stop-gap solution at QB, Oklahoma is in a state of flux. Bowe Bentley has to assess whether things turn for the better or keep deteriorating. It’s not as if the other options he’s got aren’t enticing. A huge decision awaits Bentley, who’s probably dreamt of being a boomer. Head over heart, or the other way around? Not an envious choice for a high-schooler!