Brent Venables added his second quarterback commitment since joining Oklahoma as head coach on Monday, when ESPN Junior 300 quarterback Jackson Arnold committed to the Sooners.
Arnold is the No. 42 prospect overall, and a 6-foot-1, 195-pound prospect from John H. Guyer High School in Denton, Texas. He’s ranked as the second-best dual threat quarterback in the 2023 cycle behind California signal caller Jaden Rashada.
While Arnold is the first quarterback commit for the Sooners in the 2023 class, Venables and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby were able to add ESPN 300 quarterback Nick Evers in the 2022 cycle before the early signing period. Evers decommitted from Florida and quickly flipped to Oklahoma before signing on December 15 with the Sooners.
The staff is losing quarterbacks Spencer Rattler, who transferred to South Carolina, and Caleb Williams, who is in the transfer portal, but brought in UCF quarterback transfer Dillon Gabriel. Venables is also targeting USC quarterback transfer Jaxson Dart, who is also considering Ole Miss and BYU.
Williams has said there is a chance he comes back to Oklahoma, but it seems more likely than not that he would transfer out. He has USC and former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley targeting him among a handful of other programs.
Given what Venables lost at quarterback, he and his staff have filled the void nicely with Gabriel and Evers, getting in the mix for Dart, and now adding Arnold for future depth and competition as well.
With Arnold committed, Oklahoma now has three commitments in the 2023 class, including ESPN Jr. 300 wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. and center Joshua Bates.
