Stacking Oklahoma's QB pipeline after new commitment

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

The Oklahoma Sooners, led by general manager Jim Nagy, head coach Brent Venables, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, and quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski, landed a major quarterback commitment on Friday. OU flipped Trey Tagliaferri, a strong prospect out of the state of New Jersey, from Notre Dame, landing their guy at QB in the class of 2028.

Flipping a prospect of Tagliaferri’s magnitude away from the Fighting Irish is a major move for the Sooners, and they once again have landed the pledge of their preferred passer in high school recruiting. It’s becoming a habit in Norman, one that bodes well for the Sooners.

Though there’s still a long way to go until signing day, OU now has its first standing member of the 2028 class on board in the strong-armed passer. Oklahoma picked Tagliaferri over other class of ’28 QB prospects like Brady Quinn, Graham Simpson, Trey Wright, Gavin Strang, and Nash Henry, and clearly both sides made a major impression on each other rather quickly. OU will look to start to build the class around him in the coming months.

Now, if all holds for the Sooners, Tagliaferri gets to become one of the next signal-callers in the pipeline to join the impressive lineage OU has built as “QBU”. Today, we’ll look at the current and future of the quarterback position in Norman, breaking down what each player brings to the table. Arbuckle, Kuceyeski, and offensive analyst Blaise Bentsen, who also works with the QBs, all arrived at OU in the winter after the subpar 2024 season, and they’ve worked hard to completely re-stock the pipeline with their guys. Here’s where the Sooners currently stand at quarterback after the Tagliaferri pledge.

John Mateer: Redshirt Senior

John Mateer returns for one final season of college football, and he’ll once again be the starter for the Sooners in 2026. Mateer was Arbuckle’s hand-picked QB when he got the OU job, and the relationship the two have built is instrumental to Oklahoma’s success on offense. All eyes will be on the veteran this fall, as OU’s offense will go as far as he takes it.

Whitt Newbauer: Redshirt Sophomore

Whitt Newbauer is also in his second season in Norman, and he’s battling for the backup job this offseason. He played a bit in 2025, but he’s not expected to see much action this year if all goes according to plan in the QB room. Newbauer will be looking to push to get a chance to be the starter in 2027, but that will likely be an uphill battle considering who else the Sooners have in the room.

Jett Niu: Redshirt Freshman

Jett Niu is another second-year OU quarterback. He played in just one game last year, and he did not attempt a pass. Niu is filling out the depth chart for the Sooners, as he’ll be the fourth-string QB this season. He was Arbuckle’s first-ever QB recruit at OU in the ’25 class, as he flipped from rival Oklahoma State extremely late in the process.

Bowe Bentley: Freshman

When you talk about the future at the quarterback position for OU, it starts with Bowe Bentley. He was Arbuckle’s guy in the ’26 class, and the Sooners landed him to run the show after he watches from the sidelines this year. Bentley will have to hold off challengers for the right to be QB1 in 2027, but he’s the heir-apparent to Mateer. Bentley is a player Oklahoma really coveted, and they put a lot on the line to land him. They are very high on him after just one spring in Norman.

Jamison Roberts: 2027 commit

Jamison Roberts was the priority at QB for Arbuckle in the ’27 class, and he’s been committed to the Sooners since March. OU fought off a number of high-level programs to secure his pledge, and they’ll get to watch as his profile only grows during his senior season in high school. Roberts will have to wait his turn behind Bentley once he gets to OU, but it’s obvious that Arbuckle thinks a lot of what he could be someday in Norman.

Noah Smith: 2027 commit

The Sooners are taking two QBs in the ’27 class, as they also have Noah Smith on board in the cycle. While he doesn’t currently project as a future starter at Oklahoma, he’ll be able to provide depth while he’s at OU. Smith impressed the Sooners so much back in June that he earned an offer despite not being on the radar before that. He committed quickly, and the local product won’t have to travel far to start his college career.

Trey Tagliaferri: 2028 commit

It’ll be a while before Trey Tagliaferri is even enrolled at OU, and even longer before he could become Oklahoma’s starting quarterback, but the Sooners made a strong statement early in the ’28 cycle by landing him. Once again, Arbuckle got his top priority at QB in the class, and this time, Oklahoma will build the rest of the haul around him. Tagliaferri’s talent is already evident, and he’ll have two more high school seasons to hone his skills before he gets to Norman.

Oklahoma is known for its long line of stellar quarterbacks, especially in the 21st century. After a bit of a blip, Arbuckle’s arrival has seen the Sooners gradually build and replenish what looks like a very strong quarterback pipeline. Looking even further forward, OU has already offered Logan Lucero and Ryder Flugence, both out of the state of Texas, in the 2029 class.

Playing quarterback for the Sooners isn’t an easy gig. However, Arbuckle is trying to make sure he has players who he believes have the right stuff to lead the way for Oklahoma, both in the present and the future.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Stacking Oklahoma’s QB pipeline after new commitment

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos