Oklahoma’s new four-star QB draws lofty praise from Brent Venables for his poise, accuracy, toughness — and an uncanny resemblance to the calm, competitive demeanor of Sooners legend Sam Bradford
On Wednesday, the University of Oklahoma officially welcomed quarterback Bowe Bentley to the program during the early signing period.
The highly touted signal-caller from Celina, Texas, stands 6’2” and weighs 200 pounds, bringing an impressive blend of size, athleticism, and winning pedigree to Norman.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Bentley is a consensus four-star recruit, rated as the nation’s No. 8 quarterback, the No. 13 overall prospect in the talent-rich state of Texas, and the No. 106 player nationally in the 2025 class.
He originally committed to the Sooners back in June, ultimately selecting Oklahoma over a lengthy list of powerhouse programs that included LSU, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio State, Texas Tech, and many others.
During his post-Early Signing Day press conference, head coach Brent Venables wasted no time offering high praise for his new quarterback, comparing Bentley’s demeanor to one of the greatest players in program history—2008 Heisman Trophy winner and former No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Sam Bradford.
“Reminds you a little bit of a Sam Bradford from that standpoint—never too high, never too low,” Venables said.
“But yeah, every environment he’s in, he loves to compete.”
That is lofty company for any incoming freshman. Sam Bradford, who grew up in Oklahoma City as the son of a former OU offensive lineman, was not an elite recruit until Mike Leach discovered him while at Texas Tech.
Once he arrived in Norman, Bradford shattered nearly every single-season passing record during his two full years as the starter.
His résumé includes back-to-back Big 12 titles, an appearance in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game, and college football’s most prestigious individual award—the Heisman Trophy.
Selected first overall by the St. Louis Rams in the 2010 NFL Draft, Bradford went on to enjoy a nine-year professional career and led the league in completion percentage in 2016.
Venables was quick to clarify that he is not projecting Bentley to match Bradford’s exact accomplishments or win a Heisman Trophy anytime soon.
Still, the excitement in the Oklahoma head coach’s voice was unmistakable when discussing what Bentley brings to the table.
“Yeah, just he wins,” Venables continued. “A great competitor. You know, the anticipation, the accuracy that he throws with, anticipation that he throws with…the toughness that he plays with. He’s got a great disposition for it—you know, unlike a middle linebacker alpha that’s barking all the time.”
OU general manager Jim Nagy, the former Senior Bowl executive director, echoed those sentiments on Wednesday, pointing to one undeniable fact about Bentley’s career thus far.
“I mean, I think you’d just say he’s a winner,” Nagy said. “He’s never lost a game.”
Like Bradford before him, Bentley is a multi-sport athlete who competes in track and lacrosse in addition to starring on the gridiron. Venables highlighted that year-round competitive drive as another similarity between the two quarterbacks.
“He’s year-round,” Venables explained. “Stays busy, has his whole life. So whether that’s track, it’s baseball, it’s football—he’s got an athletic family. He’s got a family that happens to be Sooners, as well, and so that’s cool. His brother’s gonna play baseball here, and incredibly talented two young twins that are on the clock next. But just a great, great family, you know, a family that went through the process. You would love for it to have been easier, but they went through a real process.”
Last season at Celina High School—located just north of the Red River and roughly equidistant from Allen and Ardmore—Bentley guided the Bobcats to a perfect 16-0 record and the program’s first state championship in nearly two decades.
He racked up more than 4,200 yards of total offense (3,211 passing and 923 rushing) while accounting for 63 total touchdowns (47 passing).
In the Class 4A Division I state championship game, a commanding 55-21 victory over Kilgore, Bentley delivered 333 total yards and five touchdowns.
This fall, Bentley has Celina right back in the thick of the Texas high school playoff hunt. The Bobcats enter Friday’s quarterfinal matchup against Alvarado (12-0) with a 13-0 record, riding another undefeated campaign.Remarkably, Nagy revealed that Bentley is currently playing through injury as he attempts to lead his team back to the state title game.
“Cool to see him in the locker room the other day,” Nagy shared. “He had his arm in a sling. I didn’t know what that was about. So he’s going to gut it out and playing, I believe, the state (playoff) game this week.”
For a program looking to reclaim its place among college football’s elite, landing a poised, accurate, tough, multi-sport winner who has never tasted defeat at the high school level—and who already draws comparisons to Sam Bradford—feels like a significant coup on Early Signing Day.
Brent Venables and the Sooners clearly believe Bowe Bentley is the next great quarterback ready to write his own chapter in Oklahoma’s storied history.