Washington is set to host two highly-touted class of 2026 quarterback recruits on campus in April for unofficial visits. Five-star quarterback Brady Smigiel will be on Montlake on April 19th. Jaden O’Neal is making his unofficial visit on April 26th. The two quarterbacks are in town before a couple of busy recruiting weekends in May and June for Jedd Fisch and Washington.
Brady Smigiel
At 6’-5” and just over 200 pounds, Smigiel has the prototypical quarterback frame out of Newbury Park High School in California. Smigiel has a five-star rating in the 247Sports Composite and is currently listed as the number two quarterback in the class of 2026. His high school stats show why he’s a top player. Smigiel has played 26 varsity games as a freshman and sophomore and has thrown a total of 98 touchdown passes. As a sophomore, the California native averaged just north of 300 passing yards per game with 52 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions. On the season, Smigiel threw for 4,235 yards and a 58% completion percentage. His tape shows a confident passer with excellent pocket awareness and arm strength. Smigiel can deliver the deep ball and also possesses the traits to drive it into tight windows on all areas of the field.
Smigiel currently has offers from 30 programs including Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, and Oregon. It’s early and ratings change often, but the high school stats speak for themselves at this point. Washington will be keeping an eye on Smigiel as he progresses through his junior and senior seasons at Newbury Park.
Jaden O’Neal
Another one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2026 will be unofficially visiting Washington in April. O’Neal enrolled at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, California this spring after a solid sophomore campaign at Newport Harbor High School last season. As a sophomore, O’Neal tossed 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 61% completion percentage and 2,475 yards. When you watch his tape you see a 6’-3” quarterback with great arm talent, accuracy, and strength as a passer. O’Neal displays confidence as a pocket-passer and has the arm to effortlessly deliver the ball vertically with accuracy. He also shows pocket mobility with eyes looking downfield to make a throw before tucking it to run.
O’Neal currently does not have a star rating on the major recruiting sites, but that will change shortly. His list of offers includes 20 schools with the likes of Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Penn State. His unofficial visit schedule includes trips to USC, Baylor, SMU, Oklahoma, and Washington through the end of April.
Washington Hosts Quarterback Recruits
The two class of 2026 quarterbacks are sure to generate a lot more interest at a national level, but Washington getting them on campus this early is critical. Both Smigiel and O’Neal have two more high school seasons in front of them. The relationships they make now will carry through their prep-school years and play a major role in their college decisions. Washington currently has a thin quarterback room behind the presumed starter Will Rogers.
