Saraland quarterback Jamison Roberts throws on the run during a playoff win over Pike Road last year. Roberts, who committed to Oklahoma Saturday, is rated the No. 1 quarterback in the state and No. 21 nationally. (Helen Joyce/Call News)
By JIMMY WIGFIELD
Saraland’s Jamison Roberts committed on Saturday to Oklahoma, whose lineage of great quarterbacks was a major factor in his decision.
Roberts (6-3, 205) — who has developed into a four-star prospect and is rated as the No. 1 quarterback in the state by Rivals and No. 21 nationally by 247 Sports — was sought by numerous elite national programs and announced his commitment during Future Freaks weekend in Norman, Okla.
“I felt like it was the right schematic fit and just the right situation for me,” said Roberts, who added his decision is firm, although the other suitors will undoubtedly try to change his mind before he signs in December and graduates early. “I’ve been to all these schools and I prayed about it. Oklahoma uses the quarterback in the run game a lot. As you saw this past year, I can use my legs whenever needed. They like to air it out but they do a lot of quarterback runs.”
Roberts was also swayed by the presence of Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and primary quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski and the program’s history of Heisman Trophy quarterbacks.
“They’re some of the best quarterback development guys in the whole country, so I know I am going to get the best attention,” Roberts said.
Arbuckle has a reputation for finding under-recruited quarterbacks early and staying with them as they gather more ratings stars. OU offered Roberts last November when he was a three-star prospect.
At Oklahoma, Roberts will have a chance to become the Sooners’ fifth Heisman quarterback, following Jason White (2003), Sam Bradford (2008), Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018).
Roberts had recently narrowed his finalists to Oklahoma, Auburn, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Kentucky, Duke, Northwestern and Iowa. He was also offered by Georgia and Florida.
“He’s playing the game at a level where it’s easy for all these decision makers to watch his tape and say, ‘Wow, this kid is going to be special,’” Spartans coach Jeff Kelly said. “I think Oklahoma made him a priority early on. I think the time he’s went there to visit, just seeing the atmosphere and all the success that they’ve had through the years, as a program but also developing quarterbacks, has carried a lot of weight with him. It’s been pretty steady from day one that Oklahoma was a step ahead of the rest.”
Roberts had a breakout season in 2025, when he completed 219 of 300 passes for 3,370 yards, 37 touchdowns and five interceptions. He ran for 641 yards on 104 carries and 21 TDs. He will enter his senior season with 3,870 career passing yards, 45 touchdowns, just five interceptions and a 142.3 quarterback rating. He has also run for 664 yards and 21 TDs while averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Last year, Roberts had the best quarterback rating in Alabama among Class 7A and 6A quarterbacks (146).
Roberts has a 4.3 grade-point average and wants to major in kinesiology with a goal of being a sports medicine doctor or physical therapist.
Roberts said he was looking forward to giving OU coach Brent Venables a traditional poker chip signifying his commitment.
“It’s like a little souvenir,” Roberts said. “Coach Venables has poker chips in his office and every guy he offers, he gives them a poker chip and says, ‘When you’re ready to commit, are you going to be all in?’”
Venables writes his initials and the initials of the player on a poker chip and the date of the commitment.
The Sooners and Saraland will get a bigger, faster and stronger Roberts, who hopes to lead the Spartans to their fifth straight Super 7 and their second state championship this season.
“I made a goal after we lost in the state championship to Clay-Chalkville,” he said. “I felt like they weren’t better than us football-wise or scheme-wise or anything like that. They just outmanned us because they were bigger, faster and stronger. I don’t want to feel like that again. I’ve already lowered my 40 time (from 4.6 to low 4.5) and I’ve already added eight pounds of muscle.”
Kelly has produced two back-to-back nationally prominent quarterbacks in Roberts and Texas’ K.J. Lacey.
“They play the game with a different style but the results speaks for itself,” Kelly said. “K.J. is a Mr. Football and Jamison backed him up and then comes in as a junior and nearly scored 60 touchdowns. One of the biggest blessings in my career is being able to coach all those great quarterbacks. I love coaching that position. I love getting the quarterbacks ready to play. I think it’s a quarterback’s game. I think you’ve got to build your team around the strengths of your quarterback and build your practices around the strengths of your quarterback and your game plans around the strengths of your quarterback because if you are not good there, it’s hard to win games.
“The last two I’ve had are guys where you look back and when you’re done coaching and you’re like, ‘Wow man, that’s a great run of guys to get a chance to work with every day.’”
