Jalen Montonati is nowhere near making a college decision. The class-of-2026 prospect is yet to begin his sophomore year at Oklahoma’s Owasso High School and is in no hurry to choose a program. He does, however, already hold a long list of major offers.
Schools such as Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Kansas State and Tennessee have already made things official, but it’s his offer from Oklahoma State that creates the most intrigue. Montonati’s father, who coaches him at Owasso, played for legendary coach Eddie Sutton in Stillwater, making the in-demand prospect an important legacy prospect for the Cowboys.
Montonati led a stacked MoKan Elite 15U team at this year’s Peach Jam, averaging 22 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest and backed up his standing as a prospect that will begin the discussion for five-star status when Rivals ranks the 2026 class this fall. Below, he discusses the early stages of his recrutiment.
ON VISITS HE’S TAKEN
“I have visited some places just for games. I’ve obviously been to Oklahoma State. I visited (Kansas’) Allen Fieldhouse for a game once, but they weren’t really visits or anything kike that yet.”
ON HIS TIES TO OKLAHOMA STATE
“My dad just tells me that Coach Sutton was a very intense guy. My dad takes a lot of stuff Eddie taught him at Oklahoma State and uses it when he coaches me at my high school.”
ON IF HIS FATHER WANTS HIM AT OSU
“He always tells me that this is my story. He wants me to go where the best fit is for me. He wants me to go to a place where I feel comfortable. That’s the most important thing to him.”
ON FUTURE VISIT DESTINATIONS
“I have a couple in mind, but nothing is for sure yet. I’m going to talk to my family and coaches before I set any visits.”
ON WHAT HE BRINGS TO A TEAM
“I’m a three-level scorer that can really defend 1-5 if you ask me to. I don;t just score the ball, though. I’m a leader for my team and get others involved. I try to bring energy to whatever team I’m on throughout the game.”
RIVALS REACTION: Montonati’s recruitment will be intriguing to say the least. It’s early in the process but it seems to be shaping up to pit the allure of family ties and tradition against heavy-hitting modern powerhouse with serious NIL firepower and championship pedigrees. It’s important to say any sophomore in high school is a “must get '' for any program, but saying Montonati is a priority target for Oklahoma State going forward is probably understating the situation. Mike Boynton will likely be asked to hold off a number of blue blood programs in order to land the talented legacy.
