Tatum, No. 2 RB in ’24 class, commits to Sooners

4-star working again Taylor Tatumthe No. 38 recruit within the 2024 ESPN 300, dedicated to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday.

Tatum, out of Longview Excessive College (Texas), is ranked because the second-best working again within the class and turns into the highest-ranked member of Brent Venables’ class. “The hometown really feel [to the school] and I consider in Coach V’s plans there, as nicely,” Tatum instructed ESPN, explaining his determination.

Along with Oklahoma, Tatum made official visits to USC and Michigan in June. He intends to play each soccer and baseball (middle discipline) in faculty.

After an extended stint as Clemson’s defensive coordinator, Venables demonstrated a transparent intent to run the soccer throughout his first season in Norman because the Sooners completed tenth within the FBS with 219.4 dashing yards per sport.

Sophomore Jovantae Barnes (519 yards, 5 TDs) and senior Marcus Major (227 yards, 4 TDs) are the main returning rushers. Eric Gray (1,366 yards, 11 TDs) was chosen by the New York Giants within the fifth spherical of the NFL draft in April. Tatum’s manufacturing at Longview suggests he ought to slot in offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s system.

In 13 video games for Longview final season, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Tatum ran for 1,840 yards and 33 touchdowns because the crew went 14-1 and made it to the 5A Division I state semifinals.

Oklahoma, which hauled within the fourth-best class in ESPN’s closing 2023 rankings, now has six ESPN 300 prospects in its 2024 group.

Tatum can be the highest-ranked working again to signal with the Sooners since Keith Ford (No. 27 total, No. 3 RB) in 2013.

The will to study underneath former Oklahoma working again DeMarco Murray, who’s on Venables’ employees as working backs coach, was an enormous promoting level for Tatum. Murray ran for 3,685 yards and 50 touchdowns throughout his 4 years in Norman (2007-10) and is this system’s profession chief in whole touchdowns (65) and all-purpose yards (6,718).