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Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff Writer
Four-star running back Taylor Tatum, the No. 38 recruit in the 2024 ESPN 300, committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday.
Tatum, out of Longview High School (Texas), is ranked as the second-best running back in the class and becomes the highest-ranked member of Brent Venables’ class. “The hometown feel [to the school] and I believe in Coach V’s plans there, as well,” Tatum told ESPN, explaining his decision.
In addition to Oklahoma, Tatum made official visits to USC and Michigan in June. He intends to play both football and baseball (center field) in college.
After a long stint as Clemson’s defensive coordinator, Venables demonstrated a clear intent to run the football during his first season in Norman as the Sooners finished 10th in the FBS with 219.4 rushing yards per game.
Sophomore Jovantae Barnes (519 yards, five TDs) and senior Marcus Major (227 yards, four TDs) are the leading returning rushers. Eric Gray (1,366 yards, 11 TDs) was selected by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the NFL draft in April. Tatum’s production at Longview suggests he should fit in offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s system.
In 13 games for Longview last season, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Tatum ran for 1,840 yards and 33 touchdowns as the team went 14-1 and made it to the 5A Division I state semifinals.
Oklahoma, which hauled in the fourth-best class in ESPN’s final 2023 rankings, now has six ESPN 300 prospects in its 2024 group.
Tatum would be the highest-ranked running back to sign with the Sooners since Keith Ford (No. 27 overall, No. 3 RB) in 2013.
The desire to learn under former Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray, who is on Venables’ staff as running backs coach, was a big selling point for Tatum. Murray ran for 3,685 yards and 50 touchdowns during his four years in Norman (2007-10) and is the program’s career leader in total touchdowns (65) and all-purpose yards (6,718).
