Oklahoma Lands 2024 Five-Star RB Taylor Tatum
Brent Venables and Oklahoma are starting to catch fire on the recruiting trail as August approaches, with the Sooners landing one of the top offensive players in the 2024 cycle, five-star running back Taylor Tatum, on Friday morning.
Tatum, listed at 5-10, 205 pounds, is the No. 31 overall prospect in the class of 2024 according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the No. 9 overall prospect in the state of Texas. The Longview native is also listed as the No. 1 running back for the cycle, making him the crown jewel of the Sooners’ 2024 class to this point.
According to 247Sports, Tatum held offers from nearly 40 programs, including national recruiting juggernauts like Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M. In the end, Tatum narrowed his options down to Oklahoma and USC, with the Sooners prevailing in the end.
USC held what was thought to be an insurmountable lead heading into Tatum’s official visit to Oklahoma back on June 16. However, that weekend proved to be all Demarco Murray and the Sooners needed to keep one of the nation’s most elite playmakers close to home.
While Murray played a major role in this recruitment, the Oklahoma football staff owes a hat tip to the Sooners’ baseball staff for the assist on this one.
Sooners baseball coach Skip Johnson helped sell the two-sport athlete on the ability to succeed both on the gridiron and on the diamond at OU, just as players like Kyler Murray did before him.
With Tatum’s commitment, Oklahoma’s class climbs to No. 16 in the nation, and No. 1 in the Big 12. With several more important targets left on the board, Brent Venables and the Sooners hope to be well within the top 10 nationally before toe meets leather on September 2.
