As of last month, it had been a full decade since the Sooners signed the No. 1 running back in the nation.
That changed when Taylor Tatum put pen to paper, as the East Texas phenom is the first top-ranked back to pick Oklahoma since Joe Mixon in the class of 2014. Currently ranked No. 51 overall in the Rivals national recruiting rankings, Tatum has flirted with five-star status for the majority of the cycle. Pending the final update, he still sits in high four-star territory, but he’s nevertheless unrivaled among peers at his position.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound product of Longview High School is the definition of a three-down back, as he possesses breakaway speed, natural receiving ability and the requisite durability to handle a heavy workload. And Tatum’s production certainly matches his potential; he totaled over 3,500 scrimmage yards across his final two seasons of varsity ball for Longview.
Tatum’s athletic prowess isn’t confined to the gridiron, either, as he’ll play both football and baseball upon his arrival in Norman. Oklahoma head baseball coach Skip Johnson played a major role in locking down Tatum’s pledge; USC and Michigan had both emerged as major contenders in his recruitment until the Sooners won Tatum over during a June official visit.
This past weekend, Tatum and three fellow Oklahoma signees represented the Sooners at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. Though Tatum didn’t play in the game, he did grant OUInsider an exclusive interview in which he discussed his two-sport future, his decision to commit to Oklahoma and much more.
For those that aren’t aware, could you clear the air on why you’re sitting this game out?
“I hurt my wrist, had surgery on my wrist during the football season. And I just started rehab, so there’s really no point in rushing rehab.”
With that said, why did you decide to make the trip down for this game anyway?
“Just to get to see the guys, come down here and get some gear, get some free lunch, just get to chop it up with some of these guys I knew from camps and recruiting. Some of us are pretty close-knit. So it’s kind of like a vacation.”
How much does it mean to you to be an All-American?
“Oh yeah, it’s a great feeling. Even though I didn’t get to play, I still feel like an All-American at the end of the day. I really wish I would have got to play in the game, though. But it’s a great feeling, to just know all my hard work [rewarded], and I can say I was an All-American in high school. I succeeded in one of my goals.”
You’re one of seven OU signees that won’t get to campus until the summer. What’s your focus this spring before you enroll at Oklahoma in June?
“It’s really just all about my rehab right now coming off this injury, and then playing the best baseball [while] training for football as much as I can. Hopefully I can get back in shape before I get to Schmitty. So I think just working on all that kind of stuff is what I keep my focus on right now.”
What gets you excited about playing for DeMarco Murray?
“DeMarco Murray is probably one of my favorite coaches in the country. Obviously, I had some [other] favorites, but I picked Oklahoma for a reason. I’m just ready to get up there and have that full experience with him for the next 3-4 years.”
You mentioned that you picked Oklahoma for a reason. Can you dive a little deeper on why you chose the Sooners?
“It was really just how Coach V, Coach Murray, even Coach Lebby treated my family. How they brought us in like family. It felt like a second home to my mom and my dad. They were like, ‘Okay, this guy is not just gonna get better at football and get better at baseball, but also become a better man and be comfortable where he’s at. So I was really kind of set on that, and after that, obviously, I took no more officials. I had a couple set up, but I cancelled. So I was just pretty locked in with Oklahoma.”
How instrumental was Skip Johnson in the Sooners’ pitch to you?
“Very crucial. My first day of my official, I got to spend most of my day with him, actually. Just being able to talk to him about his process with Kyler [Murray] and my teammate James — James Nesta, he’s going to be doing the same thing I’m doing. So just him letting me know he’s done it before and he plans to keep on doing it. So I’m just looking forward to being with him after what he’s done with Kyler and just learn from what he did with him.”
What’s the tangible plan as to how you’ll balance both sports?
“They let me know that when they’re in spring, you’re all baseball. As a running back, you don’t really have to make every single spring practice. So if you have a baseball game, just go ahead and go to your baseball game. It’s fine. As long as you’re excelling in the classroom and on the field, you’ll be perfect.”
Having watched Oklahoma make major strides offensively in 2023, how confident are you in the unit’s future, even with a change at offensive coordinator?
“Very confident. Obviously, we had a good defense this year too, so all around the team — offense, defense, O-line, D-line — everything looked better than it did last year. So now that we’re headed off to the SEC, we got a good recruiting class this year and I know Coach Venables is gonna bring in some guys from the transfer portal. So I’m just ready to get to that SEC and show that Oklahoma can compete with some of the big dawgs.”
What do you aim to accomplish as a true freshman?
“I’m not asking to be a starter or anything, but I really want to get some playing time. A couple touchdowns, some rushing yards — I really just want to get myself in the rotation. And then on the baseball field, hit a couple home runs or something. Have a good batting average, a batting average above .300.”
Can you speak to the sense of camaraderie that exists in this 2024 signing class at Oklahoma?
“We’re all pretty tight. We all have the same goals. We’re all hungry for the SEC. Being the first recruiting class in the SEC, it means something to us. We want to go and take it over. And you know, it’s obviously going to be hard. There’s no more easy games. You’re in the SEC; every team’s pretty good. So we’re just ready to go in and be competitive as soon as we get there.”
You were at every OU home game this past fall. Why? That’s not the shortest of trips.
“A lot of people don’t know, but my sister goes to OU. So I’m pretty tight with her, and it’s only a five-hour drive. I live in Longview. So it was really very convenient, and I always had a place to crash. So I [didn’t] have any reason not to go to every home game.”
Does having your sister in Norman help enhance the family atmosphere at Oklahoma?
“Oh yeah, for sure. My mom and my dad, my aunts, uncles, everybody — because of OU, the whole family be OU with my sister there. So just kind of having that as a guidance… my sister is one of my best friends, so her being there really helped me out a lot.”
What’s your message to Sooner Nation as you and the rest of the 2024 class get ready to make your impact in crimson?
“I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever challenges it comes with. I’m ready to go out there and play the LSU’s, the Georgias, the Alabamas. I’m ready for all of it. I’m just coming in to be better than I am now. I’m nowhere near as good as I want to be, so I’m just ready to compete as soon as I get there.”
What’s the ultimate ceiling for this program under the leadership of Coach Venables?
“The sky is literally not even the ceiling. We’re going to go above and beyond. This is no SEC championship [program]. This is a national championship [program]. We want national championships over here. So we’re ready for it.”
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