WATCH: Oklahoma No. 1 RB commit Taylor Tatum throws long TD pass
Longview (Texas) four-star Taylor Tatum is committed to Oklahoma as a running back, but he took on a different role out of the backfield Thursday night.
Tatum, the nation’s best running back, took a pitch from his quarterback before launching a long touchdown pass to Dakaylen Reese to put Longview on the board.
Longview is facing McKinney (Texas), and the throw from Tatum cut McKinney’s lead in half to 14-7.
Tatum is the nation’s No. 36 overall prospect and No. 1 running back in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 9 player in Texas.
For more Oklahoma recruiting news and intel, check out Sooner Scoop.
Relationships, potential for baseball played a role in Tatum OU commitment
The 5-foot-10.5, 200-pound Tatum committed to the Sooners in late July. A major factor in Tatum’s commitment was his relationship with Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray. Murray is Oklahoma’s career leader in all-purpose yards and touchdowns. He returned as the Sooners’ running backs coach in January 2020.
“They’ve always been a top school in the back of my head because of my relationship with Coach Murray,” Tatum told On3. “Getting back for the official visit really set it off for me.”
“Being around Coach Murray and his family, hearing Coach Venables’ plans for the future, about getting to the SEC and how that’s gonna change the college football world,” he continued. “Knowing they have the same morals and same goals as me, that Coach Murray talks to my dad a lot, my mom a lot, and I’ve connected with Oklahoma in ways I haven’t with other schools.”
Tatum is a talented two-sport athlete and the opportunity to continue that in college was also a factor in his decision.
“Being a two-sport athlete — a competitive one at that — I made sure to go somewhere where I had the opportunity to play baseball and compete in football,” Tatum told On3. “Being the top running back in the nation, I’m blessed to have the ability to thrive in two sports.
“Going there and playing two sports is a big reason for me.”
Tatum currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $189,000. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
The post WATCH: Oklahoma No. 1 RB commit Taylor Tatum throws long TD pass appeared first on On3.
