Brent Venables shares what Taylor Tatum brings to Oklahoma's offense

Brent Venables has made sure to stock up on skill position players before Oklahoma officially joins the SEC. And his best pull of the bunch might be Taylor Tatum, the No. 1 running back in the country per the On3 Industry Rankings. Tatum committed to the Sooners back in July and never really wavered, officially signing with the program in December.

Once all of the paperwork was finalized, Venables had the opportunity to speak on Tatum publicly for the first time. He views the running back as a do-it-all type guy, thinking he has a chance to produce similar numbers to previous Oklahoma greats. High remarks for Tatum before he ever steps foot on campus.

“Taylor Tatum from Longview,” Venables said. “We know what that program represents. We’ve had several Sooners that have come from the University of Longview. Coach King and what that staff is all about. You’re getting another multisport player in Taylor Tatum.

“He can take the top off the defense. He’s a home run hitter at running back. His power, his speed, his instincts. Very reminiscent of some other great backs that we’ve had from East Texas.”

As Venables mentioned, Tatum played high school football at Longview (TX) High School, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 40 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Longview might be in East Texas but the area has long been a recruiting hotspot for the Sooners. Offensive tackle Trent Williams was the last Oklahoma great to play for the Lobos and is now considered one of the best in NFL history.

Football is not the only sport Tatum will be playing while in Norman. He is considered a fantastic baseball prospect as well and will play outfield for the Sooners. Venables gave a lot of credit to Skip Johnson for playing a huge role in the recruitment.

“Tremendous baseball player,” Tatum said. “He’s going to play baseball here at the University of Oklahoma. Another fist bump to Coach Johnson and the staff for all of their help and facilitating the recruitment.”

Of course, Venables will be hoping Tatum winds up making a bigger impact in football compared to baseball. Oklahoma has some good depth at running back already but if Tatum can impress in practice, there should be an avenue for early playing time.