Why Oklahoma Fans Can Expect to See More of Freshman RB Taylor Tatum

OU coach Brent Venables said on his coach's show Monday that the Sooners' freshman running back has already earned more playing time after three weeks.

Oklahoma Sooners running back Taylor Tatum / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Expect more of Oklahoma freshman running back Taylor Tatum. 

OU coach Brent Venables said Monday night during his coach’s show that the young emerging star has earned more playing time. Tatum already played a season-high 27 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, last Saturday against Tulane. 

“He’s gonna get more and more playing time,” Venables said.

Venables also mentioned that Tatum got a late start to college football because he didn’t move to OU in the spring. Tatum instead finished out his senior year at Longview High School (TX) to play baseball. Perfect Game ranked Tatum as the 43rd-best outfielder from Texas in the 2024 class. But as a football player, 247Sports ranked Tatum as the best running back in the entire 2025 class.

“I went to his practice, I think that was January, I went to a baseball practice,” Venables reminisced. “It was about 40 degrees in Longview, Texas, and the wind was blowing. It was about 7 o’clock at night and it was their start of spring baseball. So I stopped through there and saw his family and him. Yeah, he can crank it. He’s really good.” 

Despite not participating in his first college football practice until this summer, Tatum didn’t seem to be behind Week 1. He was one of 23 freshmen to get into the game against Temple in OU’s season opener. But on another Friday night, it was like nothing had changed for Tatum. 

That night Tatum got only five carries but still led the Sooners in rushing with 66 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 13.8 yards a carry in the contest, largely thanks to a 35-yard run, which was also OU’s longest rush of the night. Four of Tatum’s five carries came on OU’s final drive of the night. As the lead back that possession, he dashed for 19 yards the first time he was handed the football. He capped the drive with an 8-yard TD run. 

“Yeah, you can see his explosiveness, and he's got great power,” Venables said after that game. 

That impressive showing got Tatum only one carry, which he took for 6 yards, the next week against Houston, though.

But then last week against Tulane he got more opportunity than ever. His 27 snaps were the second-most among OU running backs against Tulane, behind only Jovante Barnes’ 39 snaps, according to PFF. He even got more action than last season’s leading rusher Gavin Sawchuk, who played 21 snaps. 

With that opportunity, Tatum rushed for 27 yards on nine carries, averaging 3.0 yards a carry. He found the end zone twice, as well. First, he caught a 9-yard TD pass from Jackson Arnold in the second quarter. Then he ran for a 1-yard score on OU’s next possession. 

“He has a lot to learn and you don’t want to put him (in a spot where) every time somebody goes in they only run the ball,” Venables said. “ ‘Hey, look, the freshmen’s in. OK, call a run defense because they’re gonna run it.’ You can’t do that. So when you go in you have to have the ability to be able to do both – get involved in protection in the passing game and the running game. He’s learning. He’s getting better every day, and you’ll see more and more of him.”