LONGVIEW, Texas — "My parents are right up here with me, you know always told me son, be the best I can be in anything I want to do," Longview Lobo running back Taylor Tatum said. "But, with that being said, I’m committing to the University of Oklahoma."
It was a moment that everyone had been waiting for. Tatum announced Friday morning at the high school's turf room that he will be a Sooner. The top-ranked running back in the class of 2024 was between Oklahoma and the University of Southern California, but he said that in the end, OU just felt like home.
"Great relationships with the coaches over there, you know Norman feels just like Longview to me. Just getting that hometown feel, you know, getting to be able to compete in the SEC in football and baseball," Tatum said. "They’ve got great things coming up, the '23 class is really good. The '24 class is getting better, so I think we’re ready for all that."
Tatum is not the first football player that Longview High has sent to Oklahoma. Trent Williams, a top-five pick for the 49ers in 2010, and Malcolm Kelly, a second-round pick from Washington in 2008, both funneled from the Lobos, to the Sooners and to the pros.
Longview Head Coach John King thinks that Tatum has that kind of potential too, largely due to the type of person he is.
"Just how he conducts himself, he’s respectful," King said. "Great academic prowess, I mean, he’s always on the honor roll, and just how he treats people. Everybody is important to him, and he’s always been great with his teammates, classmates, teachers, administration and people just love him."
For three years, Tatum has been a human highlight reel out on the football field, as well as on the baseball diamond. So, when making his commitment decision, he reached out to someone with experience on both.
"I’ve actually talked to Kyler (Murray) like once or twice. So, just getting to be able to talk about his experience playing baseball and football and how Coach Johnson does his players, and how he treated him with resting, nutrition and still getting to go to spring games and spring practices. So getting to talk to him about it was a real cool experience," Tatum said.
Kyler Murray is definitely a good resource, considering that he was a baseball and football star for the Sooners himself before getting drafted first overall by the Cardinals in 2019.
It was an exciting day, but Tatum still has another year of school in front of him, and he said he's still focused on what he can do in Longview.
"I’m still a Lobo no matter what, and you know I haven’t accomplished my goals here yet. So I think going out and getting a ring and rushing for 2,000 yards are some of my goals and I got to get it done here," Tatum said.
Tatum and the Lobos were so close to state championship glory last season, but fell in the state semifinal. So, there’s still some unfinished business this year.