Oklahoma’s Deland McCullough proves developing NFL talent starts with him

New Oklahoma running backs coach Deland McCullough is making sure the Sooners get to reap the benefits of what he accomplished at Notre Dame, especially on the recruiting trail.

McCullough replaced DeMarco Murray as the Sooners' running backs coach this offseason, but before that, he most recently coached running backs for the Las Vegas Raiders and was at Notre Dame for three seasons before that brief stop in the NFL. The Fighting Irish have two running backs who are 2026 NFL Draft prospects in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, and while the program is being glorified for producing such talent, McCullough made sure to remind recruits who spent the most time developing those players.

Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price products of Deland McCullough, not just Notre Dame

A response from McCullough was sparked from a post by Rivals recruiting reporter Adam Gorney, who reported that Notre Dame is benefitting in recruiting by being able to boast that it's sending two running backs to the NFL at the same time.

"High school running backs are taking notice," Gorney wrote.

McCullough, though, pointed out there's more to it than just wearing a shiny gold helmet in order to get to the league.

"High School RBs should take notice…of their ENTIRE STORY," McCullough wrote in a post on X that included a picture of him coaching the prospects. "Proud of those guys!!!"

Love just won the 2025 Doak Walker Award as the best running back in college football. Although McCullough was in Vegas during Love's award-winning season, McCullough recruited Love to Notre Dame and coached him his first two seasons. In 2024, McCullough's final year at Notre Dame, Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns. After such a successful college career, Love is expected to be the first running back off the board early in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft in April.

Even after backing up Love the past two seasons, Price is also projected by most to be selected in the first round. He rushed for 674 yards this past season, but for a career-high 746 in 2024 under McCullough.

Although Notre Dame will rightfully try to take advantage of this talent production, recruits will do their due diligence before such a massive decision and realize who was really responsible for Love and Price's success, and McCullough will make sure the talent knows where to find him now.

And obviously OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is excited about having even more talent at running back to eventually work with.