Oklahoma football: 2024 signees who will make the biggest impact as freshmen

Brent Venables brought an SEC-caliber recruiting class to Norman, but will he have a team that is good enough to compete next season? Which freshmen will be big contributors for the Sooners?

IMG Academy High School senior David Stone (90) / Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar / USA TODAY

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Taylor Tatum. RB. . Taylor Tatum. 464. . Longview, TX. 4-star. player. OU Tatum

Tawee Walker is in the transfer portal after running for 496 yards on 95 carries as RB2 for the Sooners. Gavin Sawchuck led OU with 610 yards on 105 rushes, and he will be back in Norman for his sophomore season.

With Sawchuck’s backup gone, Tatum could slot right into that role and see about 100 carries this season. Oklahoma also took Sam Franklin in the transfer portal, but the job will still be up for grabs.

With Jeff Lebby off to coach Mississippi State and Dillon Gabriel in Eugene Oregon quarterbacking the Ducks, the Oklahoma offense is going to look a lot different in 2024. Jackson Arnold won’t be able to shoulder the offensive load the way Gabriel was and that means more opportunities for running backs like Tatum to impact the game and get the ball out of Arnold’s hands.

At 5-foot-10 205-pounds, Tatum is a shifty back with home-run hitting speed. However, he runs a bit upright and with his slender frame he may not be ready to absorb a season’s worth of hits as a freshman.

Next. QBU. The 10 quarterbacks who turned OU into QBU. dark

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