Could Oklahoma Land Three Running Backs in the 2024 Recruiting Class?

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, Durham excels in track and field, running a personal best 10.49 in the 100 meter dash last season. A 4-star recruit, the Panthers' standout is rated the No. 63 player and No. 7 running back in the nation according to Rivals.

Durham is a native of the Oklahoma City Metro who grew up with fellow OU targets Mykel Patterson-McDonald and David Stone before moving to Texas prior to his sophomore year of high school. Before moving south of the Red River, the dual-sport star attended Southmoore High School.

"I'm from Oklahoma," Durham told Dave Campbell's Texas Football. "It is nice. It is hometown for one. DeMarco Murray, the way he coaches, I like it. They have a running back that produces every year."

This familiarity with the Sooners will certainly help Murray and company in Durham's recruitment, especially if OU is able to land Stone or Patterson-McDonald.  

In recent weeks, Durham's Twitter has been difficult to decipher, but after Robinson committed to Oklahoma on Tuesday night, Durham responded positively. 

While the Sooners still have work to do to land Durham, it seems that OU is in a good spot with the speedy tailback at the moment.

Similarly, Tatum is believed to have been an Oklahoma lean since his trip to Norman for the ChampU BBQ. Prior to that weekend, the Sooners were in a battle with Michigan and USC, but after Tatum cancelled his visit to Michigan it appeared that it was a two-team race for the country's No. 1 running back. 

What has reportedly set OU apart for Tatum is the team's history of success with dual-sport athletes. The Longview, TX, native is also a talented baseball player and met with Skip Johnson and company during his time on campus. 

After speaking with both the baseball and football coaching staff, Tatum seems to have Oklahoma firmly in the lead, as a flood of projections has come from On3, 247Sports and Rivals, all predicting Tatum to commit to the Sooners. 

If the projections that Tatum and Durham will both end up in Norman are correct, then OU would have three running back commits in the 2024 class. While taking two running backs in one class is fairly standard in college football, it could be considered very unusual for a team to bring in three scholarship ball carrier in the same cycle. 

Although the Sooners have occasionally signed two running backs in the same class — most recently last year with Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk — Oklahoma hasn't landed three running backs in one class since 2017, when the team signed Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks out of high school and Marcelias Sutton from Lackawanna Community College (Sutton was labeled athlete by recruiting media). In 2012, OU signed David Smith and Alex Ross out of high school and Damien Williams from junior college. OU's 2003 class included three high school running backs: Tashard Choice, Jacob Gutierrez and Courtney Tennial.

If the Sooners' are able to land Robinson, Durham and Tatum, it likely would give OU the most talented running back group of any school in the 2024 class.