Oklahoma Sooners could have a similar situation with a true freshman that they had to start last season, but there’s work to be done
The Oklahoma Sooners have some really good true freshmen, and running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. could be one of the best.
The Oklahoma Sooners have a recent history of true freshmen bursting onto the scene. Whether that’s by force of talent or because injuries thrust them into roles they weren’t expected to fill so early. Maybe Jonathan Hatton Jr. can be next.
Last year, true freshman running back Tory Blaylock ended up starting for the Sooners. And, he played a ton of football throughout the season. He got banged up toward the end of the year, and it became more Xavier Robinson than Blaylock down the stretch, but he was still a big part of the offense.
A lot of fans are hoping 2026 brings the same kind of emergence from Hatton Jr. The four-star true freshman running back might already be the most physically built back in the room. He’s 6’1, 240 pounds, and Isaiah Setenga, who is probably the fastest player on the team, has already said Hatton is one of the fastest on the roster.
Fall camp clips tell a promising story
A few clips from fall camp show Hatton with really good burst. He catches the ball well and maneuvers through tight spaces far better than you would expect. The early returns are encouraging for a player the Sooners clearly believe has something special.
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Hatton’s going to have to put in a lot of work to earn a spot in the rotation. Xavier Robinson, who at times last year was the best running back on the team, showed he could be the RB1 for Oklahoma if the Sooners had an actual running game.
Blaylock started games and has excellent straight-line speed, though he needed to improve his agility and lateral quickness. Then there’s Lloyd Avant, the transfer from Colorado State. Running back coach Deland McCullough has already said Avant could be the starter today if the season began right now.
That comment could have been McCullough firing up the rest of the running back room, or it could be the truth. Either way, Hatton has work to do if he wants to crack the starting lineup. He also has to beat out his true freshman teammate, Dezephan Walker, before the conversation about a starting role even begins.
Hatton’s ceiling is hard to ignore
Despite the crowded backfield, the bet here is that Jonathan Hatton Jr. starts a football game at some point this season. And if he doesn’t start, he should at least climb to RB2. He looks way too good to keep off the field. Everything the Sooners are seeing from him in fall camp suggests they’ve found something in Hatton, and the early video evidence backs that up.
