Oklahoma Sooners predicted to flip elite offensive playmaker away from SEC rival in surprising recruiting win just before Early Signing Day
The Sooners could be on the verge of pulling off one of their biggest recruiting wins of the 2026 cycle over an SEC rival
The Oklahoma Sooners have pulled off perhaps their best season in recent memory, ripping off five ranked wins (most in the country), including back-to-back road wins over Tennessee and Alabama, to put themselves in position to cash in on their first appearance in the College Football Playoff under head coach Brent Venables.
This success on the field, combined with the efforts of a new front office helmed by general manager Jim Nagy, has started to pay dividends off the field as the Sooners have rebuilt their 2026 recruiting class and sit second in the country in 2027. Fresh off their three biggest wins this season, however, the Sooners seem poised to pull off their biggest recruiting win in some time, beating out a fellow SEC team and former Big 12 rival.
Oklahoma beating out Texas A&M for elite RB recruit
The Sooners never gave up their pursuit of elite running back commit Jonathan Hatton Jr., even after the Texas A&M Aggies flipped the top-100 recruit away from the Sooners back in March. They pursued other targets, but Oklahoma has ramped up its recruitment in recent months, backed by its success on the field. Now, it stands to bring this one full circle, bringing Hatton back to the Crimson & Cream.
Both recruiting experts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons have logged predictions for the Sooners to flip Hatton away from the Aggies. Late last night, news started to circulate that this was beginning to take shape as a potential done deal already. Nagy, Venables, and running backs coach DeMarco Murray kept up the pursuit of Hatton, and they seem on the verge of having their hard work pay off.
This is a coup for the Sooners. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that Hatton is arguably their best pound-for-pound athlete they’ve had at running back since Joe Mixon. He’s a bigger back at 205, but his track and testing numbers are pretty unbelievable for a high school athlete, and he’s only going to get better with Oklahoma. The fourth-ranked running back in the country, the top-100 recruit has the profile and tools to be an elite bell cow for the Sooners in the future.
The Sooners already have a running back committed in the 2026 in four-star DeZephen Walker, and were previously trending for Pennsylvania native Messiah Mickens. However, I believe this Hatton move knocks them out of contention for Mickens, who has begun trending to Virginia Tech after the hire of James Franklin.
Adding Hatton to a running back room already featuring young talents like Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock alongside Walker is a deep, talented room, and it might be the most encouraging unit Oklahoma has fielded in years.
Oklahoma Sooners News
Oklahoma Sooners take major step forward in securing big-time offensive playmaker away from SEC and Big Ten rivals
The Oklahoma Sooners are one step closer to pulling in a tremendous offensive talent in their 2026 recruiting class
