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Former Oklahoma RB Taylor Tatum Transfers to a 2026 Opponent, per Report

Just like Jovantae Barnes, the Sooners will see former running back Taylor Tatum this upcoming season following his transfer.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma running back Taylor Tatum rushes the ball against Missouri.
Oklahoma running back Taylor Tatum rushes the ball against Missouri. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma and Michigan will have familiar faces on both sides when the blue bloods meet this fall. 

One day after the Sooners landed former Wolverine linebacker Cole Sullivan via the transfer portal, Michigan added former OU running back Taylor Tatum, per CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. 

Tatum recorded one carry for Oklahoma in 2025 after suffering through a handful of injuries.

In 2024, he rushed for 278 yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries as a true freshman, and added five catches for 41 yards and a receiving touchdown. 

Tatum signed with Oklahoma as a consensus 4-star recruit, and he was rated as the top running back by both 247Sports and Rivals. 

A multi-sport star in high school, Tatum had to play from behind at times during his OU career. 

He enrolled in the summer of 2024 instead of at the start of the year, meaning he had a shortened amount of time in fall camp to earn the trust of running backs coach DeMarco Murray as a freshman. 

Tatum also split time between football and baseball in Norman before he had poor injury luck throughout the 2025 season. 

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He transferred away from Norman alongside veteran Jovantae Barnes. 

The Sooners will face Tatum in Ann Arbor on Sept. 12, and OU will host Barnes and the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 17 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. 

Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock, the underclassmen who led Oklahoma’s rushing attack in 2025, are both able to return in 2026. 

Murray also signed 4-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. and 3-star running back DeZepehn Walker in the Sooners’ 2026 recruiting class. 

Oklahoma also made a running back addition via the transfer portal. 

The Sooners added former Colorado State and Tulsa running back Lloyd Avant. 

Avant ran for 417 yards and five scores on 90 carries for Colorado State in 2025, and he also hauled in 24 passes for 261 yards and an additional score. Avant has also been used as a weapon as a kickoff returner in his collegiate career. 

This offseason, there will only be one transfer portal window for players to enter. 

The window opened on Jan. 2, and it will run through Jan. 16. 

Players just have to have their information entered into the portal by the time it closes, though they can enroll at their new schools beyond Jan. 16.

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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