Oklahoma’s late push to land Jonathan Hatton Jr. turned into one of the most notable recruiting wins of the cycle, and Brent Venables clearly hasn’t forgotten how the whole thing played out.
Hatton’s path to Norman was anything but straightforward. The four-star running back first committed to Oklahoma in October of 2023, then backed off that pledge in December of 2024. After spending a few months on the market, he chose Texas A&M in March of 2025 and stayed there until November of 2025, when he flipped back to the Sooners with a little more than a week left before signing day.
That last-minute turnaround gave Oklahoma a major boost, and Venables had a laugh while recounting part of the recruitment during an interview with News 9’s Toby Rowland. The story centered on current Oklahoma running backs coach Deland McCullough, who was at Notre Dame during Hatton’s process.
"He's a freak," Venables said via 'Oklahoma's Own.'" I smile and laugh when I think about his recruiting journey with Oklahoma being committed for over a year, not committed to going into his high school two Januaries ago to go see him and his family and being nudged out by Deland McCullough, who was at Notre Dame at the time, and hogging up all the time.
Mature beyond his years. Great size, strength, instincts; he's going to be a real dude for us."
The Sooners have kept pouring resources into the running back room, and Hatton looks like a player who could grow into one of the offense’s key pieces. Venables’ praise went well beyond recruiting-star language, pointing to the kind of maturity and physical traits that usually get coaches’ attention for the right reasons.
If Hatton turns into what Oklahoma believes he can be, this flip could end up standing out as one of the most valuable moves in the Sooners’ 2025 class.
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John Mateer has noticed the work Hatton is putting in, pointing to his work ethic and his willingness to pick up blocking assignments, both of which matter when coaches are sorting out playing time in the backfield. With the Sooners also dealing with concerns about the health of other running backs, Hattons development adds another layer to a competition worth watching as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
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