Rivals national recruiting analyst Cole Patterson along with Parker Thune of OUInsider.com, Ben Golan of RedRaiderSports.com and Jason Suchomel of OrangeBloods.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Oklahoma will land both Taylor Tatum and Caden Durham
Thune's take: FACT. The Sooners’ baseball pitch really resonated this past weekend with Taylor Tatum, a two-sport phenom who’s arguably just as good — if not better — on the diamond than the gridiron. That’s part of the reason Oklahoma has assumed a commanding lead in the Rivals FutureCast for the elite running back prospect. Meanwhile, Caden Durham grew up some 20 minutes from Oklahoma’s campus and didn’t move to the Lone Star State until the 8th grade, so he’s virtually an in-state prospect to a degree. Neither back seems deterred by the other’s interest in the Sooners, and OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray has always recruited tandems. In fact, he was able to land Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk in the 2022 cycle primarily because he pitched a lighter workload to each back, promising that he’d keep their legs fresher for a future in the NFL. For the second time in three years, Murray and the Sooners very much appear poised to land a pair of top-10 running backs.
Patterson's take: FACT. There is a great chance that Oklahoma signs two Rivals100 running backs this cycle in Taylor Tatum out of Longview and Caden Durham from Duncanville. At one point, there was a question on whether or not the Sooners would get either with Tatum eyeing USC and Durham being courted by LSU. However, the Sooners, to this point, have survived pushes from other schools and appear to be the leader in both recruitments.
And the two would complement each other well. Tatum can run between the tackles and be the bellcow back, while Durham presents electrifying track speed, able to score from anywhere on the field. Landing both would be a big statement for DeMarco Murray.
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2. Landing Micah Hudson would prove that Texas Tech is a real threat in the state for top skill talent moving forward.
Golan's take: FACT. Texas Tech is not going to win every battle, but it is at the point now where it feels like the Red Raiders have a legit shot at any in-state prospect due to their recruiting plan, relationship building and ascent as a program. Joey McGuire and his staff have a lot of respect from high school coaches across Texas and that doesn’t hurt either. Potentially landing Micah Hudson would be a huge achievement as the top-rated commit in school history.
Looking ahead, Texas Tech sits in a good early spot for 2025 Rivals250 prospects such as Michael Terry and Kaliq Lockett among others.
Patterson's take: FACT. I'm not sure Texas Tech will be in the race for a player like Micah Hudson each cycle, but I do believe that Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders will pull their fair share of talent within the state. McGuire has deep connections all over Texas and his staff has really hit it off with high school coaches and prospects. Adding to that, offensive coordinator Zach Kittley runs a fun, high-flying scheme that likes to spread the ball around. I would bet that Tech sees an uptick in their recruiting, especially assuming that they are able to seal the deal with Hudson and send a shockwave throughout the state in the process.
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3. Texas will emerge as the team to beat for Colin Simmons after his official visit this weekend
Suchomel's take: FACT. I fully expect Texas to make a strong impression on five-star defender Colin Simmons and his family, as the Longhorns have done on previous visits. This Texas staff always does a good job when it gets players on campus and this weekend should be no different. We'll see if Simmons publicly declares a leader, but I do think the Longhorns, at least privately, will be in a good spot once he leaves campus on Sunday. All that being said, there's still a long way to go in SImmons' recruitment and I'd expect some continued movement in this one as teams will continue to do everything they can to sign the elite talent.
Patterson's take: FICTION. I only lean a bit fiction because I believe that Simmons is very much open in his recruitment and is in no rush to shut things down. With that said, I've always liked the Longhorns' positioning in this recruitment, and the Duncanville standout recently admitted that Texas and LSU are the two at the top for him. There is no doubt that Steve Sarkisian and staff will roll out the red carpet. LSU is a real threat, and programs like Alabama, Miami and Texas A&M are worth watching here.
