The Oklahoma Sooners had one of the biggest recruiting wins late in the process last season. In this era, as signing day approaches, players typically have already committed to the school they will attend.
However, that wasn't exactly the case for four-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. Hatton committed to the Sooners in October of 2023. However, he decommitted in December of 2024. Hatton stayed uncommitted for a few months before committing to the Texas A&M Aggies in March of 2025. He stayed committed until November of 2025, when he flipped back to Oklahoma just a little more than a week from signing day.
That was a big win for the Sooners, and while doing an interview with News 9's Toby Rowland, head coach Brent Venables told a funny story
about Hatton's recruiting process. The story involved current Oklahoma running backs coach Deland McCullough, who was with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the time.
"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."
Oklahoma has continued to invest heavily in its running back room, and Hatton could eventually emerge as one of the program's most important offensive weapons. Venables' comments suggest the coaching staff sees much more than a highly rated recruit. He sees a player with the physical ability, maturity and instincts to become a major contributor.
If Hatton lives up to that potential, the Sooners could look back on his late recruiting flip as one of the more important wins of their 2025 recruiting cycle.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Brent Venables shares funny moment in Jonathan Hatton's recruitment
