2. Taylor Tatum, RB
Serving as Oklahoma’s leading rusher so far this season, true freshman running back [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] got most of his yardage against backups on Friday night. But Taylor was impressive no matter who was or wasn’t on the field.
He showed a burst and plenty of quickness in his collegiate debut, leading to Sooner fans wanting more of the No. 1 running back in the 2024 class.
He’s a member of a solid running back room that includes [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Franklin[/autotag], but he clearly has the highest upside off the group.
Tatum carried the ball five times for 69 yards and a touchdown against Temple. If he continues to play well on limited touches, his role in the offense will only grow as the season progresses.
3. Jaydan Hardy, S
One of Oklahoma’s backup safeties, [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] got plenty of reps in game one, intercepting a pass that ended up being OU’s sixth and final forced turnover on the night.
Hardy isn’t a starter for the Sooners this year, but he’s a part of Oklahoma’s second wave at safety behind the trio of [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag]. After those three excellent players, OU has Hardy and fellow true freshmen [autotag]Reggie Powers III[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag].
Hardy will look to get more game reps, especially if OU does their job and takes Houston out of the game early. It could come in handy later in the season if one of the starters at the safety spot were to get injured.
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