Tag: Jonathan Hatton Jr

2026 4-Star Running Back decommits from Oklahoma Sooners

The No. 3 running back in the 2026 recruiting class decommited from the Oklahoma Sooners Monday night.

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the process of trying to lock up their [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag], with the [autotag]early signing period[/autotag] set to begin. However, it’s the the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag] that’s taken a hit as late Monday evening, running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton[/autotag] Jr. decommitted from the Oklahoma Sooners.

Hatton posted to X, “First, I give all glory to God! I would like to express my appreciation to Coach (Brent Venables), Coach (DeMarco) Murray and the entire staff at OU for all of the love and encouragement during this process. I wish them nothing but the best. I want to thank the fans of OU for their continued support since I announced my commitment. It was not an easy decision to decommit but I have to make sure I put myself in the best possible position to be successful on and off the field.”

Hatton was the first commitment the Sooners received in the 2026 cycle, pledging to OU back in October of 2023. With more than a year until the 2026 early signing period, Hatton will be one of the more highly-sought after backs in the class.

Hatton is a four-star prospect in the cycle and ranks as the No. 3 running back in the 247Sports composite rankings. He currently holds offers from 19 Power Four programs.

2026 Recruiting Class

  • Jaden O’Neal, No. 12 QB, No 187 player overall per 247Sports
  • Ryder Mix, No. 26 TE

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Wisconsin football offers Oklahoma commit, top class of 2026 running back

Wisconsin football offers Oklahoma commit, top class of 2026 running back

The Wisconsin Badgers extended an offer to top class of 2026 running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. on Monday.

The 6-foot, 205-pound prospect joins quarterback Ryan Hopkins, defensive lineman Josiah Hope and defensive back James Dunnigan Jr as notable recruits from the class of 2026 to receive offers from UW since the beginning of October.

However, the kicker with Hatton Jr. revolves around his collegiate commitment to Oklahoma. The Cibolo, Texas product pledged his commitment to the Sooners on Oct. 3, 2023.

Nonetheless, the decision seems to be far from concrete. Hatton Jr. is a junior at Steele High School and could easily change his mind before the collegiate deadline arrives.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine also deems Hatton Jr.’s choice as far from finalized. The outlet currently projects the Baylor Bears to land the playmaker with over a 35% likelihood. Oklahoma, meanwhile, boasts a 26.3% chance.

Wisconsin now joins an offer sheet that includes programs such as USC, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Tennessee, SMU, Oregon, Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan.

247Sports’ composite ranking currently considers the junior as the No. 57 overall prospect, No. 4 running back and No. 7 recruit from his home state of Texas for the class of 2026. On3, ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports all consider Hatton Jr. a four-star prospect.

Outside the turf, Hatton Jr. is a talented sprinter. The running back posted several sub-11.00 sophomore 100-meter times as a sophomore and was a member of Steele’s Texas 6A Region IV third place-finishing 4×100 relay team.

On the gridiron, Hatton Jr. ran for an impressive 21 touchdowns and over five yards per touch in 2023, per 247Sports’ National Scouting Analyst Gabe Brooks.

Sooners pick up On3 prediction for 2026 offensive lineman out of Texas

Oklahoma Sooners predicted to land three-star offensive lineman Noah Best out of Midlothian, Texas.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a nice start to the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag], picking up commitments from a trio of blue-chip stars on the offensive side of the ball.

Kick-started by four-star running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton, Jr.[/autotag], he was joined in the class by four-star tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag] and four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag].

The Sooners have been at work this summer looking to move the needle with more prospects in the 2026 class. One player on their radar is Midlothian, Texas, native and three-star interior offensive line prospect Noah Best.

Best is considered the No. 29 overall interior offensive lineman in the class and holds offers from 10 Power Four schools, including SEC programs Oklahoma, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, Texas and Texas A&M.

Amid these big-time offers, it looks as if the Sooners have a leg up in his recruitment. SoonerScoop and On3’s Josh McCuistion issued a prediction favoring Oklahoma in his recruitment.

Best is a 6-foot-4, 290-pound prospect who plays left tackle for his Midlothian squad. He moves really well in the run game, getting off the line of scrimmage in a hurry. Best is a physical player with the ability to block down on defensive tackles or get to the second level to take out linebackers.

In pass protection, he again shows quick feet to get into his pass set and anchors well on the bull rush.

Best is an intriguing prospect that looks to have four-star potential in the cycle. With experience at tackle, he’d provide Bill Bedenbaugh some versatility along the offensive line.

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Oklahoma near the top of ESPN’s top recruiting classes for 2026

Oklahoma Sooners have one of ESPN’s best recruiting classes for the 2026 cycle.

Recruiting hasn’t been a problem for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff since taking over in Norman. In fact, it’s been better than his predecessor. The Sooners have earned three top 10 classes in a row since Venables arrived, and it looks like they’re headed for another top-10 finish in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

The recruiting success and a 10-win season in 2023 have the Sooners off to a fast start in the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag], already picking up three commitments. Interestingly for the defensive-minded Brent Venables, Oklahoma’s three commits for 2026 are blue-chip prospects on the offensive side of the ball.

The Sooners have pledges from running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag]. Each prospect is considered a four-star player, so it is no surprise OU has ESPN’s No. 2 class at this point in the 2026 cycle (ESPN+).

The Sooners’ past four four-star quarterback pickups have all come out of Texas, including 2023 signee [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]. For the 2026 class, they have traveled a different path, pulling [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] out of California. Among the most physically talented QBs in the class, he could be the player to replace five-star Arnold if he meets expectations. O’Neal has a strong arm with a smooth release and also can adapt well and do a nice job of changing arm angles.

The Sooners returned to the familiar recruiting ground of Texas to land ESPN Junior 300 running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton Jr[/autotag]. He has a nice blend of size (6 feet, 205 pounds) and speed. As a sophomore, he rushed for more than 1,200 yards. – Craig Haubert, ESPN

There’s slightly less than 18 months until the 2026 early signing period, but Oklahoma has hit the ground running. It trails only Florida State and is in front of the USC Trojans. Syracuse comes in at No. 4 and Texas rounds out the top five.

There’s a long way to go, but if these last few years are any indication, the Sooners aren’t going to slow anytime soon.

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