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Oklahoma transfer RB Taylor Tatum to begin Michigan career as a safety

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh01/21/26griffin_mcveigh

Michigan recently made a nice acquisition through the NCAA transfer portal in Taylor Tatum, adding to the running back room. Or so we all thought. Turns out, Tatum is going to make a position change once arriving in Ann Arbor. The back-end of the Wolverines’ secondary will be the group adding a fresh face.

“Michigan football’s Taylor Tatum, who transferred in from Oklahoma and was the No. 1 RB in the Class of 2024, will begin his career in Ann Arbor in the safeties room, I’m told,” Tony Garcia of The Detroit Free Press said via X. “He could move back to RB or see time there, but he will ‘start out at safety and go from there.'”

Tatum arrived at Oklahoma as a two-sport player, also being a member of the baseball team. However, most of his focus was on football. He was a four-star prospect out of Longview (TX) and the No. 40 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. As Garcia mentioned, Tatum finished as the No. 1 running back in the class too.

Some decent playing time came as a true freshman. Tatum recorded 56 carries over 11 games, rushing for 278 yards and three touchdowns. Folks in Norman remained hopeful for what could come in the future. But things quickly changed this past year, only appearing once against South Carolina. Tatum’s lone carry resulted in a one-yard loss.

Most expected a breath of fresh air to be good for Tatum. Especially at a program like Michigan, which has been able to develop running backs in recent years. Turning Tatum into a solid player would not have been too big a surprise. Add in new head coach Kyle Whittingham into the equation and the potential only grows.

Instead, defensive coordinator Jay Hill will get to work with Tatum and teach him a new position. As Garcia mentions in his report, moving back to running back appears to still be an option at some point down the road. Tatum is going to look for a different spark in his football career, though, trying out safety.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.