4-Star Ron Tatum III Commits to Texas over Alabama, Oklahoma and Others

Texas beat out Big 12 rival Oklahoma to land a commitment from coveted 2018 defensive lineman Ron Tatum III on Wednesday. 

EJ Holland of Horns 247 passed along comments from the defensive end about why he chose the Longhorns.

"When I went there, I just felt like it was a great fit," Tatum said. "The people there were great. The coaches are great. Coach (Oscar) Giles visited me a few days ago and texts me every other day. It was just a great fit."

Bob Przybylo of Sooners Illustrated passed along a look at the announcement:

David Ferguson of Hookem365 commented on the defender's school selection:

Tatum is a 4-star recruit who's rated as the No. 154 overall prospect in the 2018 recruiting class in the Scout.com rankings. The outlet also lists him as the 16th-best defensive end and the top player at the position coming out of Oklahoma next year.

Beating out the Sooners for such a highly touted in-state recruit is a terrific sign for Texas' recruiting potential under new head coach Tom Herman. The program's newest addition is expecting to see further progress before he arrives after his final year of high school.

"I think Coach Herman has things going in the right direction," Tatum told Horns 247. "I think they are on the right path and will have a pretty good season this year."

The Putnam City High School star has all the physical tools, including a 6'4'', 250-pound frame, to fit the mold of a modern edge-rusher. His technique must become more polished before he makes an impact in college, though. Pure size and strength won't be enough at the next level.

Texas only features one senior among the 10 defensive linemen on its spring roster. So playing time won't be readily available when Tatum arrives on campus in 2018, but he's got the talent to earn a spot in the rotation quickly if his development continues on its current trajectory.