Taylor Tatum, nation's No. 1 running back, sets Michigan, Oklahoma, USC official visits

Longview (Texas) star Taylor Tatum is the nation's No. 1 running back.

So, it should come as no surprise that he's one of the most coveted players in America, racking up nearly 40 scholarship offers.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound ball-carrier has already whittled down his list of contenders to a top seven of Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and USC and is beginning to set up his official visit schedule.

On Tuesday, Tatum announced his first three official visits - with intentions to take six in total.

He will visit USC (June 2), Oklahoma (June 16) and Michigan (June 24) and is still working on setting up his trips to Georgia, Texas and Texas A&M:

Tatum visited Georgia, Michigan, Texas and USC this spring and all four are considered major contenders for his services.

As a junior, the dynamic Texan carried the ball 209 times for 1,840 rushing yards and 36 total touchdowns, averaging 8.9 yards per tote.

Here's what 247Sports had to say, in part, about Tatum as a prospect:

"Instinctive lane-finder. Plays with patience. Presses blocks to allow for holes to materialize. Also knows how to buy a couple more strides of time on perimeter runs to help blockers re-route defenders. ...Quick-footed in the hole. Regularly makes something out of nothing . ...Plenty functionally athletic to bounce runs, but plays with good discernment for a young back and keeps plays inside as needed. Flashes high-kneed, open-field speed to hit the big play. Run-finishing ability plays above listed size. ...Excellent athletic profile. Three-sporter who's also a high-level baseball standout with hitting power and outfield range. ...Knows how to shrink his target when anticipating contact, but runs upright at times. Shows some deceleration gear-down on occasion when redirecting. Will need to add some mass to maintain high-volume functionality and develop trustworthy pass-pro effectiveness vs. P5 talent. ...Physical tools and play style should fit myriad offensive schemes. Projects to the high-major level as an eventual impact starter with a long-term developmental ceiling that could lead to the earlier rounds of the NFL Draft." 

Junior season highlights