2020 Top Players Preview: 5A Defense

We have arrived at our final stop on the 2020 Top Players preview tour. In this class of defenders, we have a group of players who may not be as highly touted as some of the players we’ve covered so far, but they are all in great position to close the gap with a solid 2020 campaign. <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;">Defensive Lineman</span> <strong style="font-size: 1rem;">1. [player_tooltip player_id="38539" first="Martinson" last="Holden"]: 6’4" 235 Lbs., Tulsa Edison, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Holden is a long and athletic run defender off the edge who could play all over the defensive line depending on where his team needs him. Holden already has a few division 1 FCS offers and could easily make the jump into the FBS ranks with another dominant season in 2020.</p> <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="38553" first="Collin" last="Morrison"]: 6’6" 245 Lbs., Bishop Kelley, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Thanks to his large 6’6" frame, Morrison was a force to reckoned with coming off the edge in 2019. Often times he found himself in the backfield disrupting plays and forcing ball carriers to redirect. He is by no means a finished product, but with some consistent improvements, Morrison could receive some serious college offers after this season.</p> Honorable Mentions: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38674" first="Chris" last="McClellan"]: 6’3" 235 Lbs., Tulsa Edison, Class of 2022 | [player_tooltip player_id="38591" first="Justin" last="Hines"]: 6’6" 235 Lbs., Coweta, Class of 2021</strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;">Linebackers</span> <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="38548" first="Owen" last="Heinecke"]: 6’2" 190 Lbs., Bishop Kelley, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Heinecke is another athlete who has the size and athleticism to play on either side of the ball in college. However, his best fit is most likely on defense, specifically at linebacker. As a linebacker, he shows good speed and range to cover the whole field against the run, and he is one of the harder hitters in 5A. Watch for Owen to bowl over players on both sides of the ball once again in 2020.</p> <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="38571" first="Darius" last="Moore"]: 6’1" 220 Lbs., El Reno, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">A couple of words I would use to describe Moore’s style of play would be fast and fierce. Moore was constantly flying all over the field in 2019 making plays in various different ways. Whether he was blitzing, coming downhill to stop the run, or dropping back into coverage, Moore always found his way to the ball to deliver hard hits on his opponents. 2020 should be a big year for Moore.</p> Honorable Mentions: <strong>Chance Brookesher: 6’3" 255 Lbs., Duncan, Class of 2021, [player_tooltip player_id="38690" first="Chase" last="Faber"]: 6’2" 210 Lbs., McAlester, Class of 2022</strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;">Defensive Backs</span> <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="38523" first="Caden" last="Hendren"]: 6’2" 190 Lbs., Piedmont, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Depending on who you ask, you may get different answers on what position [player_tooltip player_id="38523" first="Caden" last="Hendren"] plays. Hendren lined up at safety, corner, and a little bit at linebacker during the 2019 season and was an absolute heat-seeking missile. Anytime the ball was in his vicinity he would come downhill and strike the ball carrier and disrupt the play. I expect big things out of Hendren in 2020.</p> <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="38557" first="Luke" last="Tarman"]: 6’0" 185 Lbs., Bishop McGuinness, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">[player_tooltip player_id="38557" first="Luke" last="Tarman"] plays quarterback for the Fighting Irish and is a legit dual-threat, however, Luke is also one of the top safeties in the state. I<span style="font-size: 1rem;">n the secondary l</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">ast season, he showed great speed, agility, ball skills, and coverage ability. It will be intriguing to see if he specializes more on one side of the ball this season or if he will continue to start both ways.</span></p> Honorable Mentions: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38590" first="Donald" last="May"]: 5’11" 160 Lbs., Ardmore, Class of 2021 | Quashon Leathers: 5’10" 170 Lbs., Tahlequah</strong> &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong> </strong>