2020 Top Players Preview: Class 6A-I Defense

With the launch of Prep RedZone Oklahoma and the 2020 football season right around the corner, it is time to introduce the top players in the state of Oklahoma. Over the next few days, we will go through the top 3 classes in Oklahoma, taking a look at the top 2-4 players at each position, along with a few honorable mentions who are on the cusp of being in that top 1-2 discussion. Some are familiar names who have been starters for the last 2 or 3 seasons, while others may not be as widely known but are destined for stardom this season. Next up on our list are the top defenders in class 6a-I <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;">Defensive Lineman</span> <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="38489" first="Collin" last="Oliver"]: 6’2" 220 Lbs., Edmond Santa Fe, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Collin is listed as a Linebacker but he comes off the edge as a stand-up pass rusher quite often, so we’re going to throw him in the EDGE/defensive lineman category for these previews. With that being said, Olliver is a very versatile athlete who had an explosive season in 2019 playing multiple positions. Oliver is already committed to Oklahoma State, so it will be intriguing to see if he specializes more on a single position this season in preparation for his college career.</p> <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="38563" first="Michael" last="Jamerson"]: 6’1" 275 Lbs., Owasso, Class of 2022</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Jamerson is a hulking defensive tackle who thrived in his first year starting for the Rams in 2019. He always seemed to find his way into the backfield to disrupt plays even if he wasn’t making the tackle or sack, and regardless of if he was single teamed or double-teamed. I expect Jamerson to shoot up a lot of recruiting boards with another solid season in 2020.</p> Honorable Mentions: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38566" first="Devon" last="Polley"]: 6’1" 300 Lbs., Edmond Memorial, Class of 2021 | [player_tooltip player_id="38580" first="Koreion" last="Hayden"]:5’11" 275 Lbs., Mustang, Class of 2021</strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;">Linebackers</span> <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="38511" first="Darryan" last="Moss"]: 6’2" 220 Lbs., Broken Arrow, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Moss is one of many talented linebackers in 2021’s stacked class. While he has shown that he can cover receivers in pass coverage, he is definitely more comfortable stopping the run. He is very quick to read and react to the run, where he is excellent at block shedding, coming downhill, and bringing the wood. With another season of shutting down the run and with more pass coverage reps, Moss could make a strong case for the top linebacker spot in Oklahoma.</p> <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="38512" first="James" last="Burnett"]: 6’3" 210 Lbs., Edmond Santa Fe, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">The Edmond Santa Fe Wolverines will have one of the best defensive units in class 6A-I this season and it is in large part to the one-two punch combination of linebackers [player_tooltip player_id="38489" first="Collin" last="Oliver"] and [player_tooltip player_id="38512" first="James" last="Burnett"]. While Oliver and Broken Arrow linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="38511" first="Darryan" last="Moss"] are bruisers who shut down the run with power, Burnett is a more versatile and agile linebacker who has sideline to sideline speed to secure the edge on run plays and to cover receivers, playing as a box safety in certain personnel packages, which makes him the perfect compliment for Oliver.</p> Honorable Mentions: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38516" first="Emaud" last="Tripplett"]: 5’11" 205 Lbs., Owasso, Class of 2021 | [player_tooltip player_id="38569" first="Waylon" last="Adams"]: 6’4" 230 Lbs., Jenks, Class of 2021</strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;">Defensive Backs</span> <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="38488" first="AJ" last="Green"]: 5’11" 190 Lbs., Union, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">As you may have noticed I have [player_tooltip player_id="38488" first="AJ" last="Green"] as the top RB and DB in the class and that is because he has been recruited by a handful of power 5 schools to play both positions. While he has stated he prefers to play RB in college, it is hard to ignore his potential as a corner. Between his skills in coverage and his elite speed, he has the make-up of a division 1 cornerback. Don’t be surprised if he is switched to corner or plays some defense during his career at Arkansas.</p> <strong>2. Jayden Patrick: 5’11", 175 Lbs., Jenks, Class of 2021</strong> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">Patrick is a player who is certainly on the rise. He has all the physical tools to be a lockdown cover corner and thrives at playing close to the line of scrimmage and loves to crash down and seal the edge in the run game for the Trojans defense. Watch out for him to make a name for himself and <span style="font-size: 1rem;">become one of the more complete defenders in the state this</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> season.</span></p> <span style="font-size: 1rem;"><strong>3. [player_tooltip player_id="38505" first="Angelo" last="Rankin"]: 5’10" 175 Lbs., Edmond Santa Fe, Class of 2021</strong></span> <p style="padding-left: 40px;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Similar to [player_tooltip player_id="38488" first="AJ" last="Green"], I have Rankin ranked on both sides of the ball because he is an elite athlete who contributes in every facet of the game for the Wolverines. On offense in 2019, he was a swiss army knife who lined up in the slot, out wide, and as a runner out of the backfield. On defense, Rankin lined up at both corner and safety and always found himself around the ball delivering some of the hardest hits I saw from any defensive back in 2019. Overall, Rankin is one of the best athletes in the state and may just be my favorite player to watch. I would say to look out for him this season but it is near impossible to miss him because he never leaves the field and is always making explosive plays.</span></p> <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Honorable Mentions: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38573" first="Gage" last="Laney"]: 6’0" 170 Lbs., Owasso, Class of 2021 | [player_tooltip player_id="38565" first="Cory" last="Williams"]: 5’10" 170 Lbs., Broken Arrow, Class of 2021</strong></span> <p style="padding-left: 40px;"></p>