2022 Rankings: Linebacker Breakdown
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Our next defensive position group we will cover for the class of 2022 is the linebackers. This group features an Oklahoma State commit, 2 rising stars who are gaining serious Divison 1 attention, one of the most athletic players across all classes who could potentially be a 2 sport star at the next level, and the next great LB for one of the best defenses in the state. Let’s jump in and meet our top 5 LBs.
Gabe M Brown Gabe M Brown 6'2" | LB Stillwater | 2022 State OK – Stillwater
First up we have Stillwater’s Gabe M Brown Gabe M Brown 6'2" | LB Stillwater | 2022 State OK . Brown is one of the best LBs in the state regardless of class and has recently committed to Oklahoma State. Brown plays MLB for the Pioneers and is a tackling machine, racking up over 120 tackles last season. Along with his excellent tackling skills, Brown is a straight-up playmaker on defense. In 2019, Brown forced 5 fumbles and had in an interception, showing that he is more than comfortable in coverage. With recent commitments from Collin Oliver Collin Oliver 6'3" | LB Edmond Santa Fe | 2021 State OK , Donovan Stephens Donovan Stephens 6'1" | DB Del City | 2021 State OK , and Gabe M Brown Gabe M Brown 6'2" | LB Stillwater | 2022 State OK , Oklahoma State is going to have quite the trio of homegrown Linebackers in 2022 when they are all on campus.
Xavin Lackey Xavin Lackey 6'2" | LB Vian | 2022 State OK – Vian
Lackey plays OLB for Vian and is an excellent pass rusher and blitzer. As a pass rusher, Lackey usually comes from way out wide in a 9 tech and uses his speed to beat tackles around the edge and make the play. As a blitzer, Lackey shows great timing and more often than not jumps the snap at the perfect time which allows him to be in the backfield before the line can adjust and account for him. Xavin has recently received an offer from Iowa State, so it’s only a matter of time before other schools check this kid out and send him an offer.
Buddy Mack Buddy Mack 6'1" | LB Broken Arrow | 2022 State OK – Broken Arrow
Alongside teammate Darryan Moss Darryan Moss 6'2" | LB Broken Arrow | 2021 State OK , Buddy Mack Buddy Mack 6'1" | LB Broken Arrow | 2022 State OK is part of one of the best LB duos in the state and is rising quickly. Mack is a true difference-maker on defense as he already has an interception on the season, one that served as the dagger in Broken Arrow’s big win over Bentonville West at the start of the season. Overall, Mack is a traditional inside linebacker with impressive instincts and ability to come downhill and bring ball carriers down with force regardless of where they are on the field. Buddy does not currently have any big-time division 1 offers but is getting some serious attention from schools such as Oklahoma, so he certainly has a bright future ahead of him.
Caden Powell Caden Powell 6'3" | 210 lbs | LB Clinton | 2022 State OK – Clinton
Next, we have Caden Powell Caden Powell 6'3" | 210 lbs | LB Clinton | 2022 State OK , who might be among the best overall athletes in the state, regardless of class. In addition to Linebacker, Powell plays quarterback for Clinton where he won’t wow you with his arm strength, but is more than capable of making big plays. Powell plays football, basketball, and baseball for Clinton and has gone a little under the radar as a football prospect but that may be because of his performance on the baseball diamond. Powell is one of the top baseball prospects in the state and has been committed to play at OU for some time. He doesn’t have a whole lot of offers for football as of now, but Powell is more than capable of playing both football and baseball at the next level for a number of schools if he got the opportunity.
Jayson Smith Jayson Smith 6'2" | LB Del City | 2022 State OK – Del City
When I first heard of Jayson Smith Jayson Smith 6'2" | LB Del City | 2022 State OK I had to double-check to make sure I had his school correct when I saw that he plays for Del City. With recent D1 commits Rejhan Tatum Rejhan Tatum 6'2" | LB Del City | 2021 State OK and Donovan Stephens Donovan Stephens 6'1" | DB Del City | 2021 State OK , and 2023 star Jaedon Foreman Jaedon Foreman 6'4" | DL Del City | 2023 State OK , I couldn’t believe that Del City had another star LB in the making on their roster but here we are with Jayson Smith Jayson Smith 6'2" | LB Del City | 2022 State OK .While he plays on the same team as Stephens and Tatum, Smith is not the same style of LB as Del City’s star seniors. Smith is more of a traditional inside linebacker and at 6’2″ 230 pounds, he is a little heavier set than his LB teammates. He is excellent at screaming downhill and making stops in the run game both inside and outside. He is not quite as polished as the other two in pass coverage yet, but I have no doubt he’ll get there with more game experience in the future. Del City will lose a high percentage of their key contributors on defense after this season, but they should still be in good hands moving forward with guys like Jayson Smith Jayson Smith 6'2" | LB Del City | 2022 State OK .