2022 Newcomers – Jan. Update

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> We’ve updated our 2022 prospect rankings with the Top 100 juniors in Oklahoma. You can check out the complete rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2022-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>RIGHT HERE</strong></a>. Right now, we’re taking a look and putting a spotlight on five newcomers to the rankings. While we had several players that went from unranked to ranked in the latest update, these five players certainly earned their spot in the latest rankings. Stay dialed into Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 2022 content to be dropping over the course of the next five days! <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="67771" first="Antonio" last="Smith"] - Running Back - Union</strong></span> We’ve written a lot about the Union turnaround during the second half of the season and a big reason behind that was the running game. Union had a three-headed monster of senior [player_tooltip player_id="38488" first="AJ" last="Green"], junior [player_tooltip player_id="38703" first="Rovaughn" last="Banks"] and breakout junior [player_tooltip player_id="67771" first="Antonio" last="Smith"]. We knew about Green and Banks coming into the season but Smith certainly surprised us and gave Union another weapon at the running back position. When we got a chance to see Smith in person, he was outstanding on offense and also would play safety for Union as well. We could make the argument that for right now, Smith should be categorized as an athlete as his natural position is still up in the air. However, we can’t help but lean to the offensive side of the ball after the breakout season he had on that side. Smith has the size and the speed to make sure Union’s rushing attack doesn’t take a step back in 2021. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101263" first="Cade" last="Stacy"] - Defensive Back - Jenks</strong></span> We wrote about Jenks junior defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="101263" first="Cade" last="Stacy"] earlier this week in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/01/sooner7-defensive-standouts-jan-23-24/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sooner7 Breakdowns</strong></a> as he was one of the defensive standouts from this past weekend in Dallas at a 7v7 tournament. Stacy was outstanding this weekend and showed why he could end up being a breakout star in this 2022 class. During his junior campaign, he was a solid defender on a Trojan team that would win a state championship. However, Stacy would certainly be overshadowed by a very heavy senior class full of absolute stars. Because of that, Stacy didn’t get as much pub as he should have throughout the season. But when you go back and watch the film and look at what he was able to do, you see a player that is right there with the senior standouts on that championship team. This should be an eye-opening offseason for a lot of coaches when they throw on the Stacy tape. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101400" first="Jaleel" last="Johnson"] - Defensive Lineman - Putnam City North</strong></span> Another player that has turned himself into a potential breakout star in this 2022 recruiting class is Putnam City North defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="101400" first="Jaleel" last="Johnson"]. The PC North big man certainly has the frame you would want from a defensive end. He’s listed at 6’5 and 235 pounds. When you throw on the tape of his junior season, you can see why recruiters are starting to notice the potential. He has a quick first step to go with his athletic frame. What’s scary is how much better Johnson could be as he continues to get stronger over the next few seasons. He’s already very good at using his hands to get off blocks and that quick first step forces offensive lines to have multiple guys in charge of slowing down Johnson. And we saw at times in 2020 that throwing multiple guys at Johnson would not be enough. The 2022 DL class is deep and Johnson is yet another breakout star in the group. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101401" first="Jocelyn" last="Malaska"] - Athlete - Bethany</strong></span> Here’s full disclosure and a look behind the scenes of our ranking process. We’re finding out about players every day. When we released our 2022 rankings back in October, we found out about Bethany standout [player_tooltip player_id="101401" first="Jocelyn" last="Malaska"] within a week. So when it came time to update the rankings again this month, he was the first player we thought of that would go from unranked to solidifying his spot in the rankings. Malaska is the first of a pair of athletes on this list and it’s easy to see why when you watch his game. He does a lot of things very well on both sides of the ball. Where his natural position will end up being is still up in the air at this time. Bethany took somewhat of a step back in 2020 but with Malaska returning and a very talented young core around him, 2021 should feature a quick turnaround for the Bronchos, led by their star in Malaska. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101399" first="Marcus" last="Dockins Jr."] - Athlete - Moore</strong></span> A huge question mark around Moore coming into the 2020 season was around the graduation of Daniel Hishaw. The Lions lost their biggest playmaker and they were in need of someone to step into that role. Well, we might have found that answer with the emergence of junior standout [player_tooltip player_id="101399" first="Marcus" last="Dockins Jr."] It didn’t matter where Moore lined up Dockins on the offensive side of the ball, because any time he got the ball in his hands, good things were about to happen. Whether it was as a running back or catching the ball, Dockins is a home run threat every time he steps on the field. He was a breakout star for the Lions in 2020 and there’s plenty of reason to believe that he will help Moore make another playoff run in 2021. And the more his junior film makes the rounds this offseason, the more colleges will be reaching out to get the next dynamic Lion athlete.