2023 Stock Risers - Jan. Update

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! We've updated our 2023 prospect rankings with the Top 50 sophomores in Oklahoma. You can check out the complete rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2023-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RIGHT HERE</a>. Right now, we're taking a look and putting a spotlight on five prospects that have climbed up the rankings in a hurry. For a few of them, they went from unranked to ranked, others went from Top 25 prospects to Top 5. Stay dialed into Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 2023 content to be dropping over the course of the next five days! [player_tooltip player_id="57208" first="De'Marion" last="Thomas"] - Defensive Lineman - Union Previous Ranking: #39 - Current Ranking: #18 In our last batch of rankings, Union's [player_tooltip player_id="57208" first="De'Marion" last="Thomas"] made the cut for the Top 40 at 39. This time around, he was an easy pick and not only found himself ranked again but jumped all the way up to #18. Thomas is a big piece to a Union defense that has a chance to be very special in 2021. However, it all starts up front with Thomas as the Union big man is an absolute mauler on the line of scrimmage. Despite making a big leap in this recent ranking update, Thomas is still just scratching the surface and has a very high ceiling. Thomas has some serious talent behind him at the linebacker position and in the secondary that will make things easier on him next fall. If Thomas takes the next step as a prospect going into his junior season, he has the chance to be one of the best interior defensive linemen in the state, regardless of class. [player_tooltip player_id="91049" first="Erik" last="McCarty"] - Running Back - McAlester Previous Ranking: UR - Current Ranking: #9 Our next stock riser was one of the biggest breakout stars from the 2020 season. Before the year began, we heard about how McAlester had some serious talent in their younger classes but it didn't take long for running back [player_tooltip player_id="91049" first="Erik" last="McCarty"] to separate himself and emerge as one of the best at his position in Oklahoma. He helped lead McAlester to the 5A semifinals and ran for just shy of 2,000 yards and 34 touchdowns on the season. However, McCarty jumped into our latest rankings and into the top ten because he looks the part as a running back prospect, not just because of the numbers. McCarty is a big and physical runner but has the speed to simply outrun defenders when he gets into the open field. It usually takes more than one defender to bring McCarty down and even then, it sometimes isn't enough. Like many of the players on this list, McCarty is just scratching the surface. [player_tooltip player_id="38790" first="Kirk" last="Francis"] - Quarterback - Metro Christian Previous Ranking: #30 - Current Ranking: #12 When we updated the rankings in October, Metro Christian's [player_tooltip player_id="38790" first="Kirk" last="Francis"] was an obvious selection but we still had some questions about just where he stacks against some of the other quarterbacks and prospects in the class. We got a lot of those questions answered as he led Metro to another state championship and his ranking jumped from #30 to #12. For me personally, two of the three best quarterbacks I saw in person this year were sophomores. One is Choctaw's [player_tooltip player_id="38780" first="Steele" last="Wasel"] and the other is Francis. The young Metro quarterback has all the skills you want from your prototypical pocket passer. When I first evaluated Francis as a freshman, I was very intrigued, but it was against non-varsity competition. However, all of the things that I liked about Francis' game have translated to varsity football and he's performed against some of the best teams in the state. [player_tooltip player_id="55156" first="Luke" last="Hasz"] - Wide Receiver - Bixby Previous Ranking: #21 - Current Ranking: #4 There aren't many prospects in this 2023 rankings that we're more excited about than Bixby's [player_tooltip player_id="55156" first="Luke" last="Hasz"]. And it's pretty easy to back up that excitement when you watch the sophomore standout play. Hasz was a breakout star for the Spartans this year as their number one option at wide receiver. While he projects to being more of a tight end prospect at the next level, that's not where the projection ends. Hasz was also a terror on defense and has the potential to be a two-way star in recruiting as well. He's listed as a wide receiver here but Hasz truly is an athlete that has the potential to be a variety of things at the next level. And perhaps the most exciting thing is this. For some athletes, having that versatility is one thing but they truly don't have one position at the next level. No matter where Hasz ends up at the next level, he's going to be special. [player_tooltip player_id="38783" first="Tryce" last="Lewis"] - Offensive Lineman - McLoud Previous Ranking: UR - Current Ranking: #20 Our final prospect is another one that was unranked in our last batch of rankings. McLoud offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38783" first="Tryce" last="Lewis"] was certainly on our radar but we couldn't find much film on him to really dive into his game. However, this time around, we were able to take a look at what he brought to the field and couldn't help but be impressed. From everything we've heard about Lewis, it was backed up on his film and checking out just how dominant he is. McLoud's running game is in good hands over the next few seasons. Lewis is an absolute machine up front and has the chance to rival some of the other offensive linemen in this class as the best at his position. Lewis mainly lined up as a center this season but he certainly has the physical frame to be moved around the offensive line. But if he continues to progress at center, that'll make him very valuable at the next level.