USNFT Combine Primer

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> Prep Redzone Oklahoma will once again make the trip down to Dallas to cover some of Oklahoma’s best. Things will kick off on Saturday with the True Buzz 7v7 tournament and continue at the USNFT combine on Sunday. A decent amount of Oklahoma standouts will be performing during the combine. They’ll go through the typical combine testing, then move into positional drills and finish it off with 1 on 1 competitions. We’ll be there from start to finish and will have complete coverage of the event. However, before we get down to Dallas, we take a look at ten names that we’re looking forward to seeing compete. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38697" first="AJ" last="Brown"] - 2022 Defensive Lineman - Jenks</strong></span> We kick things off with a prospect who will be one of the first to compete on Sunday. Jenks junior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38697" first="AJ" last="Brown"] is determined to make a name for himself in a 2022 class that is loaded with strong defensive linemen. Brown is certainly in the conversation with some of the other names in this 2022 class and it appears only a matter of time before his recruitment takes off. A good showing during the combine and especially during the 1 on 1 session could help Brown get to that next level this offseason. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51037" first="Austin" last="Havens"] - 2023 Quarterback - Owasso</strong></span> Owasso quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="51037" first="Austin" last="Havens"] was a breakout player for the Rams last year as they made a run to the 6A-1 semifinals. However, he had talent all around him and we think even he would admit that they certainly helped that breakout year. So we’re looking forward to evaluating Havens and seeing him compete without the wealth of talent around him like he has at Owasso. Havens is in the conversation for being the top quarterback in Oklahoma’s 2023 class. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="51055" first="Carson" last="Laverty"] - 2023 Quarterback - Putnam City North</strong></span> We go from one 2023 quarterback to another with Putnam City North’s [player_tooltip player_id="51055" first="Carson" last="Laverty"]. In fact, Laverty and Havens are the only quarterbacks from Oklahoma that will be competing at this camp on Sunday. We can’t help but look forward to seeing how these two will do as they’re both quarterback prospects with room to grow and high ceilings. For me personally, the only time I saw Laverty in person, he struggled against a stout Midwest City defense. We want to see the talent on display. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38734" first="Collin" last="Matteson"] - 2022 Athlete - Oklahoma Christian School</strong></span> OCS standout [player_tooltip player_id="38734" first="Collin" last="Matteson"] is not only on this list of ten but he’s on our short list for prospects we’re most excited to see. I haven’t had a chance to see Matteson in person, with the exception of a practice late in the 2020 season. He was an absolute game-changer for the Saints last year and we’re looking forward to seeing how he competes against other top talent. We have him listed as an athlete but he’ll be competing this weekend from the wide receiver spot. he put up monster numbers in 2020 and has rocketed up the 2022 prospect rankings. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38779" first="Jonathan" last="Ashford"] - 2023 Offensive Lineman - Edmond Santa Fe</strong></span> When the 2023 prospects in Oklahoma were freshmen, one of the prospects that immediately stood out was Edmond Santa Fe offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38779" first="Jonathan" last="Ashford"]. The Santa Fe big man was an immediate force for the Wolves as they captured back to back district championships during his two years of playing at the varsity level. Ashford has been a legitimate top five prospect since we started ranking the 2023 class. We expect to see that kind of dominance from him on Sunday. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38778" first="Kanijal" last="Thomas"] - 2023 Defensive Back - Del City</strong></span> We’ve had an opportunity to see Del City 2023 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id="38778" first="Kanijal" last="Thomas"] a handful of times already this offseason, courtesy of his play with Sooner7. However, we did not get a chance to see Thomas in action at the Under Armour camp down in Dallas a few weekends ago. Thomas has been great on the 7v7 circuit and we wanted to see how he would do in 1 on 1 situations and positional drills. We get the opportunity to make up for that this weekend as Thomas will certainly be a DB name to watch. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59991" first="Mason" last="Gilkey"] - 2022 Wide Receiver - Pawhuska</strong></span> One of two players on this list who is already committed, Pawhuska junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id="59991" first="Mason" last="Gilkey"] is one of the players that we are very excited to see. Despite having massive seasons as a sophomore and junior, we’ve never seen Gilkey in person besides practice. We’re looking forward to getting a chance to see him do his thing in person against some strong DB talent. Pawhuska and Gilkey were never tested until they ran into eventual champ Cashion in the semifinals. Gilkey will be tested this weekend. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57205" first="Rickey" last="Hunt Jr"] - 2023 Athlete - Millwood</strong></span> Look, we’re excited to see every player from Oklahoma perform down in Dallas but without a doubt the prospect we’re most excited to see is Millwood 2023 standout [player_tooltip player_id="57205" first="Rickey" last="Hunt Jr"] and it’s really not close. Last fall, Hunt was a guy who did a little bit of everything for the Falcons because he was without a doubt their top weapon. On Sunday, Hunt will be going as a running back, where his ceiling is at it’s highest. He’s outstanding as a defensive back but there is something special about him with the ball in his hands. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38682" first="Ridge" last="Brewington"] - 2022 Offensive Lineman - Bartlesville</strong></span> The second prospect who has already committed is Bartlesville offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id="38682" first="Ridge" last="Brewington"]. Earlier this year, Brewington gave a verbal commitment to Air Force. We’re very excited to see Brewington in action as we’ve only been able to see him on film and not in person. His junior film was impressive. While he lined up a lot as an offensive tackle, he projects to being more of an interior lineman where he can utilize his athleticism. We’re excited to see how the Bartlesville standout does on Sunday, especially in 1 on 1 situations. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118808" first="Tayden" last="Coleman"] - 2023 Defenisve Lineman - Ada</strong></span> Our final prospect is yet another one that we haven’t seen compete in person. That’s really the consensus of this breakdown. There are plenty of other prospects that will be there on Sunday but we’re fired up to get a good look at the players that we haven’t evaluated in person. The last time [player_tooltip player_id="118808" first="Tayden" last="Coleman"] was on a football field, he was tearing things up for Beggs. However, in 2021, Coleman will be suiting up for Ada as he’s made the move further south. Similar to Brown at Jenks, Coleman is trying to break through and get his name mentioned at a position that is absolutely loaded right now.