2023 Rankings: Linebacker Breakdown

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! Here in the month of June we’re updating all of our prospect rankings as the 2021 season gets closer and closer. For the 2023 class, we went from a Top 50 to a Top 100 as this class continues to get deeper and deeper. The margin between the ranked players is very close and this class has a chance to be fairly deep from top to bottom. You can check out the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/06/updated-2023-oklahoma-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top 100 Right Here</a>. Throughout the week, we’ll be adding some analysis on the players that have stood out in the 2023 class with positional breakdowns, newcomers and even prospects on the border of being ranked this time around. Stay tuned for next week when we update the state’s 2022 class. For now, we take an in-depth look at five linebackers who stood out to us during the last update. The linebacker position is without a doubt the lightest position with only seven linebackers coming into the Top 100. But the one thing they all have in common is high ceilings. [player_tooltip player_id="38789" first="Dietrich" last="Moore"] - Broken Arrow (Ranked #55 Overall) Broken Arrow’s [player_tooltip player_id="38789" first="Dietrich" last="Moore"] appears to be primed for a big year this fall for the Tigers, but he has to go out and make it happen. In this recent ranking update, he comes in as the highest ranked linebacker in the 2023 class but hasn’t been the most productive. He played alongside some very talented linebackers last year and the hype around Moore has been that he could be the best of the bunch. After losing the 2021 class to graduation, it’s time for Moore to step into the spotlight and be one of the leaders of this Broken Arrow defense. He certainly passes the eye test and physically looks like one of the best linebackers in the class. He has good size and can run around and make things happen in every aspect of the defensive side of the ball. Whether it’s run support or pass defense, Moore doesn’t lack ability and can help in both departments. It’s a new era for Broken Arrow football in 2021 as Josh Blankenship takes over as the Tigers head coach. The expectations remain the same as the Tigers look to contend for gold balls. Moore establishing himself as one of the best linebackers in the state, regardless of class will certainly help that goal. [player_tooltip player_id="149337" first="Riley" last="Matheson"] - Cushing (Ranked #63 Overall) We mentioned at the top that a lot of these linebackers have high ceilings and none might be as high as Cushing’s [player_tooltip player_id="149337" first="Riley" last="Matheson"]. We really like what he brings to the table and envision the 2021 season being a breakout year for the potential two-way star. Matheson will replace [player_tooltip player_id="105135" first="Hayden" last="Fry"] who played running back and linebacker for Cushing last year and was one of the better two-way players in the state. Matheson might end up being even better in that role as we love his game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. As a running back, Matheson has that linebacker mentality where he’s not afraid of contact and running someone over. And on the defensive side of the ball, he’s incredibly athletic and can move sideline to sideline and does a great job in coverage as well. However, he’s going to be at his best when he’s helping the defense in defending the run or getting after the quarterback. He’s a prospect that will come after you with bad intentions and will make you feel that physicality. [player_tooltip player_id="38813" first="Reese" last="Roller"] - Verdigris (Ranked #65 Overall) He was one of the breakout stars from last year’s season and he’s back for even more. Verdigris linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="38813" first="Reese" last="Roller"] finished his sophomore season with over 20 sacks on the year. For those not as familiar with his game, he had a two-week stretch where he had back to back five sack games. Roller was an absolute monster at getting after the quarterback. Roller and the Cardinals are incredibly talented heading into 2021 with the majority of their players back. The biggest question for Roller is how he’ll play without [player_tooltip player_id="38651" first="Evan" last="Raines"] lining up at defensive end and Roller able to play off him. However, even last year, Roller proved that he could go against the best and do incredibly well. The only thing keeping Roller from being a higher ranked prospect is the height question. He’s one of the smaller linebackers in Oklahoma but you can’t argue with the production. Will he have another two-week stretch where he finishes with ten sacks? Only time will tell. If he does it again, he’ll be jumping up the rankings at the next update. [player_tooltip player_id="57166" first="Braylen" last="Irvin-Fisher"] - Union (Ranked #74 Overall) A lot of what we wrote about [player_tooltip player_id="38789" first="Dietrich" last="Moore"] at Broken Arrow can be followed up right here with Union’s [player_tooltip player_id="57166" first="Braylen" last="Irvin-Fisher"]. We’ve written a lot about him after the last two offseason’s where he has flourished playing 7v7 with Sooner 7. However, it’s time to take that next step and become one of the better defenders in 6A-1 football. Fisher is a really good athlete that has done well over the last two years as a tight end/hybrid type player with reliable hands. However, it appears that defense will be his spot at Union and he’ll have to find ways to make plays on that side of the ball. The one bonus that he has working for him going into this season is just how talented this defense will be for Union. He’ll be playing alongside some of the best players in the state on his defense alone. Fisher is an outstanding athlete that has shown his abilities over the last two springs and there’s no doubt that he could become that potential star at the linebacker position. It sounds very repetitive at this point but Fisher has a high ceiling as well and this fall will be a big one for him. [player_tooltip player_id="101264" first="Zane" last="Shadid"] - Bishop McGuinness (Ranked #83 Overall) Another player who has stood out the last two springs playing with Sooner 7 has been Bishop McGuinness linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="101264" first="Zane" last="Shadid"]. As opposed to Fisher, Shadid has stuck to defense and has done a good job at a position in 7v7 that can routinely get burned. We got a chance to see Shadid and his McGuinness teammates in action last month during team camps and we were really impressed with the unit as a whole. Shadid leads things from the linebacker spot but they play excellent team defense and swarm to the football. Another promising thing that we saw from Shadid this spring was him lining up and taking reps at running back. Whether or not he’ll be in the backfield on offense this fall, we’ll wait and see there but it was an interesting dynamic. Similar to Matheson at Cushing, Shadid’s running style is very simple, it’s physical and embracing the contact. However, he’s on this breakdown because of his abilities at the linebacker spot and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do with this very talented Irish defense. They won’t be giving up very many points or yards for that matter this fall. Other Ranked Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id="61242" first="Chris" last="Fitzpatrick"] - Edmond Santa Fe (Ranked #73 Overall) [player_tooltip player_id="38796" first="Kiefer" last="Mullins"] - Edmond Memorial (Ranked #91 Overall)