Oklahoma Showcase: LB & DB Breakdown
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Prep RedZone Oklahoma’s inaugural showcase in Owasso Sunday afternoon was a huge success on multiple levels. We were able to bring in a great crew of college coaches and media from all over the state and region to see some…
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Continue ReadingPrep RedZone Oklahoma’s inaugural showcase in Owasso Sunday afternoon was a huge success on multiple levels. We were able to bring in a great crew of college coaches and media from all over the state and region to see some of the top dogs in the state along with a ton of athletes who are either on the cusp of greatness or who were simply looking for a chance to get their name out and earn some recognition. So far this week we have hit on our camp MVPs, as well as a few players who stood out at QB, RB, WR, OL, and DL. Today we wrap up our positional breakdowns with a few Linebackers and Defensive Backs who either stole the show or earned some praise and recognition by continuing to improve every time we see them.
LBs
Gabe E Brown Gabe E Brown 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Charles Page Highschool | 2022 State OK – Charles Page – 2022
Brown impressed in all aspects of the showcase from beginning to end. He lit it up in the combine testing, clocking in at 4.75 in the forty-yard dash, and at 7.62 in the L-Drill/3-cone, both of which were good enough to land him towards the top at his position. In the individual/positional drills, Gabe showed some very quick feet and the ability to change direction on the fly with relative ease. Then to end the day in 1on1s, Gabe did an excellent job of mirroring RBs and WRs through their routes before using his instincts and physicality to break up the pass.
Brody Dorris – Owasso – 2022
Though he was not the top LB from Owasso on Sunday as Jake Clifton Jake Clifton 6'2" | LB Owasso | 2022 State OK lit up the entire camp, Brody Dorris still had a fantastic day of testing and competing on his home field. Dorris finished with the top LB shuttle, clocking in at 4.40, and leaped 9’3″ in the broad jump, which was second best at LB only behind Clifton. In 1on1s, Dorris held his own against the RBs and showed that his change of direction and burst that he put on display during testing also translates over onto the gridiron in coverage. We’re very excited to see what Dorris can turn into come August.
Clint Campbell Clint Campbell 6'0" | 205 lbs | ATH McLoud | 2023 State OK – McLoud – 2023
Although we already included him in our RB standouts, Campbell plays both ways for McLoud and turned a lot of heads on Sunday when lined up at LB. He went with the backers for a few individual/positional drills and showed some of the quickest feet among the position, as well as some very impressive hip fluidity. In coverage, Campbell did not lose many reps if any on the day. He flashed a lot of mirror/match ability on short-intermediate routes and blew a few coaches away with his short-area burst/explosion when sprinting out to the flats/hook-curl zones.
DBs
Devin Tipton Devin Tipton 5'11" | 155 lbs | ATH Kingston | 2023 OK – Kingston – 2023
Admittedly there were not as many DBs signed up for this camp compared to most other positions. The good news though, was that most of the WRs in Owasso on Sunday also play some DB for their schools, so we had plenty of guys rotating back and forth during 1on1 drills to keep the competition going. Tipton was one of those guys who stepped up when it was needed, and by the end of the day, Devin made a number of impressive plays on deep routes where he was able to flip his hips early while also reading the QBs eyes to know when the ball was coming so he could make a play on it.
Kellon Asher Earl Asher Earl 5'10" | 160 lbs | DB Millwood | 2022 State OK – Millwood – 2022
A shorter and lankier DB at 5’9.5″ 156, Kellon impressed us with his athletic ability and instincts outside of the testing session. He showed some great agility and hand-eye coordination in positional drills, his cuts were easy and smooth, and he was able to burst out of them easily with some nice speed on a consistent basis. In coverage, Kellon displayed a good vertical ability to go up and get the ball on deep fades, and he left us wanting to see more of what he could do in 1on1 situations near the endzone.
Issac Covington Issac Covington 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Union | 2024 State OK – Booker T Washington – 2024
Before the showcase, we had heard some good things from a few coaches close to Isaac about his speed and explosiveness coming from a track background and he lived up to the hype. Covington leaped nearly 9.5 feet in the broad jump, the best among DBs, and flew through the 40 with a 4.69, which we still thought was not representative of the speed he brought to the camp. He battled back and forth with some of the speediest slots in the state throughout the day in 1on1s, showing us that he’s beyond his years in terms of coverage ability and maturity to not let a few early mistakes ruin his day.
Aaron Lyle Aaron Lyle 5'11" | 150 lbs | ATH Wynnewood | 2024 OK – Wynnewood – 2024
Aaron Lyle Aaron Lyle 5'11" | 150 lbs | ATH Wynnewood | 2024 OK was not the biggest or most physical DB at the camp, but he displayed a trait time and time again that will take him very far in the football world if it stays with him, and that is coachability. On every single combine drill he went through on Sunday, we watched Lyle not only soak in everything that the coaches had to say to him after his first attempt, but he also would then take those critiques into consideration and apply them to his 2nd/final attempt. As a result, Lyle improved upon his first attempt in every single drill, often cutting off substantial time or adding considerable distance with his 2nd attempt. Then in one on ones it was more of the same. From what we have seen from him, Lyle has primarily played zone safety for C4 7v7 this offseason, so there were bound to be a few growing pains in coverage as he was forced to man up on WRs all day. However, he did not let a few early losses get him down, and he finished the day by showing off some of his impressive instincts in coverage, including the ability to break on the ball in a flash regardless of how his body was positioned.