2023 Rankings: New Faces

<strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong> Earlier this week, we updated the 2023 rankings with an updated Top 100, ranking the top 100 junior prospects in Oklahoma. We had plenty of prospects that soared up the rankings. Plenty of prospects holding on firm in their ranking from the summer. Then we had plenty of new faces that made their debuts in the ranking on Monday. You can check out the complete <a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2023-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Top 100 Right Here</strong></a>. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of those new faces and break down how they found their way into the latest ranking update. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="219070" first="Colin" last="Fisher"] - Quarterback - Noble</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>(Ranked 53rd Overall)</strong></span> Our first new face is the only quarterback on this breakdown, sort of. Noble junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="219070" first="Colin" last="Fisher"] has emerged in a 2023 class that is full of talented quarterbacks and we can’t help but be impressed with the lefty from Noble. Now, full disclosure on a couple things. One, he’s already committed to play baseball at Arkansas and apparently is one of the better left-handed pitchers in Oklahoma’s 2023 class. And two, we just got a chance to see Fisher in person last week against Lawton MacArthur, and we were impressed by his abilities. Physically, Fisher passes all the eye tests. Then the game began and he was methodical with how he moved his team up and down the field. He was making just about every throw you want to see and he was accurate with his placement of the ball and putting it right on the money. While his future might be on a baseball diamond, we see him as a legitimate quarterback prospect in a 2023 class that has plenty of talent at that position already. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="197183" first="Connor" last="Kirby"] - Athlete - Bixby</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>(Ranked 38th Overall)</strong></span> So we’ll be honest right here, we have no idea how to evaluate Bixby’s [player_tooltip player_id="197183" first="Connor" last="Kirby"] as a prospect or know exactly where to rank him considering the versatility he brings to the football field. We have mostly seen Kirby this year as a wildcat quarterback who is a power runner and a guy that is built for short yardage and goal line situations. However, as an athlete, he passes all the eye tests and absolutely looks the part in that regard. He’s a very athletic looking kid and has been an instant impact player for the Spartans this year. However, the biggest question remains with him, what will he be at the next level? At this point, we don’t really know the answer to that question but we know that he belongs among the state’s best when it comes to the prospects in the 2023 class. Kirby more than likely won’t be playing quarterback at the next level but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be at the next level. There is plenty of talent and athleticism there to figure out where he can fit in with the right program. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="199075" first="DeSean" last="Mays"] - Running Back - Vian</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>(Ranked 51st Overall)</strong></span> It’s been a couple years since Vian had a truly dynamic playmaker at the running back position. For the last few years, they’ve had power runners and versatile athletes that played different positions that made an impact in the running game. However, that’s not the case this year as [player_tooltip player_id="199075" first="DeSean" last="Mays"] has emerged for the Wolverines as a big playmaker who can use his speed to make a big play. The Wolverines are once again state championship contenders this fall behind the 1-2 punch of Mays and senior standout [player_tooltip player_id="61124" first="Xavin" last="Lackey"]. The senior Lackey is certainly more of a power runner as he’s also a standout at linebacker. However, Mays is the "lightning" to Lackey’s "thunder" and together, the Wolverines could get back into the 2A state championship conversation. Mays has the size and speed to be a fast-rising prospect within the state’s 2023 class. The 2023 running back class has some prospects that have been standouts since they were freshmen. However, Mays could join the conversation very soon. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38787" first="Parker" last="Jenney"] - Linebacker - Holland Hall</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>(Ranked 24th Overall)</strong></span> We knew Holland Hall was going to be good coming into 2021 as they defended their state championship. However, we didn’t anticipate the Dutch reloading quite like they have this year as they appear to still be the favorite to run away with another 3A state championship. One of the absolute breakout stars for Holland Hall has been junior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="38787" first="Parker" last="Jenney"]. I’ve made this comparison offline and now get a chance to write about it and put it out there to you. If Jenney has a really good offseason in the weight room, he’ll become what [player_tooltip player_id="38533" first="Owen" last="Ostroski"] was to the Dutch in 2020. This year, he appears to be right on the edge of being an unstoppable force on the defensive side of the ball. With more work in the offseason, he could be that guy for Holland Hall next fall, which is a terrifying thought for Holland Hall’s opponents. Jenney has been lights out for the Dutch on the defensive side of the ball, whether it’s shutting down an opponent’s rushing attack or getting after the quarterback, Jenney is a big name to watch in the 2023 class. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="165365" first="Ta’Shawn" last="James"] - Defensive Back - Carl Albert</strong></span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>(Ranked 26th Overall)</strong></span> It shouldn’t be a surprise that Carl Albert has another emerging star when it comes to recruiting. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="165365" first="Ta’Shawn" last="James"] was a prospect that Carl Albert coaches made sure to point out to us throughout the offseason. So James came into this season with plenty of hype around his name and so far, he’s backed up the hype. He looks to be a two-way star at the high school level. More times than not, he’s one of the best athletes on the field so Carl Albert would be foolish to not use him in as many places as they can. However, when it comes to projecting to the next level, James appears to be a really strong defensive back prospect. Carl Albert certainly has a good recent history of defensive back prospects and more specifically, athletes that will end up playing defensive back at the next level. From Jason Taylor to Rabbit Taylor and [player_tooltip player_id="38487" first="Javion" last="Hunt"], the Titans have had plenty of skill in that department and James appears to be the next guy up. We’ll be watching James closely as the Titans go into the postseason, looking for a sixth straight title.