Oklahoma Showcase – Defensive Standouts
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The third Oklahoma Showcase camp took place over the weekend at the Titan Sports Complex and we saw plenty of talent throughout the afternoon. Prospects from…
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The third Oklahoma Showcase camp took place over the weekend at the Titan Sports Complex and we saw plenty of talent throughout the afternoon. Prospects from six different states participated in the event and we saw some great competition. Over the next few days, we’ll have several articles talking about some of the prospects that we saw but in this post, it’s all about the big guys upfront. We’re putting a spotlight on the best offensive linemen from Saturday’s event.
Micah Lindsey – 2023 DL – Carthage
We didn’t just have Oklahoma prospects standing out on Saturday. I spotted Carthage DL Micah Lindsey at the beginning of testing when I saw him cross the finish line of his 40-yard sprint. I heard he clocked in at a 4.9 40 and had to take a double-take of him to look at his frame. Though he may not be the biggest defensive lineman out there he was one of the fastest and looked strong. During individual drills, the first thing that I noticed was his long arms. It is an advantage with long arms to gain separation as quickly as you can to keep the offensive lineman off of you. Lindsey showed that quality by shooting his hands quickly off the line of scrimmage working his move towards the quarterback. He showed good technique with quick hands in his 1 on 1’s and was quick off the line of scrimmage usually beating the offensive lineman off the ball.
Hayden Milner Hayden Milner 6'4" | 255 lbs | DL Washington | 2023 State OK – 2023 DL – Washington
Hayden Milner Hayden Milner 6'4" | 255 lbs | DL Washington | 2023 State OK is a competitor. He came to work on Saturday and it was something I noticed off the bat. He was the first one up in line as soon as individuals started and was ready to get to work. During individual drills, Milner was working on replacing his first step over a mini-step hurdle and showed a quick-twitch off the ball. Milner has a good frame as he stood at 6’4″. During 1 on 1’s, Milner showed a quick burst off the line of scrimmage. When he was playing defensive end, he did a good job of dipping his shoulder to stay on the path to the quarterback and got off the edge quickly. When Milner was jammed up on first initial contact he always had his second technique in his back pocket ready to use. Milner showed us why he is a prospect to keep an eye out for the 2022 season.
Xzavier Booth Xzavier Booth 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB Lawton MacArthur | 2024 State OK – 2024 DB – Lawton MacArthur
Xzavier Booth Xzavier Booth 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB Lawton MacArthur | 2024 State OK is a defensive back out of the 2024 class and attends Lawton MacArthur. I liked Booth’s fluid hips as he was going through individual drills. He was able to show his quickness during the drills which helped him stand out to me. The other thing that I liked about Booth was the way he was able to flip his hips during drills where he wasn’t tripping over his feet. During his 1 on 1’s, he competed and showed us why he was a defensive back to watch this upcoming season. Overall, he looked natural out there playing as a defensive back attacking the ball and not allowing his cushion to be broken.
Thomas Gothard Thomas Gothard 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Union | 2023 State OK – 2023 DB – Union
Thomas Gothard Thomas Gothard 6'3" | 185 lbs | DB Union | 2023 State OK has tremendous length for playing in the secondary. He has a long body that allows him to gain ground quickly. He came in at 6’3″ and stood almost a head taller than the other defensive backs. He does a good job of being able to jump the routes underneath and plays the ball effectively. I liked his footwork and how quickly he moved with his size on the field. Gothard showed a good change of direction and had good reps with 1 on 1’s. Gothard first got on our radar during a 7v7 tournament earlier this year while playing at cornerback. With Union losing OU signee Jayden Rowe Jayden Rowe 6'2" | DB Union | 2022 State OK to graduation, perhaps Gothard will be a guy that can replace him this fall. He certainly looks the part physically. Another player that is a prospect to keep an eye out for his senior season. Union has some skilled positions in the secondary coming back to keep an eye out for.
Kyree Dawkins – 2023 DB – Yukon
During individual drills, Kyree was one of the first defensive backs I noticed going through the drills. He showed solid footwork skills and his backpedal looked crisp. I was able to watch for his hips as he turned in one direction and looked good at doing it. During his live reps, he showed good coverage skills that you need playing off or press technique. When he wanted to get physical he would get closer and press the wide receiver off the ball. I liked watching Dawkins line up and get rep after rep. One of the coaches pointed out they liked Dawkins because he possesses those intangibles that you look for in a defensive back. We are looking for Dawkins to have a great senior season.
Jared Kappenman Jared Kappenman 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Deer Creek | 2025 State OK – 2025 LB – Deer Creek
Deer Creek linebacker Jared Kappenman Jared Kappenman 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Deer Creek | 2025 State OK and his Antlers had a great season last year finishing out the year at 10-3 overall and state runner-up. Antlers look to try to make a repeat and make it back to the state championship game for 6A-2 for the 2022 football season. It was quick when I spotted Kappenman in his drills working with his change of direction. In indy drills, he used his hands well to help navigate where his running back would be for 1 on 1’s. In camp showcases, it is difficult to play linebacker having to cover running backs 1 on 1 out of the backfield. The majority of the time, depending on which linebacker position you play, you play zone coverage and let nobody in your area. Kappenman played his position well versus the running backs as he was patient and wasn’t lunging towards the back. He was able to get to the back’s hip and get his head turned around quickly in coverage. Kappenman is coming back for his sophomore season and has been very busy this offseason. He’s attended both Oklahoma camps this year and even went down to Texas for the Fort Worth camp in January.
Lance Eubanks Lance Eubanks 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Norman | 2024 State OK – 2024 LB – Norman
Another LB I was impressed with on the day was Lance Eubanks Lance Eubanks 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Norman | 2024 State OK out of Norman. Eubanks flashed a good change of direction play after play either in drills or his coverage skills. He had really good footwork to display as a linebacker in this camp setting. In his coverage skills, he had a good first read step as he didn’t stay flat-footed. He seems like a linebacker that has had to cover running backs out of the backfield before in Norman. He was able to play a little more aggressively than others at times. His skills allowed him to do more out in coverage and open space versus the running backs.
Other Standouts
Vincent Mitchell – 2024 – Edmond Memorial
Henry Ogata – 2023 – Lee Williams
Naithen Spaulding – 2024 – Washington
Malachi Wrice Malachi Wrice 6'6" | 245 lbs | DL McAlester | 2024 State OK – 2024 – McAlester
William Smith – 2024 – Choctaw