Predicting 2022’s Breakout Stars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At this time next week, it'll be game week! We're less than two weeks away from the 2022 season kicking off. Week zero will get us started next week and we'll wrap up in December with state championships in Edmond. Over the last two months, we've been putting up in-depth preview content every single day. From team previews, to preseason rankings and all state teams to class by class previews. In this post, we're making some predictions. Every year, we see players either go from somewhat unknown to breakout stars. Maybe role players take that next step and become playmakers or something else. Either way, each season, we see players have breakout seasons and we're going to try to predict at least five of them. These five players are primed to not only have breakout seasons this fall, but they have the potential to become absolute stars. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='215199' first='Clayton' last='Creasey'] - 2024 Quarterback - Jones</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even if we hadn't already seen Jones 2024 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='215199' first='Clayton' last='Creasey'] in person a few times already, we might still have him on this list. And if you haven't been following Oklahoma high school football over the last decade, let us fill you in. The small town of Jones, a Class 2A program, is an absolute quarterback factory. All they do is produce some of the best quarterbacks in the state and Creasey has the chance to be the next one up after the graduation of Carson May, who is now at Iowa. But we have seen Creasey a few times in person and he fits the bill. After spending last season primarily as a running back, Creasey moves back to quarterback and is expected to keep this Jones offense rolling and he certainly has the tools to do just that. We think that Creasey has the potential to be the biggest breakout star at the quarterback position and it's not just because he's the next QB1 for the Jones Longhorns. Although that doesn't hurt his chances. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='38786' first='Emery' last='Neeley'] - 2023 Running Back - Owasso</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The only 2023 prospect on this list is Owasso running back [player_tooltip player_id='38786' first='Emery' last='Neeley']. And we have him on here for a few reasons. One, we think that he's one of the better running backs in this class but he hasn't had that moment during the fall that has proven that. And two, he's finally healthy and has the backfield all to himself after splitting carries with two other running backs. Neeley should be the feature back for Owasso and we think that he has the potential to be a 1,500 yard rusher this fall. Neeley first caught our eye following his sophomore season. Last year, he was limited due to injuries and as we mentioned, that was a crowded backfield. Now, Neeley has had an excellent offseason and is ready to be a workhorse if the Rams need him to be that. They'll once again look to have a very balanced offense between the run and the pass but we expect Neeley to be the marquee back out of the backfield this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='347111' first='Jaden' last='Nickens'] - 2025 Athlete - Millwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The only 2025 prospect to make this breakdown is Millwood athlete [player_tooltip player_id='347111' first='Jaden' last='Nickens']. Despite already having a couple D1 offers, it's hard to argue that Nickens wouldn't be a breakout star with a stellar sophomore season. This fall will be his first football played with the Falcons after primarily being a basketball prospect. In fact, he's a D1 recruit for basketball as well and is currently rated as the #1 overall prospect in the <strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.prephoops.com/oklahoma/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.prephoops.com/oklahoma/" target="_blank">Prep Hoops</a></strong> 2025 rankings for Oklahoma. Nickens has the potential to be a top ten prospect in both sports by the time it's all said and done. Whether it's as a wide receiver or a defensive back, we're expecting Nickens to have a strong sophomore season as he gets more and more comfortable on the gridiron. After talking with Millwood's coaches this summer, it's apparent that Nickens is determined to be not only one of the best basketball prospects in Oklahoma's 2025 class, but he wants to be the same thing in football. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110751' first='Jett' last='Calmus'] - 2024 Linebacker - Jenks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard to not have high expectations for a Jenks linebacker who's wearing the #20, with the last name Calmus. But it's not just the bloodline and DNA that earns Jenks 2024 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='110751' first='Jett' last='Calmus'] a spot on this list. It's a few other things as well. First off, the Trojans have lost their top tackler from last season's team at the linebacker position so there is a need for a new player to step into that role. And two, Calmus has already shown the ability to be a hard-hitting backer who has a high ceiling moving forward. We think that Jenks' front seven is going to be somewhat inexperienced but incredibly talented and Calmus is part of that unit. We think that he ends up being one of the top tacklers on this year's team and with that, will become one of the breakout stars for the Trojans as they try to go after a third consecutive state championship. Calmus does benefit from having some experience returning at the linebacker position so that will also play a factor in him coming along this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288967' first='Kevon' last='Robinson'] - 2024 Wide Receiver - Coweta</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've written about Coweta's 2024 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='288967' first='Kevon' last='Robinson'] quite a bit during the offseason. He's been outstanding every time we've seen him in person. First, he was one of the best wide receivers that we watched during the 7v7 season. He also was one of the top wide receivers at our showcase camp in late April. So needless to say, we think that Robinson is about to put all of that together and be one of the top breakout wide receivers this fall. Coweta is going to have a very potent passing attacks and the Tigers will have one of the better offenses in Class 5A. We think that Robinson will emerge as one of the top playmakers in the passing game for Coweta with his combination of route running, size and hands. He has very reliable hands and that will definitely make him one of the top targets for 2023 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='51055' first='Carson' last='Laverty']. If you're looking for a wide receiver that is primed for a breakout season, look no further than Robinson at Coweta. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->