Best Available Offensive Prospects
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The first Signing Day has come and gone and the majority of the top overall prospects in the state’s 2023 class signed on the dotted line with their future schools. Wednesday was just the start of the journey for those prospects. It was also just the next step for the prospects still looking for their future home. In this post, we take a look at the top available offensive prospects in the state’s 2023 class. You can also check out the best available defensive prospects in the 2023 class RIGHT HERE.
We start off today’s offensive feature with one of the top offensive lineman prospects in the class in Union lineman Bennett Ringleb Bennett Ringleb 6’6″ | 280 lbs | OL Union | 2023 State OK . For the second straight year, Union had one of the best linemen in the state’s senior class. Last year, it was Will Thomas, who is now at New Mexico State. This year, it’s Ringleb. And just like Thomas, Ringleb came off an injury as a junior and had a very strong senior season. Ringleb anchored an offensive line that was dominant in the run game. Union’s star running back is another prospect on this breakdown after a fantastic senior season. But it doesn’t happen if Ringleb and company don’t pave the way for Union’s offense to be one of the best units in Class 6A-1 this fall.
Later on today, we announce the finalists for this year’s Prep Redzone Oklahoma Player Of The Year award. For the third consecutive season, Cushing standout Camden Crooks Camden Crooks 6’0″ | 190 lbs | WR Cushing | 2023 State OK finds him as a finalist following another stellar season. Just look at the production on the field and you’ll see why he’s been considered one of the top players in the state for a few years now. Whether it’s as a game-changing wide receiver, a dominant return man or even on defense, all Crooks does is make plays at a high level. Crooks was truly special on offense and in special teams this season and he’s definitely on the short list of prospects that it just doesn’t make much sense why they aren’t receiving more attention from colleges.
Highlights
We mentioned Union’s running game earlier with offensive lineman Bennett Ringleb Bennett Ringleb 6’6″ | 280 lbs | OL Union | 2023 State OK . One prospect that benefitted from having that strong line in front of him was Union’s senior DJ McKinney DJ McKinney 6’0″ | RB Union | 2023 State OK , who was a complete gamechanger from the very start of the season. Whether it was toting the rock or catching passes out of the backfield, McKinney was Union’s most consistent weapon on the offensive side of the ball this season. McKinney isn’t the biggest running back but he’s proven that size doesn’t matter at all. He has all the speed and quickness you want to see in the open field. But look at his running in between the tackles and you’ll see what we mean. He’s one of the top overall running backs remaining in the 2023 class.
One of the most improved prospects in the state’s 2023 class this fall has to be Stillwater quarterback Gage Gundy Gage Gundy 6’3″ | 200 lbs | QB Stillwater | 2023 State OK . And we’ll follow that up by saying he was already considered one of the better quarterbacks in the state coming into this season. But what he did this fall was truly special when you look back at it. Not only did he lead the Pioneers to their first state championship in decades, but he was arguably the most efficient quarterback in the state. He did not turn the ball over with the exception of one interception on miscommunication on a route. Gundy was truly special with the football in his hands this fall and his best football continues to be ahead of him as he has one of the highest ceilings in the 2023 class.
It was a rough senior season for Jenks running back Jaiden Carroll Jaiden Carroll 5’10” | 180 lbs | RB Jenks | 2023 State OK . There’s no other way to describe it. But that doesn’t take away from him being one of the top available running back prospects in the state’s 2023 class. The season began with Carroll having to sit out two non-district games. Then he got banged up with nagging injuries during the middle of the season and could just never get any momentum this fall. But when Carroll is healthy, he is one of the better backs in the state and he has been that since his freshman season. He is a very physical running back and even added some other elements to his game this season. He improved as a defensive back but we still think his future is as a running back in college.
It was nearly a year ago that we first heard about Broken Arrow offensive lineman Jamison Mejia Jamison Mejia 6’5″ | 270 lbs | OL Broken Arrow | 2023 State OK . The first thing we heard was he was going to be the next big thing coming out of Broken Arrow. When we first watched him, there was no doubt that he was a very athletic big man who could move quite a bit. After watching him again this fall, it feels like he’s continued to get bigger and bigger, becoming a much stronger offensive tackle prospect for either side of the offensive line. Similar to a few other prospects on this breakdown, it feels like Mejia’s best football continues to be ahead of him. When we look back at this 2023 class in four years, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mejia at the top of the list for offensive linemen.
Highlights
Arguably the biggest breakout quarterback prospect this fall was Norman North signal caller Kamden Sixkiller Kamden Sixkiller 6’4″ | QB Norman North | 2023 State OK . It’s hard to argue otherwise. Sixkiller patiently waited for his turn behind Gavin Frakes, who is now starting at New Mexico State. And in his one and only year as Norman North’s QB1, Sixkiller was absolutely dominant in the pass and run game for Norman North’s offense. His recruitment immediately skyrocketed once he showed that he had outstanding on field production. An injury late in the season derailed Norman North making a potential run in the playoffs, but Sixkiller still showed plenty of tape that makes him one of the top dual-threat signal callers in the state’s 2023 class.
The third and final offensive lineman on this breakdown is Cache big man Kenny Wermy Kenny Wermy 6’5″ | 295 lbs | OL Cache | 2023 State OK . He’s another offensive lineman prospect that we’ve known about for a while now and a lot of it has been his performances at our offseason camps. He’s routinely been one of the top prospects at his position every time he comes to our camp. Wermy is a big and strong lineman who has consistently been one of the top ranked players at his position for the state’s 2023 class. Similar to Mejia at Broken Arrow, Wermy’s recruitment has also started to really pick up over the last two months and he should get quite a few more options between now and the next signing period in February. Wermy is a name to watch in the next month.
Highlights
Metro Christian quarterback Kirk Francis Kirk Francis 6’1″ | 185 lbs | QB Metro Christian | 2023 State OK has been on our radar since his stellar sophomore season and he’s been a 2023 prospect we’ve written about quite a bit over the last two years. It still makes absolutely no sense why more schools aren’t coming after Francis because he has been one of the top quarterbacks in the state since leading Metro Christian to a state championship as a sophomore. Francis is a special talent that has made very difficult things look easy against some of Metro’s best opponents. That’s what puts Francis in a different category for us. Not only is he incredibly productive, but he’s doing it against everyone and seems to always elevate his game to new heights against the toughest opponents.
Another one of the absolute breakout stars this season was Enid wide receiver Tykie Andrews Tykie Andrews 6’0″ | WR Enid | 2023 State OK . We knew about Andrews for nearly two years after watching him play 7v7 in the offseason. But his senior year was his first moment of truly becoming one of the top wide receivers in the state. Even though Enid struggled on the scoreboard this season, Andrews did not struggle. He made 150 yards and two touchdowns look like a routine performance and it didn’t matter who the opponent was. He’s definitely a prospect in the 2023 class that rose his stock dramatically after a stellar senior season. Out of the ten prospects listed here, he and Sixkiller were the two biggest stock risers when it comes to his recruitment.