2024 Rankings: The Newcomers
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Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The latest 2024 rankings on Prep Redzone Oklahoma were released on Monday with the Top 125 for the state’s 2024 class. Throughout the week, we’ll be breaking…
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The latest 2024 rankings on Prep Redzone Oklahoma were released on Monday with the Top 125 for the state’s 2024 class. Throughout the week, we’ll be breaking down prospects throughout the rankings. From stock risers and newcomers to breakdowns by positions, it will be a busy week! So keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma throughout the week for more on the 2024 class. In this post, we’re putting a spotlight on five of the highest ranked newcomers to the recent rankings. Some debuted within the Top 25 and others are continuing to climb the more we evaluate. There were quite a few new names on this latest update but here are some of the best!
Anytime we do a ranking update, there are immediate regrets with players that we missed on. Piedmont linebacker Brogan Hardy Brogan Hardy 6’2″ | 225 lbs | LB Piedmont | 2024 State OK should have been in the last update in October and that was a miss. And when it comes to stats across the state, it’s hard to accurately pinpoint who leads the state in a category. Not all teams put their stats in and on the same system like a MaxPreps. But we imagine that Hardy’s 230 tackles in 2022 is among the best in Oklahoma. Hardy was an absolute lock every single week to rack up the tackles. Hardy is not only on this list but debuting at a high spot because of his combination of production and passing the eye test. Hardy is well over 6-foot and is also a pretty good wrestler. He checks all the boxes to be an outstanding linebacker at the next level and we’re looking forward to seeing more of Hardy and what he does for an encore in 2023.
We get messages and comments all the time from prospects that are very confident in their abilities and think that they are among the best in Oklahoma. One of those prospects here recently was Moore standout cornerback Corey Dean Corey Dean 6’0″ | 180 lbs | DB Moore | 2024 State OK . He instantly got our respect by talking the talk and then walking the walk. Dean told us he was the best cornerback in Oklahoma and then came to our camp earlier this month and walked away with the MVP award for the defensive back group. Dean is a very intriguing prospect moving forward because he’s doing all the things you need to do to get exposure and get seen by colleges. And he’s consistently working on improving his craft and there’s definitely a hunger and a drive to Dean’s game to reach that top spot. As far as his work on the field, Dean is a long but smooth corner that does a great job staying with any wide receiver he’s matched up with.
Highlights
Our next prospect is one that has flown under the radar but hopefully that’s not the case here in a few months. McLain standout athlete Dennis Nolan Dennis Nolan 6’0″ | ATH McLain | 2024 State OK is an absolute playmaker with the ball in his hands and while we have him listed as an athlete for his abilities on offense, defense and even in special teams, he might have solidified his spot as a running back prospect after checking out his film. Nolan is so incredibly strong in his lower body that simple arm tackles and most 1 on 1 tackles aren’t going to do it. Nolan is one of those prospects that fits the description of someone who runs hard. He’s a prospect that has one gear and when he gets to it, a big play is about to happen. Nolan had success in 2022 as a running back, a wide receiver in the slot, a linebacker on defense and in the return game. Nolan is one of the top offensive playmakers in the Tulsa area that not many know about.
A perfect example of why the ranking updates are an ongoing project and by no means ever perfect. Up until a few weeks ago, we didn’t know anything about Broken Arrow’s Derrick Osmond Derrick Osmond 6’6″ | 245 lbs | ATH Broken Arrow | 2024 State OK . Fast forward to right now and he’s rated as one of the better tight ends in a very special tight end class and as an overall prospect. Osmond’s recruitment is starting to take off as he’s starting to receive real interest and offers from D1 programs and when you throw on the tape, it’s not hard to see why. Osmond immediately passes the eye test as he’s a very physical blocker and was an extension of Broken Arrow’s offensive line during the 2022 season. This was a Broken Arrow offense that had not one, but two different players go for over 1,000 yards on the ground. Osmond is listed as a tight end here but we’re not going to close the door on him possibly lining up at at defensive end as well. We definitely want to see more of him this spring.
Highlights
Another year, another Bixby linebacker with the last name Puckett making plays. One of this year’s breakout stars across Oklahoma was Bixby linebacker Hank Puckett Hank Puckett 5’11” | LB Bixby | 2024 State OK . The younger brother of Jack Puckett, who was one of the more underrated linebackers over the last few seasons, Hank was just as active on a very physical Bixby defense. We caught Bixby four times in person during the 2022 season and we contend that this was the hardest hitting team in the state. And the linebacker group was no joke and full of guys waiting to tear your head off and Puckett was usually in the area to make that happen. We mentioned older brother Jack and how underrated he was as a prospect and hopefully the same thing doesn’t happen to Hank. He shouldn’t be flying under the radar as we look ahead to the spring and summer. He was one of the best linebackers in 6A-1 last season and is a perfect middle or inside linebacker.