2026 Rankings: Line Of Scrimmage Standouts
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Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The first batch of 2026 rankings on Prep Redzone Oklahoma were released on Monday with the top 25 freshmen in Oklahoma. Throughout the week, we’ll break down…
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The first batch of 2026 rankings on Prep Redzone Oklahoma were released on Monday with the top 25 freshmen in Oklahoma. Throughout the week, we’ll break down prospects throughout the rankings and even a few others that are currently “Watch List” athletes. In this post, we’re putting a spotlight on five prospects along the line of scrimmage. While the offensive line certainly has a few more faces on that side of the ball, a defensive lineman debuted as the #1 overall prospect in the 2026 class. One thing is certain. There is some great football being played along the line of scrimmage in the state’s 2026 class.
One thing that we’ve consistently respected and acknowledged is the amount of talent and specifically top level talent that Booker T Washington puts out in every single class. They have another top guy along the offensive line with freshman Brooks Barron Brooks Barron 6’4″ | OL Owasso | 2026 State OK . The Booker T Washington freshman saw plenty of playing time at multiple positions. He would line up at right tackle and then went on the other side at left tackle. Like a few of the prospects on this breakdown, Barron is an absolute people mover. When he gets his hands on an opponent, that opponent goes where he wants him to go as he is one of the stronger offensive lineman prospects that we watched in the 2026 class. Barron’s strength and his ability to play at right tackle and left tackle make him definitely a prospect to watch moving forward.
The top overall prospect in the state’s 2026 class is Durant defensive lineman Colton Yarbrough Colton Yarbrough 6’5″ | 210 lbs | DL Durant | 2026 State OK . The Durant standout is the only defensive lineman on this breakdown and he’s the only player at the position that was ranked in the state’s 2026 class. Yarbrough was arguably the very first 2026 prospect that we knew about when he hadn’t even started high school and he picked up offers from power five schools. Yarbrough had limited film from his freshman season available to watch but you can’t argue with the offers and the attention that he’s already gotten. Yarbrough’s unique blend of size and athleticism is something that should only improve and he’s going to become an absolute nightmare when it comes to the defensive end position. Like a few players on this breakdown, the sky is the limit for the Durant standout.
Ada offensive lineman Dawson Matthews Dawson Matthews 6’5″ | 260 lbs | OL Ada | 2026 State OK is the perfect example of why rankings are an evolving exercise that can change at any moment, despite only being updated three times per year. Literally 24 hours after we unveiled our 2026 Top 25, we were told about the Ada big man and after checking him out on film, it was apparent within the first few plays that he belonged with the other offensive linemen that currently have rankings next to their names. Matthews not only belongs right now, but you can make the argument that he should be far up among the players at his position. Not only did Matthews have a really strong freshman season, he had moments where he went 1 on 1 with some of the better defensive lineman prospects in the state and he won more than he lost. Look for Matthews to be ranked in June.
Highlights
Checking in at #13 overall and one of the top offensive lineman prospects in the class is NOAH lineman Jude Ballinger Jude Ballinger 6’4″ | OL NOAH | 2026 State OK . Older brother Ezra is one of the better offensive linemen in the state’s 2024 class and there’s no doubt that NOAH has some great football being played right now. On the field, they were the best homeschool team in the country and in Oklahoma, they are producing some really strong prospects. When we broke down the film, Ballinger was impressive from the standpoint that he played multiple positions along the offensive line. And we don’t have a personal favorite because it seemed like Ballinger excelled at every spot that he lined up at. Ballinger has really good size and one of the more surprising parts of his game was how quick he was considering the size, making him a very intriguing prospect.
Joining Yarbrough as one of the top overall prospects in the state’s 2023 class is Sand Springs offensive lineman Ryley Kester Ryley Kester 6’4″ | 265 lbs | OL Charles Page | 2026 State OK . Checking in at #3 overall and the #1 spot for offensive linemen is Kester, who was one of the top 2026 prospects on our radar. And after talking with Sand Springs coaches back in the fall, it was apparent to them very early on that he was going to be an impact player for the Sandites. Kester couldn’t participate in spring practice until school was out and on the first day he joined the varsity team, the Sandite coaches realized he would be starting immediately. At right tackle, Kester was an instant impact player for the Sandites and he’s only scratching the surface on what he can be. We’re looking forward to watching Kester work in person on Saturday at our Showcase camp in Broken Arrow.