2023 Rankings: Disruptive Defensive Linemen
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Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The latest and final 2023 rankings on Prep Redzone Oklahoma were released on Monday with the Top 250 for the state’s 2023 class. Throughout the week, we’ve…
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The latest and final 2023 rankings on Prep Redzone Oklahoma were released on Monday with the Top 250 for the state’s 2023 class. Throughout the week, we’ve been breaking down prospects throughout the rankings. From stock risers and newcomers to breakdowns by positions, it’s been a busy week! So keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma throughout the week for more on the 2023 class. In this post, we’re putting a spotlight on ten of the best defensive linemen in the state’s 2023 class. This post does not feature top ten DL Tyler Rich Tyler Rich 6'1" | DL Owasso | 2023 State OK from Owasso, who was featured earlier this week in our Stock Risers article on Wednesday. But this post does feature the top overall prospect in the state’s 2023 class and several other prospects that made big jumps.
We probably should have made this move sooner but Community Christian 2023 star Bai Jobe Bai Jobe 6’5″ | DL Community Christian | 2023 State OK finally moved from “athlete” to defensive lineman in this last update and took over the top spot at the position. Jobe is one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2023 class and if you don’t know his story by now, you’ve been hiding under a rock. With only two and a half seasons of real football, Jobe has a great story. And despite playing 2A football and not much experience, Jobe turned into a true national recruit. He also recently tore it up at the All American game in San Antonio last month. That performance among the nation’s best players solidified his spot as the top prospect in Oklahoma.
Del City defensive end and Oklahoma State signee Jaedon Foreman Jaedon Foreman 6’4″ | DL Del City | 2023 State OK has been one of the top prospects in the state’s 2023 class for a long time. Since his breakout season as a freshman, Foreman has been a prospect that has been on the radar for a long time. He’s also the first prospect in the state’s 2023 class to commit and he remained loyal to Oklahoma State for well over a year. Foreman is an incredibly disruptive player coming off the edge for Del City. Over the last two seasons, opponents game-planned for Foreman and during his senior season, while facing plenty of double teams, it did not matter as Foreman was still one of the more productive defensive ends in 5A football.
It was probably around this time last year that Putnam City defensive end Taje McCoy Taje McCoy 6’3″ | 245 lbs | DL Putnam City | 2023 State OK became one of the top prospects in the state’s 2023 class. After a breakout junior season, McCoy firmly established himself as one of the top defensive linemen in the class. McCoy built on that breakout junior season with a fantastic offseason and that led to a strong senior campaign as well. Similar to a few other prospects on this breakdown, McCoy was a player that opponents would game plan for and it didn’t matter. He still found a way to be incredibly productive. McCoy was recruited by Power Five programs all over the country but eventually settled on Colorado.
Choctaw standout RJ Jackson RJ Jackson 6’4″ | DL Choctaw | 2023 State OK has been on our radar since his sophomore season and his recruitment has been one of the more frustrating things to follow in this 2023 class. Jackson finally started getting offers and attention as a senior as he made the move from tight end to defensive end. He would sign with Tulsa but we think it never should have taken that long. He looked to be a big time prospect as a sophomore when he was playing tight end and think he can be a next level guy on offense as well. But his defensive tape is very impressive and his only full season playing defensive end, he turned into one of the top players at the position during the 2022 season.
The 2023 class features some outstanding defensive ends and pass rushers but Union big man De’Marion Thomas De’Marion Thomas 6’4″ | 340 lbs | DL Union | 2023 State OK is without a doubt the top defensive tackle prospect coming out of this 2023 class. Committed and signed with Vanderbilt, Thomas is an absolute brute along the line of scrimmage and we think that his ceiling continues to get higher and higher. As a junior, Thomas also spent time along the offensive side of the line of scrimmage. As a senior, Thomas was strictly along the defensive line and as he continued to trim up and keep that same strength and burst, he became more of a problem for opposing offensive linemen. Thomas plays with a mean streak that will fit in with the SEC.
Highlights
Morris defensive lineman Chance Jordan Chance Jordan 6’0″ | 270 lbs | DL Morris | 2023 State OK is one of the more interesting prospects when you look at the state’s 2023 class. Because on one hand, you have Jordan’s junior season in which he was a first team All State selection and one of the top defensive tackles in the state. Then you have his senior season, in which he didn’t play in the first few weeks before landing at Morris and simply didn’t have the same kind of impact in 2022. We can’t help but remember what he was in 2021 as a terrorizing prospect coming right up the middle of an offensive line. We think that he still has a chance to be a special prospect moving forward but he’ll have to find the right college program to be a good fit.
Similar to Foreman at Del City, it feels like we’ve known about Hilldale lineman Evan Keefe Evan Keefe 6’3″ | 250 lbs | DL Hilldale | 2023 State OK for a long time now. His high school career has finally come to an end and it was a very productive one. Keefe has to be considered one of the top two-way linemen in Class 4A over the last four seasons. While we’ve projected him on the defensive side of the ball for a while, you can’t help but acknowledge what he’s been able to do on the offensive side of the ball as well. Keefe has also had plenty of success in the offseason in various weightlifting events and has the potential to be a very strong prospect at the next level. Keefe has always been a prospect that we’ve liked and his consistent play throughout was a big reason why.
One of the breakout prospects of this group is Jenks defensive end Jack Standlee Jack Standlee 6’4″ | DL Jenks | 2023 State OK and that’s saying something considering he missed time with nagging injuries throughout his senior season. But when we watched Standlee in person and on film, it’s really hard not to be impressed with not only his play on the field but his potential moving forward. Standlee has a very impressive frame that makes him a very intriguing prospect when it comes to the next level. As he continues to work in the weight room, he’s going to be an absolute nightmare coming off the edge. Standlee signed on the dotted line with Pitt State earlier this week and that could end up being an absolute steal.
Every now and then we have to put the hand up and say we screwed up a ranking update. Jumping up nearly 100 spots in the last update is Booker T Washington defensive lineman Elias Sherman Elias Sherman 6’2″ | DL Booker T Washington | 2023 State OK but he never should have been that low back in the October update. Sherman was one of the more productive defensive linemen in the state, regardless of class. When it came to getting after the quarterback, few prospects in the state were as successful as Sherman. Now, Sherman doesn’t have the prototypical size at defensive lineman as some of the other prospects on this breakdown. But again, you cannot argue with the production that he had at a very high level.
Our final prospect on this breakdown is Norman North defensive lineman Parker Andrews Parker Andrews 6’4″ | DL Norman North | 2023 State OK and he definitely fits the same category as fellow prospects Evan Keefe Evan Keefe 6’3″ | 250 lbs | DL Hilldale | 2023 State OK and Jaedon Foreman Jaedon Foreman 6’4″ | DL Del City | 2023 State OK . It feels like he’s been in high school for a while now after having breakout seasons early on in his career. Andrews has also had the unfortunate luck of nagging injuries that have sidelined him at various times throughout his career. But when he’s on the field and 100 percent, he’s a very disruptive player coming off the edge. We think that he could certainly help a program at the next level as a defensive end. He has the motor and the production to prove it over the last few seasons.