Friday Film Review Part One (Feb. 17th, 2023)
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Every Friday during February through April, we’re going to throw on the tape and break down athletes across Oklahoma. Earlier this month, we put out a tweet asking prospects in the 2024-2026 classes to send us their film for our Film Review feature. Over 150 responses later and we’re off to the races. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every Friday for more breakdowns on athletes across Oklahoma. This week, we put out not one, but two Film Reviews and this is part one! You can check out Part Two RIGHT HERE.
If you’re not featured this week but have sent us your film, don’t worry! You’re on the list and will be covered in the future. Now, all of these breakdowns are based on the film we have access to. And this isn’t just a puff piece. While the majority of the breakdowns will be positive, it will also include areas to improve, question marks and more for the prospect to work on as we head into the spring and summer.
Our first prospect on today’s breakdown is one that we’re looking forward to seeing more of in the very near future. Heritage Hall sophomore running back and linebacker Barrett Travis Barrett Travis 6’1″ | RB Heritage Hall | 2025 State OK got on the field in 2022 and had an immediate impact early on in the season. He was 2023 standout River Faulkner River Faulkner 5’11” | 205 lbs | ATH Heritage Hall | 2023 State OK ‘s backup at the running back position and while Faulkner sat out the first few games of the season, it was Travis getting the majority of carries at the running back position. It’s hard not seeing Travis stepping into that Faulkner role this fall as the starting running back and then turning around and being a standout linebacker. Just like with Faulkner, we really like what we see from Travis on the defensive side of the ball. And he looks like he has an inch or two on Faulkner in height. As a running back, Travis was very upright in the running game and kept the ball high and tight. But when it comes down to making a projection on Travis moving forward, we’re going to look at the Heritage Hall standout being a linebacker in the future but there is a lot of football left to be played. We like Travis to be a breakout star this fall.
Our next prospect doesn’t have much film available to check out online but we already have a pretty solid scouting report. Tuttle sophomore standout Brady Mcadoo Brady Mcadoo 6’0″ | 180 lbs | RB Tuttle | 2025 State OK is a special talent that can do a little bit of everything and do it very well. On offense, McAdoo lined up at running back and wide receiver and made plenty of plays doing both. On defense, we were impressed with his ability to play the cornerback position. And then as if that wasn’t enough, McAdoo had a significant impact in the return game in special teams. Now, if we had to critique something for McAdoo’s sophomore season we’d point to the sample size of his film. There isn’t much there and we want to see more. We know that he had surgery this offseason so he might not have had a full season as a sophomore. But after watching him on film, in person and talking with Tuttle’s coaches, there’s plenty to like about McAdoo moving forward and his versatility and athleticism really remind us of Poteau’s Dax Collins Dax Collins 6’2″ | 180 lbs | ATH Poteau | 2024 State OK and McAlester’s Erik McCarty Erik McCarty 6’2″ | 175 lbs | DB McAlester | 2023 State OK . He has the potential to be one of the more complete playmakers in the state and just has to put it on film.
Highlights
The state’s 2026 class is already full of some promising young quarterbacks and Miami gunslinger Grant Lawless Grant Lawless 6’2″ | 185 lbs | QB Miami | 2026 OK is the latest example of that. At 6’2 and nearly 180 pounds, Lawless is already off to a strong start from a physical standpoint. Lawless already has good size but we want to see more from him after checking out the freshman tape. You could see Lawless put together some really good scoring drives and was a critical part of Miami’s offense in the passing and running game. In the running game specifically, Lawless has some elusive moves but he needs to continue working on his overall speed. That will make him even more dangerous in the running game. Strictly as a passer, I was impressed with Lawless’ ability to maintain his accuracy while on the run. There was one play in particular where the righty was rolling to his left and while he was on the run, he launched a 45-yard pass on the dot. The arm strength was impressive but we want to see more variety in his throwing but that will come with time. Like most quarterbacks who start as freshmen, there’s a lot of work to do but he’s off to a good start.
Victory Christian’s Jayelyn Robinson Jayelyn Robinson 6’1″ | 260 lbs | OL Victory Christian | 2025 State OK is the first of several 2025 linemen that have already stood out on the offensive and defensive lines. Robinson first got on the field and started making an impact as a freshman. During his sophomore season, he was part of a very talented offensive line that sprang running lanes for 2023 running back Judah Byrams Judah Byrams 5’8″ | RB Victory Christian | 2023 State OK , who was one of the more underrated running backs in the state during the 2022 season. The first thing that stands out when you throw on the tape for Robinson is his overall strength. When he’s lining up along the offensive line, it appeared that he was at his best when he was a pulling guard. He gets out of his stance quickly and hammers a defensive end on the other side of the line. Robinson also does a really good job of getting to the second level and if he gets his hands on a linebacker, it’s a complete mismatch and that linebacker is getting driven into the ground. On defense, Robinson is a strong prospect along the defensive line but we like his offensive film a little more at this point. We want to see Robinson in person this spring or summer.
Each week, I watch ten prospects for this feature, and at the end of the week, I always have a favorite film that I watched. This week, Sulphur 2025 offensive and defensive lineman Justus Gilliam Justus Gilliam 6’1″ | 250 lbs | OL Sulphur | 2025 State OK was the winner of that distinction this week. There were a few linemen on this week’s breakdown that stood out along the offensive and defensive side of the ball but Gilliam was the best of the best. On offense, Gilliam primarily lined up at left tackle and he was absolutely dominant on that side of the line of scrimmage. The thing that really stands out when we watched his offensive film was his constant desire to be physical. He’s always looking for contact and looking to hit someone and flatten them. Then you turn around and look at Gilliam on the defensive side of the ball. The first thing that stands out is the first part of his game which is the get off. Routinely, Gilliam is always the first off the ball along the defensive line. He lived in the backfield for the majority of his defensive film. When you combine the offensive and defensive film, it’s hard to ignore the motor that Gilliam has. The guy never slows down.
Highlights
We stay on the line of scrimmage with Colcord 2025 offensive and defensive lineman Khaleeal Penn Khaleeal Penn 6’2″ | 305 lbs | DL Colcord | 2025 State OK who is absolutely dominant along both sides of the line of scrimmage. Penn first got on our radar last month when he was the top performing defensive lineman at our camp in Broken Arrow. His performance was good enough to earn MVP honors and the film from last season backed up his spot as one of the more dominant linemen in the state’s 2025 class. On offense, Penn is an absolute mauler along the offensive line. He played multiple positions on the line and his performance never really changed no matter where he was lined up. On the defense side of the ball, we really like what Penn put on tape last year. Penn is an absolute monster on the defensive side of the ball. And at the Class A level, Penn was a match-up nightmare for opposing offensive linemen. He can’t be stopped in 1 on 1 situations and made a living getting into the backfield. We’re curious if Penn is going to continue to grow and where he would stack against larger schools but the film that he’s put together is really impressive.
Highlights
Last month, we updated our prospect rankings for the 2023-2026 classes. Every time we do a ranking update, it doesn’t take long to figure out that we missed a prospect or two. Lane Whitworth Lane Whitworth 6’0″ | 180 lbs | DB Piedmont | 2025 State OK is an example of a 2025 prospect that should have been included in the last update. As a sophomore at Piedmont, Whitworth was outstanding at the safety position and also showed signs of being a really good athlete at the wide receiver spot on offense. But with Piedmont’s option-heavy offense, he didn’t get very many opportunities at wide receiver. The ones that he did get, he seemed to make the most of. But on defense, Whitworth was a special talent. He was an absolute ball hawk in the secondary for Piedmont as his eyes and instincts helped put him in the right spot in a lot of situations last season. And Whitworth and Piedmont went up against some pretty good quarterbacks and passing offenses. Moving forward, it’s going to be interesting to see how Whitworth looks. He’s moved from Piedmont to Deer Creek and while we really like him at safety, we want to see what he can do with an expanded role at wide receiver.
Edmond Santa Fe took a step back in 2022 but there is reason to be optimistic with some of the young and talented players that they have, especially on the offensive side of the ball. 2025 athlete Malikai Miller Malikai Miller 5’11” | 170 lbs | QB Moore | 2025 State OK is one of those names and his sophomore season was cut short to injury. And we listed him just now as an athlete instead of a quarterback because after watching the film, it’s hard to just call him a quarterback. The athleticism just flies off the film when you watch Miller last season. When he tucks the ball and takes off and runs, it is really impressive to watch. Miller also got a few reps at wide receiver and it will be interesting to see how Edmond Santa Fe uses him moving forward. Because he got injured, they also played another quarterback last season and we’re assuming that they will have a quarterback battle this spring and summer. But for Miller specifically, we want to see more from him in the passing game. He took the first step at our camp last month when he was one of the top quarterbacks in attendance. We’re looking forward to seeing more of him this spring and summer.
Highlights
We already had a pretty high opinion of Sand Springs 2026 offensive lineman Ryley Kester Ryley Kester 6’4″ | 265 lbs | OL Charles Page | 2026 State OK before we threw on the film again this week. Last month, Kester debuted as a top five overall prospect and the hands down pick for top offensive lineman in the state’s 2026 class. The upside with Kester moving forward is quite high and that’s saying something considering where he’s started so far. You throw on the film and it’s hard not to be impressed. Kester can absolutely move for a lineman that is 6’4 and around 270 pounds. He is a pulling machine and lined up in multiple spots along the line of scrimmage for the Sandites last fall. The power that Kester plays with is very impressive to watch. There really isn’t much to critique here and he’s a big reason why we like the Sandites moving forward with some of the pieces they bring back on offense. Because Kester was an eighth grader last year, he couldn’t join the team for spring drills until school was officially over. Once he joined the team, it took less than 30 minutes for Sandite coaches to realize he was their best offensive lineman instantly.
Highlights
Our final prospect on this breakdown is the only 2024 prospect featured here. Union junior defensive lineman Trey Barnes Trey Barnes 5’11” | 275 lbs | DL Union | 2024 State OK is another example of a lineman that would be blowing up as a prospect if he had a few more inches. He’s the classic example of a “tweener” at defensive tackle. But when you look passed the physical attributes and size questions and watch the film, it’s really impressive. Barnes is clearly very strong because some of the tackles that he made last season are tackles you don’t see very often. I came away thinking that Barnes was a “one-armed bandit” because Barnes would make countless tackles with only one arm while still being engaged with an offensive lineman. Because of that, Barnes plays the game with really strong awareness and he stands his man up and always has his eyes in the backfield to see where the play is going. Another part of his game that really impressed me was how many clips we saw of Barnes against good competition. We really liked how his production remained the same even against the good competition. So once you look passed the size questions, there’s a lot to like.