2026 Rankings – Big Man Spotlight (Top OL/DL)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 football season is right around the corner and at the conclusion of spring practices across Oklahoma, it's a perfect time to update the prospect rankings! We started this week with the state's 2026 class and went from a Top 25 to a Top 50. If you missed that update,&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/06/updated-2026-oklahoma-rankings-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">you can check out the list right here</a></strong>! Throughout the week, we're diving deep into the rankings with prospect breakdowns. We're discussing why these players are already on our radar and already on the radar for the next level. Keep it locked in throughout the week as we break down more 2026 prospects. And check back each Monday this month for a new ranking update! Next week, we'll be updating the 2025 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this breakdown, we're putting a spotlight on the big fellas up front on the line of scrimmage. The offensive line group already looks talented and the one defensive lineman prospect on this breakdown is right near the top of the overall rankings. This is a breakdown on the top offensive and defensive linemen in the state's 2026 class. This article doesn't feature ranked offensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='587268' first='Brooks' last='Barron'] <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/06/2026-rankings-stock-risers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(<strong>who was featured earlier this week as a stock riser)</strong></a> or [player_tooltip player_id='467409' first='Laird' last='Williams'] <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/06/2026-rankings-top-newcomers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(who was also featured earlier this week as one of the top newcomers)</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["467408"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Sand Springs offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='467408' first='Ryley' last='Kester'] is the first of two linemen that are also top five overall prospects for the second straight ranking update. Kester looks like an absolute monster up front for the Sandites and he had an excellent freshman season and is already off to a good start this offseason as he goes into his sophomore season. Kester ran away with the OL MVP award at our camp back in April and while he lines up at left tackle, physically, he looks like more of an interior lineman at the next level. But like we have said a few times this week when it comes to the 2026 class, it's incredibly early. There's still room for growth physically and Kester is not a finished product as a college prospect. But he already looks the part and we're incredibly excited to see what that finished product ends up being in a few years.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["402371"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Durant defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='402371' first='Colton' last='Yarbrough'] is the other top five overall prospect on this breakdown and he's stayed in the top five for the second straight ranking update. Yarbrough was arguably the most known 2026 prospect in Oklahoma before anyone else as he started picking up D1 offers while he was still at Caddo as an 8th grader. He moved to Durant last summer and added some more talent to a pretty strong defensive line for the Lions. Durant's 2026 class has some serious firepower in it and if Yarbrough takes the next step on Friday nights, this is a team that could surprise some people this fall. And Yarbrough also has the distinction of being the only defensive lineman in the 2026 Top 50. While the OL position group is incredibly deep already, we're still waiting for more defensive linemen to emerge.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["472322"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"NOAH captured a homeschool national championship last season and they should probably be considered one of the favorites coming into 2023. They bring back a ton of talent on both sides of the ball and they have two Ballingers on each side of the offensive line. Fellow offensive lineman prospect [player_tooltip player_id='110742' first='Ezra' last='Ballinger'] is a highly regarded prospect in the state's 2024 class. Younger brother [player_tooltip player_id='472322' first='Jude' last='Ballinger'] is another lineman for NOAH that should start getting on college radars rather early on in his high school career. While Ezra lines up at left tackle, Jude lined up at right tackle when we watched the Jaguars at one of the team camps that they attended this spring. Jude is a dominating run blocker with plenty of size and just like a few other prospects on this breakdown, Ballinger is just scratching the surface on what he can be as an offensive lineman.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["591882"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Another 2026 lineman down in southern Oklahoma that we are going to keep an eye on is Ada's [player_tooltip player_id='591882' first='Dawson' last='Matthews'] after a pretty strong freshman season. It was shortly after we published our first 2026 ranking back in January that we found out about Matthews and immediately realized that he should have been included. But each time we do a ranking update, that's par for the course as we see a prospect or two shortly after publishing that should have been included. Matthews really impressed last season and specifically when he went 1 on1 1 and head to head with some of Ada's tougher opponents along the defensive line. Matthews would then attend our camp back in April and had a strong showing as well. And that was an offensive line group that was absolutely stacked. We're looking forward to seeing what's next for Matthews this fall.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["858872"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"We almost didn't know anything about Norman offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='858872' first='Julius' last='Stephens'] until we recently got the info on Norman's upcoming football team from their coaching staff. It listed all of their expected top players for this fall and we noticed Stephens started the majority of his freshman season and is already standing around 6'5. We pulled up the film from his freshman season and we watched a big man that can move off the line and get to his destination in a hurry and with bad intentions. We didn't know about Stephens two weeks ago and now we're convinced that he's an offensive lineman that might be the best kept secret in the state's 2026 class. He's on the rise in a big way and we're looking forward to seeing what he can do this season. Stephens has a high ceiling based on his freshman film and size.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["472323"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"We mentioned this earlier this week with another prospect but there is no doubt that the future is bright for Lawton Eisenhower right now. They have a few young but very promising prospects on both sides of the ball. 2026 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='472323' first='Milo' last='Wyatt'] is a very aggressive and impactful offensive lineman and he had a strong freshman campaign and is just getting started on what he can be at the next level. He's continued the momentum from that strong freshman season into this spring and summer. He's in the middle of impressing college coaches at various camps around this area. We're very intrigued about the Eagles this season when you look at some of the emerging talent they have on both sides of the ball. Wyatt is going to be a powerful blocker up front that sets the tone for what could be a very successful running game.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["840706"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Our final offensive lineman on this breakdown is Kansas big man [player_tooltip player_id='840706' first='Tristan' last='Thompson'] and he's probably the biggest unknown when it comes to this group. But Thompson was a prospect that we got a chance to see in person at the Verdigris team camp back in May. Thompson immediately caught the attention of our staff as well as a few college coaches in attendance. Once we found out that Thompson was just a 2026 prospect, the excitement about his potential certainly went up. Thompson is still raw and there's a lot of work to become a more polished blocker when you compare him to some of the other linemen in this group. But he already has the physical frame and as we always hear when it comes to football, you can't coach size. Thompson has it at 6'6 and he definitely has the potential to rocket up the rankings at this position.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-648a5ff416cde"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->