Mustang Broncos OK 2023 Team Preview
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It’s the month of July and that means it’s preview time! Throughout the month of July and into August, we are publishing well over 100 in-depth team previews to get you completely ready for the 2023 football season. This is something that began in 2021 and has continued to get bigger every single year. We’re looking forward to diving deep into the top teams across the state. From defending champions, to top contenders and plenty of dark horses, we’ll have complete coverage every single day with new teams from Class 6A, all the way down to the addition of 8-man coverage this year with Class B and C. In this post, we take a look at the Mustang Broncos.
Mustang Broncos
Preseason Prep Redzone Ranking: #9
Preseason Coaches Ranking: T6
The Mustang Broncos are once again a consensus top ten team coming into the season but the 2023 year looks much different than what we saw last season. Heading into 2022, the Broncos were incredibly experienced, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Mustang would begin the season 5-1 with the only loss coming in non-district play to Deer Creek in a close one. That also included getting a big win over Owasso in week five and that put the Broncos in a position to contend for the district crown when they hosted Union in week seven. But Union left no doubt as the Redhawks ran away with a 53-21 victory. They won their last three games to close out the regular season. But Mustang would have to settle for second in the district but that allowed them a bye week and then they would host the quarterfinal game. In that quarterfinal game, they saw a Jenks team that was starting to click on all cylinders. And for the second straight season and the third time in the last four years, the Trojans would end Mustang’s season. The Broncos fell 34-31 and now are rebuilding for another season in 6A-1. And at the top, we mentioned this team was going to look different but despite losing the majority of their offense, the expectations aren’t going to change as Mustang looks to be a consistent contender in the state’s largest class.
Only three starters are back on the offensive side of the ball as graduation hit the Broncos hard. That includes a three-year starter at quarterback, an All American wide receiver and defensive back and many more playmakers that had a lot of production over the last several seasons. But the cupboard isn’t empty at Mustang as the Broncos are going to reload on that side of the ball. And as some of those new faces on offense come along, they will be able to lean on an experienced and talented defensive side of the ball. Seven starters return on the defensive side and we really like some of the talent they bring back at the linebacker position and within the secondary. This Mustang team also has the potential to be incredibly deep with very talented 2026 and 2027 classes. Don’t be surprised to see the Broncos rotating some of those young players in the game and getting their meaningful reps. We’ll dive further into the younger classes later in the preview. Mustang finished second in the district a season ago and they’ll look to get right back to that spot, if not higher in 2023.
2022 RESULTS (8-3 Record – Lost In Class 6A-1 Quarterfinals)
Sept. 2 – Beat Southmoore 57-26
Sept. 9 – Lost To Deer Creek 24-21
Sept. 16 – Beat Springdale Har-Ber, AR. 41-13
Sept. 23 – Beat Yukon 52-13
Sept. 30 – Beat Owasso 27-17
Oct. 6 – Beat Edmond Santa Fe 19-0
Oct. 13 – Lost To Union 53-21
Oct. 20 – Beat Norman 49-10
Oct. 28 – Beat Edmond North 56-17
Nov. 3 – Beat Edmond Memorial 61-35
Quarterfinals – Lost To Jenks 34-31
Key Losses To Graduation
Hudson Conrad – Linebacker
Jacobe Johnson – Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
Kaden Jones – Defensive Lineman
Keegan Bass – Wide Receiver
Tristen Russell – Quarterback
Players To Watch
Mustang 2024 linebacker Bear Meadows Bear Meadows 6’0″ | 215 lbs | LB Mustang | 2024 State OK is on our shortlist for breakout star heading into the season. We got a chance to watch Mustang back in the spring and Meadows was outstanding at the linebacker position. He was a tackling machine and we anticipate him to be in that role this season. Last year, the Broncos had an outstanding linebacker in Hudson Conrad and we think that Meadows could end up filling that hole in the defense and be one of the more productive linebackers in the state. He still has to go out and prove it but we like Meadows to have a big season. He’s your prototypical middle or inside linebacker that is excellent against the run and has the ability to move around and rack up the tackles and we think he’ll be one of the best in 6A-1.
When we got a chance to see Mustang in person back in the spring, they were rotating a few different names at the running back position. But arguably the most productive player that evening was 2024 running back Bryance Sanders Bryance Sanders 5’11” | RB Mustang | 2024 State OK . He’s a big and physical back and it seemed like every time he got the ball in his hands, he was picking up at least five yards and was just churning up the yardage every single possession. Sanders is a running back that we didn’t know much about prior to the spring but he’s a name that we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this fall. And as Mustang figures out how to fill some of the other holes in the offense, we think that Sanders is the perfect running back to help a new quarterback and offense that has a few new starters.
As mentioned earlier, one of the bigger question marks in the Mustang offense revolve around the quarterback position and wide receiver. But the Broncos will have some experience returning at wide receiver with 2024 wideout LeBryan Hayes LeBryan Hayes 5’10” | WR Mustang | 2024 State OK . I’m more familiar with Hayes after watching him play basketball but we think he has the potential to be a breakout player within the Mustang offense. Whoever ends up winning the QB1 job, Hayes will give him a physical wide receiver that is going to tear things up after the catch. Hayes isn’t the tallest receiver prospect but he’s strong and does a good job of blocking to help the run game or lowering the shoulder and picking up extra yards. Just like with Sanders, Hayes is another name we’re keeping an eye on.
As we mentioned with Meadows, we really like the talent that Mustang brings back on the defensive side of the ball. And despite losing an All American in Jacobe Johnson, we really like some of the players they have returning in the secondary. Leading that group is 2025 cornerback Waleed Gaines, who in our opinion is one of the top cover corners in Class 6A-1. And when we got a chance to see the Broncos in person last season, one thing that really stands out is his ability to make tackles in the open field. That’s an underrated quality for cornerbacks in today’s game. Odds are you aren’t going to be able to shut down every receiver so you have to make tackles and Gaines does a really good job of that after the catch.
More Names To Know
Aidan Jordan – 2025 Kicker
Austin Reed – 2024 Offensive Lineman
Jaden Johnson
Jaden
Johnson
6'1" | WR
Mustang | 2026
State
OK
– 2026 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
Jaytee Johnson
Jaytee
Johnson
6'0" | DB
Mustang | 2026
OK
– 2026 Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
Qualan Perry – 2024 Defensive Back
Taven Brown
Taven
Brown
6'1" | 200 lbs | RB
Mustang | 2027
State
OK
– 2027 Running Back
Zachery Warren
Zachery
Warren
6'1" | DB
Mustang | 2024
State
OK
– 2024 Defensive Back
2023 Schedule/Games To Circle
Sept. 1 – Southmoore
Sept. 8 – AT Deer Creek
– Mustang definitely has this game circled on the calendar as they’ll hit the road in week two to face 6A-2’s top five-ranked Deer Creek. The Antlers came to Mustang and handed the Broncos a 24-21 setback and this was a game that was close throughout and nearly saw a Mustang miracle. Deer Creek took a 24-14 lead with around three minutes to play but the Broncos didn’t go away. They would score immediately and then had a drive to potentially win the game or at least send it to overtime but an interception would end any chance of a comeback.
Sept. 15 – AT Springdale Har-Ber, AR.
Sept. 22 – Yukon
Sept. 29 – AT Owasso
– While district play begins in week four against rival Yukon, the district slate really gets cranked up in week five when Mustang goes on the road to face off with Owasso. The Broncos have had a chance to knock off the Rams in the last two seasons and that has set them up for success in the playoffs with a higher seed. A win here is going to keep Mustang’s district championship hopes alive. A loss will make it tougher. It’ll be a battle for Spiro bragging rights as Owasso head coach Bill Blankenship faces off with cousin and Mustang head coach Lee Blankenship.
Oct. 6 – Edmond Santa Fe
Oct. 13 – AT Union
– You can make the argument that Mustang’s three toughest games this season are all on the road, which is going to make for some very interesting results. Mustang will hit the road to face Union in week seven and the Redhawks have dominated this district over the last few seasons. And the series with Mustang and Union has been one-sided but if the Broncos are going to win the district title, they have to get a win here. Union is the preseason favorite to capture the district crown and if Mustang is able to go on the road and beat Union, like they did in 2019, they’ll be in good shape.
Oct. 20 – Norman
Oct. 27 – AT Edmond North
Nov. 3 – Edmond Memorial
Notable
There’s no doubt that Mustang has been knocking on the door of becoming one of the more consistent teams in Class 6A-1. They’ve had their last two seasons end at the hands of the Jenks Trojans but they have experienced success against some of the other Tulsa-area powerhouses. That includes wins last season and in 2021 against Owasso. As mentioned earlier, Mustang has had plenty of success against Owasso and they are also a few years removed from beating Union, even though that series has been pretty one-sided ever since. Head coach Lee Blankenship is building a program that can not only have sustained success but they are looking to contend with the Tulsa-area powerhouses. For the rest of 6A-1, they are fighting an uphill battle when you’re talking about the five teams in the Tulsa area that dominate the class. But Mustang is taking steps in the right direction to join that group and become a consistent contender.
Championship History
0 State Championships