Sooner State Shootout – Level Up Report
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The Prep Redzone 7v7 circuit made it’s way through Oklahoma this weekend as the second annual Sooner State Shootout took place in Broken Arrow. We had…
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The Prep Redzone 7v7 circuit made it’s way through Oklahoma this weekend as the second annual Sooner State Shootout took place in Broken Arrow. We had a great weekend of football and saw so many players at all levels making plays both days. Congratulations to our champions of the tournament! TheUNIT Platinum continued their dominant offseason by winning the 18U title. Sooner 7 took home the 15U and 14U championships and had a runner up finish in 12U while Level Up 7v7 would win that 12U crown but they also had teams make the 18U and 15U championship games.
From player breakdowns in all divisions to photos and video highlights, Prep Redzone is committed to being America’s Most Covered 7v7 Circuit. The coverage before, during and now after the Sooner State Shootout is unmatched by any other 7v7 circuit! Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone for more players breakdowns and follow our social channels for photos and video highlights! In this post, we’re putting the spotlight on the 18U runner up. Level Up 7v7 had a great weekend as a program and here’s a breakdown on three of their top standouts from their 18U team on Saturday and Sunday.
Drake DeGroote Drake DeGroote 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Valley WDM | 2026 State IA – 2026 Quarterback
Prior to the tournament, we highlighted some of the top quarterbacks to watch before the Sooner State Shootout. Level Up 2026 quarterback Drake DeGroote Drake DeGroote 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Valley WDM | 2026 State IA was one of those prospects and he lived up to the hype. DeGroote is highly regarded in Iowa’s 2026 quarterback class and we can see why after watching him in person for two days. Looking at the notes from this weekend, DeGroote has some qualities that immediately catch our attention. He’s accurate, patient and he keeps everyone involved. Level Up has some dudes at receiver and it would be easy to lock in on one or two. But DeGroote does a good job of spreading it around. The accuracy and patience back there, letting plays develop, allowed him to make some big throws all weekend.
LJ Nyenow – 2026 Wide Receiver
Level Up 2026 wide receiver LJ Nyenow was one of the best overall wide receivers in the 18U division during the weekend in Oklahoma. He immediately caught our eye on Saturday morning during pool play and then continued that momentum into Sunday. In the championship game, Nyenow was one on one with arguably the best prospect in Oklahoma’s 2026 class and he had success. Nyenow made a living on the slant route and got open time after time. There’s a lot of athleticism here. And after doing some research, it appears that Nyenow is one of the better two-sport standouts in Iowa’s 2026 class. Nyenow is definitely someone that needs to be on the radar as we move towards the spring and summer. The ceiling for him moving forward is very high.
Malik Epps-Keller – 2025 Athlete
2025 standout Malik Epps-Keller first stood out to us on Saturday on the defensive side of the ball. Epps-Keller was making multiple plays from the cornerback position and we thought he was going to be one of the top defensive standouts in the tournament. But in a game later on Saturday morning, Epps-Keller would make a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds to help his team get the win in pool play. The Level Up standout made the trip up from Texas after starting his high school career in Iowa, closer to some of his Level Up teammates. And after checking him out, he had a solid junior season down in Lubbock. It’s clear that Epps-Keller was one of the more versatile athletes in the tournament field and impacted both sides of the ball.