7v7 Best Of – Defensive Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong><em><strong><em><strong><em><strong><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></strong></em></strong></em></strong></em></strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 7v7 circuit is coming to a close this offseason and we've seen a lot of really good football over the last few months. From our PRZ7v7 circuit to others, we got to see some great competition and players from all over the state. This week on Prep Redzone Oklahoma, we'll be taking a look at some of the top players that we got a chance to watch and break down this offseason. From your typical positional breakdowns to other categories like stock risers, breakout players &amp; more.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this post, we're taking a look at five standouts from the defensive side of the ball. The defensive side of the ball isn't the easiest side of the ball to stand out. But these five players were able to do just that in one or several tournaments throughout this offseason. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 7v7 features!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='403509' first='Adam' last='Auston'] - 2026 DB - Lawton MacArthur (Played With C4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lawton MacArthur 2026 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='403509' first='Adam' last='Auston'] might be the most intriguing prospect on this breakdown. And we say that because coming into this offseason, we had him listed as a defensive back (and we still do) and rated very high in the state's 2026 class. But Auston played with C4 this offseason and he spent time at safety and as a linebacker so we could very well see him become that classic hybrid defender where he is just as comfortable, and dangerous at both positions. Auston did a really good job every time we watched him in person and that was quite a bit this offseason. He made a ton of plays and like we said back in January, his natural instincts to know where to be on the field at all times is uncanny. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='587270' first='Jerrod' last='Williams'] - 2026 DB - Heritage Hall (Played With YAYO)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We only got a real good chance to watch Heritage Hall 2026 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='587270' first='Jerrod' last='Williams'] up close and in person at the C4 tournament in Durant a few weeks ago. Williams continues to impress every time we've seen him and he's continued to build more and more momentum off his breakout freshman season in 2022. Another thing that stood out when we watched Williams a few weeks ago was that he's significantly bigger than last offseason and he continues to look the part physically at the cornerback position. Simply put, we really like Williams moving forward and he's part of the state's 2026 class that seems to be getting deeper and deeper and that has been really evident on the defensive side of the ball. He has a high ceiling. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='724376' first='JT' last='Fridrich'] - 2025 DB - Union (Played With 918 Elite)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Honestly, we could have put Union 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='724376' first='JT' last='Fridrich'] on several different articles this week. He could have been listed as a wide receiver, a two-way standout but we're keeping him here on the defensive spotlight for his work at the safety position. Fridrich had an outstanding offseason on both sides of the ball but he was very valuable on the defense. He's the son of a coach and that is immediately evident when you watch him on the field. He was constantly coaching his teammates and putting them in the right positions. Fridrich is going to be an interesting prospect to watch moving forward. Because after watching him quite a bit over the last 18 months, we are confident that he'll be able to help a program at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='671397' first='Kash' last='Guthmueller'] - 2025 LB - Washington (Played With C4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We mentioned how it's tough to consistently stand out on the defensive side of the ball in 7v7 tournaments. That complication is multiplied if you're a traditional linebacker but Washington 2025 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='671397' first='Kash' last='Guthmueller'] never seemed to have a problem. He was dealing with drag and slant routes all offseason and that lateral quickness really came into play and Guthmueller rose to the occasion each time. Out of the five standouts on this breakdown, Guthmueller might be at the top of the list of guys who have stood out on a consistent basis. This offseason, he moved from Purcell to Washington and with him and another young star linebacker, this Washington linebacker group is going to be one of the best in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='858873' first='Mykah' last='Washington'] - 2026 DB - Booker T Washington (Played With TheUNIT Platinum)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Booker T Washington 2026 defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='858873' first='Mykah' last='Washington'] first got on our radar a little over a year ago at our very first 7v7 tournament. Washington was one of the top performers that weekend and he would go on to have a very strong sophomore season on both sides of the ball. This year, Washington earned his way onto this breakdown for his play on the defensive side of the ball. In multiple tournaments, Washington was very disruptive and made plenty of plays from the secondary. The thing we liked about Washington this offseason was how he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time so many different instances. He's another example of a player that simply helps his team and rarely hurts them with miscues. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->