2028 Watchlist – Best In Class (So Far)

<!-- 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>It's the month of October and that means it's time for a prospect ranking update! Throughout this month, we'll be updating each class ranking and following up those updates with in-depth breakdowns on a ton of prospects in each class. This week, we kicked things off with the 2028 watchlist! Now, because these are just freshmen that are just halfway into their first varsity season, this is just a watchlist. Our first ranking of the 2028 class will come after the season when we have a full body of work to go off of. In this breakdown, we're taking a look at five of the best (so far) in this year's freshmen </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2028-rankings/">- 2028 WATCHLIST</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1164507"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6706aeca55568"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lincoln Christian running back [player_tooltip player_id='1164507' first='CJ' last='Wright'] was on our short list of players we wanted to watch this season after having a terrific offseason on the camp and 7v7 circuit. When Wright has the football in his hands, he is without a doubt one of the fastest players on the field at any given time and he's already showcased that speed this season. Wright is third on the team in carries but he's leading the team in yards and that's easy to do when you're averaging over ten yards per carry. We knew that Wright was explosive and fast but we also wanted to see him do it at the varsity level. And Lincoln Christian has tested themselves against a tough early schedule and Wright has still produced. As he continues to grow and mature physically, combined with that legitimate track speed, Wright is going to be electric to watch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["473891"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6706aeca555d2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">There are some really good freshmen around Oklahoma this season that are producing at a high level. But Washington quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='473891' first='Creed' last='Barrett'] is the runaway leader in the clubhouse for this year's Freshman Of The Year. Barrett stepped into a massive spot this fall, taking over for a three-year starter who went 44-1 during his time. And this is a program that had a 30-game winning streak coming into this season and were back to back state champs. Barrett has passed every test with flying colors and all you have to do is throw on the Sulphur game. The Warriors were pushed to double overtime and nearly lost several times. Barrett threw for over 400 yards and tossed the game-winning touchdown in double OT to secure the win. Now, the Warriors have won 35 straight and Barrett has blown away all preseason expectations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1214367"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6706aeca55628"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Stillwater wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1214367' first='David' last='Thomas'] was a no brainer for this breakdown as he came into this season as one of the top wide receivers in the state's 2028 class. Before his freshman season even began, Thomas was already on the D1 radar, receiving an offer from the hometown Oklahoma State Cowboys. As his varsity film starts making the rounds moving forward, don't be surprised if Thomas picks up more offers in the next six months. Thomas is second on the team in every receiving category behind a sophomore who is quickly becoming one of the top overall guys in the state's 2027 class. Needless to say, Stillwater is going to have some absolute dudes at the wide receiver position for a while. Another thing that stands out is Thomas is just scratching the surface on what he can be moving forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1328118"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6706aeca55687"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rejoice Christian freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1328118' first='Kamieon' last='Nero'] was another prospect we featured before the season but we didn't really know that much about him or how much we would see him this year. Well, a little over halfway through the 2024 season and Nero has definitely backed up all the preseason hype. He's the first of two prospects that are listed as "athletes" on this breakdown and that's simply because there are multiple ways that Nero can impact the game. This season, his biggest impact has been at the quarterback position. With Rejoice Christian losing their star quarterback to a nagging injury for a few games, Nero has been able to come in and use his athleticism to make plays on offense. We're looking forward to seeing Nero in person sometime soon this season after watching him make a ton of plays on film. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1374361"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6706aeca556d8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Out of the five prospects on this breakdown, Madill freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1374361' first='Kristopher' last='Grimaldo'] is the most unknown to us at this point. We haven't seen him in person and the film so far is somewhat limited. But when we combine the film we have seen with the opinions of others in the know, along with his handful of D1 offers before his freshman season even started, Grimaldo belongs on this breakdown. It's very possible that when the first ranking comes out in January/February that Grimaldo finds himself on top of those rankings. We have Grimaldo listed as an athlete because he plays several positions for the Wildcats but he definitely looks the part already at the linebacker position. As with all of these 2028 prospects, there is a lot of room to grow but Grimaldo checks a lot of the boxes already. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->