2024's Top Freshmen - Prep Redzone

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   The 2024 football season is in the books and was certainly a memorable one. Over the last two weeks, we've been putting out a ton of postseason content and we're not close to slowing down anytime soon. Today, we're putting the spotlight on the best freshmen in the state. Yesterday, we announced Washington quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='473891' first='Creed' last='Barrett'] as our 2024 Freshman Of The Year following his outstanding season. Today, we're breaking down 15 more freshmen that had solid starts to their careers and have established themselves as names to know moving forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='589663' first='Brian' last='Jones Jr.'] - Running Back - Bixby   We weren't sure what to expect from Bixby running back [player_tooltip player_id='589663' first='Brian' last='Jones Jr.'] in his first season. We've seen him in person before and he's impressed us. But there aren't many freshmen that have an impact at programs like Bixby. Not only did Jones get playing time, but he had a memorable play in their state championship win over Owasso with a 54-yard receiving touchdown. Jones has a very bright future and got off to a fast start.   [player_tooltip player_id='1164507' first='CJ' last='Wright'] - Running Back - Lincoln Christian   Lincoln Christian freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1164507' first='CJ' last='Wright'] was definitely on our radar coming into the 2024 season. He dominated at several of our camps and in 7v7 tournaments that we attended. And in a crowded Lincoln Christian backfield, Wright still earned valuable playing time and definitely showed he belonged on a team that made another run to the state championship. The speed is off the charts good and as he continues to grow, he'll become a more complete back.   [player_tooltip player_id='1522515' first='Cole' last='Rolland'] - Quarterback - Checotah   There's no doubt that Checotah grabbed a lot of headlines with their OU signee at the wide receiver position. But an underrated part of their run to the 3A semifinals came at the quarterback position. That star receiver couldn't throw the ball to himself and the Wildcats saw freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1522515' first='Cole' last='Rolland'] take over this offense and really run with it. Rolland ended up being one of the top freshman quarterbacks in the state in every stat category.   [player_tooltip player_id='1522520' first='Cooper' last='Kerbo'] - Linebacker - Mangum   We've mentioned this a handful of times but it deserves to be repeated here. Mangum has a solid group of young players that are coming up and therefore the future looks to be fairly bright. Linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1522520' first='Cooper' last='Kerbo'] was a guy that we didn't know about coming into the season but he quickly got our attention. Kerbo would become the team's leading tackler and it wasn't particularly close. He was also tied for the lead in tackles for loss.   [player_tooltip player_id='1214367' first='David' last='Thomas'] - Wide Receiver - Stillwater   Similar to Wright out of Lincoln Christian, Stillwater wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1214367' first='David' last='Thomas'] was a name we had circled because of what he accomplished in the offseason at camps and 7v7 tournaments. But we wanted to see him do it with the pads on and he definitely responded. Thomas has already earned his first D1 offer and he's on the shortlist of offensive playmakers to keep an eye on moving forward. Thomas is a terrific offensive playmaker.   [player_tooltip player_id='1599208' first='Dejhaun' last='Hall'] - Wide Receiver - Broken Bow   Broken Bow Wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1599208' first='Dejhaun' last='Hall'] ended up becoming the team's leading receiver in 2024. He led the Savages in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. You can make the argument that Broken Bow's two top offensive playmakers were Hall and their dynamic sophomore quarterback. Because of that, we think that the Savages will be a team to watch for several years. That 1-2 punch was a breakout duo in 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='1522518' first='DK' last='Jeffries'] - Running Back - Hugo   Hugo running back [player_tooltip player_id='1522518' first='DK' last='Jeffries'] went from somewhat of an unknown to emerging this season as one of the state's best freshman running backs. Jeffries ended the season as one of the state's leaders in just about every rushing category among the state's 2028 class. Hugo wasn't lacking talent on the offensive side of the ball. And they have some dudes coming back for the 2025 season. Jeffries will definitely be a name to know in 2025.   [player_tooltip player_id='1522519' first='Jett' last='Stephens'] - Wide Receiver - Locust Grove   Locust Grove wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1522519' first='Jett' last='Stephens'] emerged this season as arguably the top playmaker at the position in Locust Grove's high-powered offense. Stephens ended up being second on the team in receptions and receiving yards but he finished first on the team with eight receiving touchdowns on the year. And when you look up and down the Locust Grove roster, there are a lot of players that will be back for the 2025 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1328118' first='Kamieon' last='Nero'] - Athlete - Rejoice Christian   Rejoice Christian athletic standout [player_tooltip player_id='1328118' first='Kamieon' last='Nero'] was a name that we knew about coming into this season but we were curious how much of an impact he would have as a freshman. When the Eagles needed him to step in at quarterback early in the season, Nero responded in a major way and the eventual state champs never missed a beat. After winning their first ever state title, the future is bright as Nero has an incredibly high ceiling in every way.   [player_tooltip player_id='1599209' first='Knoxtyn' last='Rallo'] - Athlete - Piedmont   Piedmont freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1599209' first='Knoxtyn' last='Rallo'] is another 2028 prospect that has already gotten on the radars of college coaches. On Halloween, Rallo picked up his first D1 offer from North Texas and that appears to be scratching the surface on what Rallo can expect moving forward. In Piedmont's first season up in Class 6A-2, Rallo earned valuable playing time and emerged as a complete playmaker in all three phases of the game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1374361' first='Kristopher' last='Grimaldo'] - Athlete - Madill   The state's 2028 class has several prospects that have already earned the attention of college coaches and earned D1 offers. But Madill standout [player_tooltip player_id='1374361' first='Kristopher' last='Grimaldo'] was the very first prospect to earn that D1 offer in this class. Grimaldo did that before his freshman season even started and he's going to be a name to know moving forward. He's another southern Oklahoma product that has emerged early and will be hanging around for the next three years.   [player_tooltip player_id='1167484' first='Michael' last='Kent'] - Athlete - Bartlesville   Bartlesville freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1167484' first='Michael' last='Kent'] is another example of a player who has performed well at our PRZ-Next camps in the past so he was on our radar coming into the 2024 season. We knew about Kent as more of a quarterback but he got onto the field early on in different positions. But by the end of the season, Kent would take the field as QB1 of the Bruins. He definitely exceeded all preseason expectations and was very productive.   [player_tooltip player_id='1522526' first='Philip' last='Loadholt'] - Offensive Lineman - Booker T Washington   Booker T Washington had a resurgence in 2024 as they dropped down to Class 5A and won the district championship. And you can make the argument that the resurgence started on both sides of the line of scrimmage with young talent everywhere. On the offensive line, [player_tooltip player_id='1522526' first='Philip' last='Loadholt'] emerged as a name to know moving forward. When we caught the Hornets in person, Loadholt was lined up at center and holding his own.   [player_tooltip player_id='1522522' first='Ryder' last='Waddell'] - Linebacker - Poteau   Another linebacker to keep an eye on is [player_tooltip player_id='1522522' first='Ryder' last='Waddell'] out of Poteau. The Pirates will be entering a new era in 2025 under a new head coach. Having a player like Waddell returning is going to help that new era get started with a bang. Waddell would end up leading the Poteau defense in tackles and was among the team's best in tackles for loss. Now, whenever we think about Poteau, we think about a physical defense and Waddell checks that box.   [player_tooltip player_id='1532195' first='Terrance' last='Evans'] - Defensive Lineman - Union   Shortly after we published our first 2028 content back in October, we heard from several people about Union's [player_tooltip player_id='1532195' first='Terrance' last='Evans'] on the defensive line. And within a few weeks, Evans was picking up multiple offers from SEC programs. Going up against some pretty solid offensive lines throughout the year, Evans held his own as a freshman and clearly has a bright future. There's a solid chance that Evans is the top overall prospect in the state's 2028 class.

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