Week Zero’s Players To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 football season is literally about to kick off in 24 hours. And every Wednesday on Prep Redzone Oklahoma, we're continuing our week of preview coverage by looking at this week's ten players to watch in some of the biggest games of the week. Whether it's offense or defense, these ten players should have significant impacts on what we see Thursday and Friday night! Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every day this week to get ready for week zero!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284114' first='Carson' last='Kirby'] - Senior Quarterback - Bixby</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bixby senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='284114' first='Carson' last='Kirby'] is going into his third season as the starter for the Spartans and is looking forward to continuing this dynasty run that the Spartans have been on. Kirby was a little shaky in the season opener against Owasso a year ago but he came back and was incredibly clutch down the stretch in the state championship rematch. There won't be much that surprises Kirby at this point as he's the ultimate competitor and can make things happen with his arm or his legs. He has a strong offensive line, talented running backs and solid wide receivers so we could see Kirby end up having a big night Thursday against Owasso. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680012' first='Cayden' last='Belletto'] - Junior Quarterback - Elgin</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4A champion Elgin kicks off the season at home against Lawton MacArthur. And it'll be our first chance to see junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1680012' first='Cayden' last='Belletto'] after the graduation of three-year starter Tres Lorah. It's not an easy task to replace arguably the school's best quarterback and it's also not easy facing a Highlander defense that returns plenty of playmakers. But we got a chance to watch Belletto back in the spring and the thing that impressed us the most was he is incredibly tough and can push the ball downfield. Elgin also has some serious size at the receiver position so Belletto could be a breakout player this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='473754' first='Cruz' last='Campbell'] - Senior Quarterback - Tuttle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tuttle senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='473754' first='Cruz' last='Campbell'] was one of a handful of players that made the largest jumps from one year to the next in 2024. He became one of the unquestioned best quarterbacks in the state last season, throwing for 40 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Campbell and the Tigers open the season at home against Guthrie on Thursday night. It will be our first chance to see Campbell after the graduation of their top two playmakers at wide receiver. We have no doubt that Campbell will continue to be one of the best quarterbacks in the state but we're curious to see what kind of leap he's made as a QB in the last nine months. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1035135' first='DaWayne' last='Jones'] - Junior Defensive Lineman - Booker T Washington</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Booker T Washington will host Muskogee on Friday night and we're fired up to see what junior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1035135' first='DaWayne' last='Jones'] looks like this season. All eyes are on Jones since fellow DL Joseph Graves transferred to IMG Academy. Jones is going to be ready for the challenge and he comes into this season as the state's top DL in the 2027 class. His wingspan, overall speed and power and skillset make him a very tough guy to stop on the line of scrimmage. He's an obvious double team and sometimes that's not enough. And facing a Muskogee team that has a lot of new faces, Jones could absolutely cause chaos and impact the game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='523223' first='Gage' last='Gibbons'] - Junior Wide Receiver - Deer Creek</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Deer Creek junior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='523223' first='Gage' last='Gibbons'] feels like a strong candidate for a major breakout star this season. Gibbons saw plenty of playing time last season but this year, his production could go through the roof. He's had a really strong offseason, putting up lightning fast track times and then continuing that momentum into spring football and offseason camps. He's earned multiple D1 offers and he's a player that might be flying under the radar on a statewide basis but he's definitely a name to watch this season. Deer Creek opens at home against Bishop McGuinness and Gibbons will be looking to make a splash. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678737' first='Jackson' last='Harris'] - Senior Running Back - Sallisaw</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sallisaw senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1678737' first='Jackson' last='Harris'] has officially moved from QB to RB heading into this season. Last year, Harris accounted for 1,000 yards on the ground and now, he leads a stable of Sallisaw running backs that are looking to have a significant impact this season. Sallisaw opens the season on the road, against Pryor in a match-up of top five teams in Class 4A and 5A respectively. It will be a clash of styles as Pryor looks to air it out while Sallisaw will rely on Harris and the running game to get the job done. Harris is a physical runner that has the ability to be an absolute workhorse with 20-30 carries a game and that could start this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='284115' first='Jae'Lin' last='Battle'] - Senior Defensive Lineman - Edmond Santa Fe</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edmond Santa Fe senior defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='284115' first='Jae'Lin' last='Battle'] is ready to kick off his senior season with a bang. And we can't wait to see this match-up as Santa Fe hosts Jenks in a match-up where the Santa Fe defensive line, with multiple D1 commits squares off with the Jenks offensive line, that has multiple D1 offers and the best running back in the state. Battle is a player that we just want to see have a healthy season. He's had nagging injuries that have impacted his career but there's no doubt that when he's healthy, he's a massive problem for opposing offensive linemen. Which makes Friday's game very fun as it's going to be best on best. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='858875' first='Jordan' last='Clark'] - Senior Running Back - McAlester</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year was a breakout season for McAlester senior running back [player_tooltip player_id='858875' first='Jordan' last='Clark'] and he looks to build on it this fall. Last year, he ran for nearly 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns. And we got a chance to watch him in the spring and he's looked like he's been working in the weight room non-stop, has continued to grow and could end up being a 1,500-yard back or even more. McAlester is going on the road to face Broken Bow in a game that could end up being incredibly high-scoring. It's also the first game for Jeff Craig as McAlester's head coach. It wouldn't surprise us if Clark becomes a workhorse back on Friday and throughout the 2025 season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1045555' first='Joshua' last='Rushing'] - Senior Wide Receiver - Lawton MacArthur</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lawton MacArthur has a few D1 commits to watch out for as they open the season on the road against 4A champion Elgin. Tulsa commit and senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1045555' first='Joshua' last='Rushing'] is a player that we're fired up to see because he's been making plays since his freshman season. Rushing is a tall and rangy wide receiver that is capable of making a big play, practically on every snap. In last season's meeting with the Owls, the Highlanders came up short on the scoreboard but Rushing still had a decent showing. What really impressed us was his work after the catch in that game. Rushing comes into this season as one of the best receivers in Oklahoma. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1217089' first='Tahkari' last='Bethel'] - Senior Wide Receiver - Owasso</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Owasso senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1217089' first='Tahkari' last='Bethel'] made the loudest statement in the 2024 season opener, when he went off against Bixby in their 40-21 victory. He caught multiple touchdowns, took a kick back for another touchdown and was without question the most electrifying player on the field that night. Bethel had injuries that somewhat limited his overall production during his junior season. But we're fired up to see him at 100 percent because the last time we saw it in person, it was one of the best performances we saw in 2024. And now he gets a chance to repeat that performance against those same Spartans. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->