2028 Defenders To Watch (LB/DB Report)

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!   It's time for another rankings update and this week, it's all about the state's 2028 class. We updated and expanded our 2028 rankings to feature the Top 100 sophomores in the state of Oklahoma. Plus plenty of more names to know moving forward on our watchlist. You can check out the full rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2028-rankings/">RIGHT HERE</a>. In this breakdown, we're taking a look at some of the top defenders in this class at the linebacker and defensive back positions. Check out Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 2028 prospect breakdowns.    All signs point to Rejoice Christian standout [player_tooltip player_id='1328118' first='Kamieon' last='Compton-Nero'] playing defensive back at the next level so we went ahead and ranked him as the top DB in the state's 2028 class. But when you're talking about Nero as a player, you're talking about one of the best football players in the state. He started for Rejoice at quarterback and defensive back and was one of the best players in his class on both sides of the ball. His ability as a quarterback alone would have him considered one of the top prospects in the state's 2028 class. But it sounds like college coaches view his ceiling higher on defense. And there was plenty of production from him there in 2025. As a sophomore, he helped guide Rejoice Christian to a second consecutive state championship.     Poteau standout [player_tooltip player_id='1522522' first='Ryder' last='Waddell'] is the top-ranked linebacker in the 2028 class and continues to be a top ten overall prospect in the latest ranking. Checking out some of his film from last season, the first thing you notice is how he invades opposing backfields like a missile and anything he comes in contact with goes down and goes down hard. He's one of the hardest hitting defenders that we watched during this ranking update. We caught Waddell in person last spring at one of our showcase camps. He immediately passed the eye test and he's going to be a name to watch moving forward. His recruitment started to take off prior to his sophomore season and it won't be slowing down. Athletically, he's got the juice as he also plays offense for Poteau.     It took two quarters of football in Jenks' season opener for us to be sold on [player_tooltip player_id='1829699' first='Kade' last='Klein'] moving forward. Then we went ahead and looked at Klein's entire body of work and it's hard not to be impressed with a player who can be a swiss army knife for this Jenks defense. As a linebacker, Klein gets from point A to point B in a hurry and he is a ferocious tackler. But then you also see other moments of his game where he's lined up more as a roving safety or nickel back and can make plenty of plays in pass coverage. Based on the film that we watched from his sophomore season, there doesn't appear to be much that Klein can't do on the defensive side of the ball. And looking at what Jenks has back on defense, the Trojans have the potential to be filthy on that side of the ball.     Bixby's [player_tooltip player_id='1167272' first='Cimone' last='Smitherman'] is a name that we've known about since he was still in middle school. There was a lot of potential there and we still think that Smitherman's ceiling is higher than some in this class. First off, you watch him in person and he immediately passes the eye test. And then you combine that with what this Bixby program has been when it comes to developing game-wrecking, next level linebackers and Smitherman is in a good spot for a breakout season. Now, this fall is a year where we want to see him take that next step and start shining on Friday nights. All the tools look like they are there but this is definitely a big year for Smitherman. Between his athletic ability and size, he has the tools to be an impact player on defense.     [player_tooltip player_id='1260101' first='Rolen' last='Wilson'] is another 2028 prospect that we first watched while he was still in middle school. There was a lot of potential there with his game at the linebacker position. Last fall, Wilson was making plays for Southmoore after starting his high school career at Norman North. At the time of this ranking update, we weren't able to find much film on Wilson's sophomore season in 2025. We did catch him in person during Southmoore's first round victory over Ponca City and he was part of a Southmoore front seven that was wrecking shop on nearly every possession. We're looking forward to seeing Wilson in the future because he looks like one of the better inside linebackers or middle linebackers in this class. We just want to see more of it.     Nathan Hale cornerback [player_tooltip player_id='1839366' first='Leeroy' last='Wells'] wraps up this breakdown and is another DB to keep an eye on moving forward. As a sophomore, Wells emerged as one of the top ball hawks in the 2028 class. We didn't know much about him prior to the season but we certainly do now after he finished 2025 with six interceptions on the year. Looking at his film, Wells looks just as comfortable playing inside corner or on the outside. He also packs a punch and we saw several instances where he brought that hard-hitting to an opponent that had a decent size advantage on Wells. There are some good instincts with his game and when you combine that with his quick feet and ability to jump routes, that put him in position to make play after play on defense.

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