Small Town Standouts In The 2027 Class

Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!   The 2026 football season kicks off this week and we're kicking off our coverage with complete and in-depth breakdowns on the state's senior class. This is a class that will go down in the history books as one of the best in state history. We've updated our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2027-rankings/">2027 rankings to include the Top 200 prospects in the state</a>. We have a ton of individual breakdowns dropping every day to spotlight some of those special prospects. In this breakdown, we're taking a look at eight prospects that are identified as “athletes” where they could end up playing a few different positions. All eight of these guys might be considered “hidden gems” as they don't play at one of the bigger schools but the impact they have for their team in a variety of ways is significant. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 2027 individual breakdowns!    Davis quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1324250' first='Dax' last='Owens'] is going to be a four-year starter for the Wolves this fall and we still don't think he gets enough love around the state as one of the top playmakers in Oklahoma. Offensively, he is the engine of the Davis option attack and is the ultimate dual-threat weapon at quarterback. Just when they suck defenses in to sell out against the run, that's when Owens has the ability to throw it over the top and make plays with his arm. Owens also has the potential to be a standout on the defensive side of the ball. Owens is the perfect example of some football players where we have no idea where they fit in at the next level. BUT they do fit in at the next level. Owens is going to make a college coach look very smart for bringing him in at the next level.     Fort Gibson's [player_tooltip player_id='1837059' first='Cash' last='Keys'] was one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season. Looking back at his overall production and throwing on some of the film from last year, it's hard not to be very impressed with Keys and the year that he had. Offensively, he is the ultimate “all purpose” threat on that side of the ball. It didn't matter if he was handed the ball or thrown the ball, if he got the ball in the open field, he was going to make something special happen. And as we get closer to the start of the 2026 season, we don't think it's crazy to think that Keys could flirt with being a 1,000 yard rusher and a 1,000 yard receiver. He has that kind of talent, we think Fort Gibson is a threat to go deep in the playoffs. He could be one of the more productive players in the state this fall.     Stilwell's [player_tooltip player_id='1530096' first='Brayton' last='Carter'] is one of the more athletic playmakers in eastern Oklahoma, along the Arkansas border. It doesn't matter where Carter lines up on the field, he's going to have a chance to make something special happen. He's the prototypical definition of an “athlete” on the football field. There aren't many players that Stilwell will play that can run faster or jump higher than Carter. They have the benefit of putting him almost anywhere on the field and know that he's going to produce at a very high level. You throw on his tape or look at the production from last season and you see one of the better athletes in the state and certainly one of the best players in Class 4A. Carter is a big reason why we like Stilwell to have a big turnaround season in 2026.     Ada's [player_tooltip player_id='1831991' first='Gus' last='Matthews'] is a nightmare for opponents to deal with coming off the edges of both sides of the line of scrimmage. Offensively, Matthews is that prototypical tight end prospect that uses his length to be a match-up problem for opposing defenses. He's either an extension of the offensive line and slowing down edge rushers or he's a nightmare to try to defend when he goes out for a pass. Defensively, Matthews is terrific coming off the edge. When we got a chance to watch him in person earlier this offseason, he was fantastic on the defensive side of the ball. Matthews might end up locking in as a defensive end for the next level but his ability and overall versatility on the offensive side of the ball shouldn't be forgotten about as we head into this season.     Talihina quarterback and defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='1524935' first='Landen' last='Griffith'] is arguably the most productive player returning in the state of Oklahoma this season. Last year, Griffith threw for over 4,000 yards and ran for over 1,000 yards while accounting for 75 touchdowns on the season. That was just on offense as he led Talihina to a 14-0 record and the Class A-2 state championship. Defensively Griffith was also incredibly productive from his safety position. This season, Griffith comes into the season with all eyes on him after dominating the state all year in 2025. Like Owens at Davis, Griffith is a state champion quarterback that might project to a different position in college. But overlooking this small town gem would be a massive mistake because he can play at the next level.     Cashion's [player_tooltip player_id='1524930' first='Kellen' last='Smith'] is in a similar category to Griffith where he is a fantastic high school football quarterback but his ceiling is probably higher as an overall athlete that could play a few different positions at the next level. Going into last season, we really liked how much of a dual-threat option Smith was at the quarterback position. But when we got a chance to watch Smith in person, it was hard not to be impressed with his physicality on the defensive side of the ball. No matter which side of the ball Smith ends up, he's going to be a very talented player that has a very high on-field IQ. Smith is another example of that “hidden gem” in Oklahoma that simply doesn't get enough credit. He has been fantastic for Cashion in the last two seasons.     Joining Smith from Cashion on this list is his teammate with [player_tooltip player_id='1830247' first='Grayson' last='Davis'] on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. In the same game that we watched Smith last season, we also saw Davis tear it up on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he's a versatile weapon that looks just as comfortable carrying the ball out of the backfield or being split out and making some terrific plays at the wide receiver position. Davis is another playmaker that is going to be able to make something positive happen wherever he lines up on the field. He's been producing at a high level for a while now. As we get closer to kicking off the 2026 season, he's certainly a small town playmaker to keep an eye on for everything he's able to do on the football field for his team.     Tishomingo two-way standout [player_tooltip player_id='1832142' first='Aiden' last='Orr'] is a prospect that we didn't know that much about coming into this offseason. But we got a chance to watch Orr when he played with C4 at our April 7v7 tournament and that opened our eyes to his potential as a 2027 prospect. We went back and put on his film from last season and saw how productive he was for Tishomingo in every aspect of the game. Offensively, he was another versatile playmaker that could impact the run game or end up leading the team in receptions on any given night. Orr had a good performance back in April when we saw him and then the film was outstanding. He's the perfect example of a “small town hidden gem” that should be talked about more moving forward this season.

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