2026 Rankings: Hard Hitting Linebackers

<!-- 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>This week on Prep Redzone Oklahoma, we're putting a spotlight on some of the top 2026 prospects in the state. From guys who have been shining since they were freshmen to others who are enjoying breakout seasons this fall, we got it all covered. On Monday, <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2026-rankings/">we released our updated 2026 rankings.</a></strong> Throughout the week, we'll be breaking down different position groups and overall standouts in the state's 2026 class so far. In this post, we're putting the spotlight on the linebacker position. This is a position group that continues to grow and we have some hard hitters in this breakdown. Keep it locked in throughout the week for more breakdowns on 2026 prospects. And check back every Monday in October for more prospect ranking updates!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["587262"],"_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_0_evaluation":"Del City sophomore linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='587262' first='Ricklan' last='B Holmes II'] continues to be a borderline top five overall prospect and is once again in the #1 spot for his position. Holmes is an absolute baller that has been making plays since his freshman season. This fall, Holmes is once again one of the better linebackers in Class 6A-2, but he's also shown the ability to turn around and play a little running back as well. Holmes has already seen his recruitment take off with D1 offers and he's only scratching the surface on his potential. Based on his sophomore film, Holmes looks bigger and he still has that speed to run down opposing ball carriers. Holmes is a big part of the Eagles as they look to contend for the 5A crown this fall.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["587269"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Nathan Hale has a few prospects that you need to know about in the 2025 and 2026 classes. Sophomore linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='587269' first='Carmello' last='Williamson'] is certainly one of them and he's had a strong sophomore season to continue his momentum from this offseason. Williamson is lining up as an outside linebacker or an edge rusher on the line of scrimmage and he has been causing problems for opponents. Williamson has some good moves to get off blocks and when you combine that with his overall speed, he's a match-up problem for opposing offensive linemen. Williamson does a good job of tracking down the ball carrier. Williamson is also a standout on the track and you can see that speed when he's in the open field.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["587272"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Jones sophomore linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='587272' first='Luke' last='DeBusk'] continues to be a name to watch in the state's 2026 class. He was one of the first linebackers in this class that we started paying attention to. He was a breakout star during his freshman season with over 100 tackles. And just like last season, DeBusk has really impressed us with his ability to elevate his game against their toughest opponents. Not only is he producing week to week but he's taking his game up a notch against the best competition. One thing that also stands out to us about the Jones standout this fall is his ability to step back in pass coverage. He has a few plays on film from this fall that we didn't see from him last year. He continues to get better and better.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["858874"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"There wasn't much to go off of when it came to evaluating Yukon linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='858874' first='Destry' last='Lujan'] this time around. Last time we wrote about Lujan, he was coming off a strong showing at our prospect camp in April. Lujan also had some strong film from his sophomore season. But taking a look at his hudl, there hasn't been an update in the first half of the season. But when it comes to Lujan as a linebacker prospect, there aren't many that are better than this Yukon standout in the state's 2026 class. He's a standout on the wrestling mat and also plays rugby in the offseason. The combination of those two sports, along with football, give Lujan the tools to be a tackling machine on defense.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1045558"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Bethel has had a few prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='1045558' first='Luke' last='Quinter'] recently that shine on both sides of the ball. Quinter has had a strong start to his sophomore season as a running back and a linebacker. But when it comes to Quinter as a prospect, he feels more natural on the defensive side of the ball at the linebacker position. Quinter is similar to DeBusk and Lujan where he feels like a prototypical middle linebacker down the line considering he's a tackling machine in the open field. This season, Quinter is lining up mostly at outside linebacker and his patience on that side of the ball is really strong. He feels like a natural fit at linebacker but his talents on the offensive side of the ball shouldn't be overlooked moving forward.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65316887bc9bb"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->