Friday Film Review Part One (Feb. 10th, 2023)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every Friday during February through April, we're going to throw on the tape and break down athletes across Oklahoma. Last week, we put out a tweet asking prospects in the 2024-2026 classes to send us their film for our Film Review feature. Over 150 responses later and we're off to the races. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every Friday for more breakdowns on athletes across Oklahoma. This week, we began putting out two Film Reviews and this is part one! You can check out <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/02/friday-film-review-part-two-feb-10th-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Part Two RIGHT HERE</a></strong>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're not featured this week but have sent us your film, don't worry! You're on the list and will be covered in the future. Now, all of these breakdowns are based on the film we have access to. And this isn't just a puff piece. While the majority of the breakdowns will be positive, it will also include areas to improve, question marks and more for the prospect to work on as we head into the spring and summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["268315"],"_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":"Our first prospect on this week's breakdown is one that first showed up on our radar after performing incredibly well at our January camp in 2022. Pocola 2025 running back [player_tooltip player_id='268315' first='AJ' last='Lyons-Jerrell'] immediately got on our radar and he's been there ever since as one of the top backs in the state's 2025 class. Jerrell had to deal with some nagging injuries during his sophomore season but he still put up some really big numbers in the running game despite the nagging injuries and also lining up at quarterback. There's a lot of action on his sophomore film where he's lined up at quarterback but make no mistake about it, Jerrell is a running back. He's an outstanding athlete with the ball in his hands and he looks the part physically. It looked like he had grown a few inches on film compared to when we saw him in person last year. Another thing that stood out about the film was the nasty stiff arm that he has as strength is a big part of his game. He was very productive at the running back position but we want to see what he can do when he has a full season where he's healthy and off to the races.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["595746"],"_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":"2025 linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='595746' first='Behrett' last='Boyd'] is the first of two Norman standouts from the defensive side of the ball on this breakdown. Boyd first got on our radar last month when he dominated our camp in Broken Arrow and was the MVP for the linebacker position. We've thrown on the film a few times since that performance and it's hard not to be impressed with what he was able to do last fall for the Tigers. Boyd was incredibly productive at the linebacker position and one thing that really stood out from the film was his speed. He tested incredibly well at our camp and put that speed on display with one of the faster 40-yard dash times. And on film, that speed is apparent as he gets from point A to point B in a hurry. A few other things that really stood out was his high motor and ability to not give up on a play. And when he hit an opponent, that opponent was going down as he does a very good job wrapping up and and dragging them to the ground. Something that might go unnoticed but didn't to us was how Boyd also had high production against some of the best teams on their schedule. We want to see more pass coverage from Boyd moving forward and there might be a size question with his height but Boyd checks just about every box for linebackers.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["353410"],"_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":"Similar to Jerrell at Pocola, Wynnewood 2025 standout [player_tooltip player_id='353410' first='Caden' last='Knighten'] found himself playing quarterback in 2022 for the Savages even though he's one of the top running back prospects in the state. Knighten has a ton of accolades already as he is a legitimate track star, already receiving D1 offers and was a finalist for our Player Of The Year award after a stellar sophomore season. There were so many times last season when a defense thought they had Knighten bottled up but he used those quick feet to bounce out of a tackle and once he's in the open field, he rarely got caught from behind. Another thing that is fun to watch is when Knighten bounces a run to the outside. If a defender doesn't take the perfect angle, they have no shot of bringing Knighten down. There's no doubt that Knighten has the speed to be a can't miss prospect in the state's 2025 class. But Knighten's strength is a very underrated quality of his game. This kid is an absolute star and is a name that is already known in recruiting circles and it's only going to continue as this film makes the rounds with college coaches. Knighten is an absolute superstar.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["644892"],"_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":"After throwing on the tape from Union running back [player_tooltip player_id='644892' first='Dae'Mar' last='Nealy'] from his junior season, there is a lot to like about his game. There's also still a lot to learn about Nealy moving forward as a prospect in the state's 2024 class. Nealy backed up 2023 star running back [player_tooltip player_id='219073' first='DJ' last='McKinney'] and because of that, he simply doesn't have as much film and experience as some of the other prospects on this breakdown. But from the clips that we did watch, it's hard not to be impressed with the speed and the overall moves that he has in the open field. And Nealy had a good blend of runs that showed him bouncing it to the outside or running in between the tackles. Like McKinney, Nealy certainly benefitted from having a really good offensive line in front of him. But at 5'8, Nealy is definitely a smaller running back but he has several clips from last fall where he shows tremendous strength and the ability to break tackles and get to the second level. We're definitely going to keep a close eye on Nealy now that McKinney is headed to Sam Houston State and more carries will be open in the Union backfield.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["595764"],"_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":"We love Norman going into the 2023 season and the biggest reason is their 1-2 punch of [player_tooltip player_id='595746' first='Behrett' last='Boyd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='595764' first='Dax' last='Noles'] on that defensive side of the ball. We already broke down Boyd and now it's time to move back to the secondary and look at Noles at the safety position. Just like with Boyd, Noles had one of the best films we watched that was specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Noles had some plays on offense and special teams that made him even more unique but what really stood out to us was what he did on defense. This kid is an absolute heat-seeking missile when he's running around on the field. It's still early in the process when it comes to breaking down film this month but we don't anticipate seeing very many other players that are harder hitters than Noles. But he's not just a strong safety that runs in a straight line and hammers an opponent. He's a really good athlete and that's noticeable when you look at him taking snaps as a wildcat QB or wide receiver or returning kicks. There really isn't much to critique when it came to Noles on film as it was one of the stronger highlights that we watched this week.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["386581"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Without a doubt the longest highlight tape we watched this week was from Hominy standout [player_tooltip player_id='386581' first='Jaxon' last='Woods'] and it might be the record holder for the next three months. That's what happens when you account for over 60 touchdowns and score touchdowns in all three phases of the game. Like Knighten from Wynnewood, Woods was a finalist for our Player Of The Year award and was a no doubt selection to the All State team. And like Knighten, Woods carved up Class A and helped lead the Bucks all the way to the semifinal round. When you throw on the tape, you see all of the playmaking ability that he has and the many many ways that he can impact the game. The biggest question mark moving forward for him will be his size. He's south of 6'0 and he's going to need a coaching staff to fall in love with the production and his ability on the field and overlook the height and size questions. Because Woods is without a doubt one of the best football players in Oklahoma. When it comes to being a prospect, that's a different conversation. But we have no doubt that he's going to torch just about every team he goes up against this fall.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["286908"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Rejoice Christian 2024 standout [player_tooltip player_id='286908' first='Josh' last='Hendricks'] is always one of the toughest prospects to evaluate when it comes to playing at the next level. We've seen quite a bit of Hendricks in person over the last year from 7v7 in the offseason to his play with Rejoice last fall. But when it comes to his film, it's hard not to be impressed with his ability to play wide receiver and safety at a very high level. On offense, Hendricks is a big play waiting to happen as there are several examples of Hendricks going up for a jump ball and coming down with it. He also showed the ability to help his team in the return game and excelled there. Hendricks was also a standout for the Rejoice track team that won a lot of events back in the spring of 2022. On the defensive side of the ball, his closing speed is something that really stands out and you can see why he has success in track. And the ball skills are there, which isn't a surprise because he's a strong wide receiver. But the question still remains. What is he at the next level? Most prospects, we have a good idea but Hendricks continues to be a mystery. He's a next level guy, we just don't know where.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["429016"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"We'll start off this next breakdown by prefacing it by saying there's a good chance we don't see Carl Albert quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='429016' first='Kash' last='Ferris'] play college football. But it's not because he's lacking the talent to do so. He's another example of a prospect that is far superior in another sport that he might not have the choice. Ferris has been committed to Oklahoma State for baseball for close to nine months and he has the chance to be a special talent on the baseball diamond. But when it comes to his play on the gridiron, he's not a slouch either. Ferris was thrown into game action as a junior when 2023 QB [player_tooltip player_id='150088' first='Reed' last='Dequasie'] went down with a broken collarbone. If memory serves me correctly, his first throw after entering the game where DeQuasie was hurt was a touchdown. Ferris has a very strong and accurate arm. He puts the ball on an absolute rope and it gets from Point A to Point B in a hurry. Now, it's also true that Ferris benefitted from having some outstanding athletes around him. But nevertheless, the talent is there for Ferris to be a really strong quarterback prospect, but the future appears to be on the diamond.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["377954"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"Bishop McGuinness 2025 standout [player_tooltip player_id='377954' first='Marcus' last='James'] is another prospect that we are very intrigued by moving forward. Like a few other guys on this breakdown, James already has his name out there as a legitimate D1 prospect. And after watching the film and seeing James in person both on the gridiron and the hardwood, there's no doubt that he's one of the better athletes in the state's 2025 class. He would classify as a u0022jumbo athleteu0022 where he's more of a tight end on offense and a linebacker or defensive end on defense but he can play multiple spots on either side of the ball. But that leads us to the big question when we watch James on film. WHAT IS HE? We wrote that down a few times after watching his film and then went back and circled it. Similar to Hendricks at Rejoice, we simply don't have a good feel for what is the u0022naturalu0022 position for James to play at the next level. Just a sophomore, there is still plenty of time to figure that out and the one thing that is definitely a positive for James moving forward is that he for sure is a D1 guy at the next level. We just don't know where on the field he'll be when he gets there.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["587266"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"Our final prospect is one that we became very familiar with at first because of his abilities on the basketball floor. The only freshman on this week's breakdown is Hugo standout [player_tooltip player_id='587266' first='Quincy' last='Shelton'] following his breakout fall on the gridiron. But because this is a film review post, we have to lead it off with an incomplete grade for Shelton. There isn't much film of Shelton from this past fall on the football field but the film that we did watch, there's a lot to like about the potential that Shelton has moving forward. It is crystal clear at this point that Shelton has a very high ceiling as an overall athlete. In addition to the film, we've also seen Shelton on the basketball floor in person as well as in a 7v7 setting in person. The wide receiver skills are there but we can't help but wonder what he's going to be as he continues to grow moving forward. He started playing a little defensive back during his freshman season and we think that there is some real potential there. For now, we have him listed at a wide receiver but he could end up being a defensive prospect. One thing we know for sure at this point is we need more film.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":10,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63e6c65bb46ed"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->