Friday Film Review (Part 2) – April 7th, 2023
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Every Friday during February through April, we’re going to throw on the tape and break down athletes across Oklahoma. In February, 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. We’ve reviewed well over 100 prospects all over Oklahoma so far and we’re not close to slowing down. This week, we have two parts for you to check out. This is Part Two, to check out more athletes on Part One, CLICK HERE. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma every Friday for more breakdowns on athletes across Oklahoma.
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.
This was an interesting film to break down because we started on the Twitter page for Bethany 2024 prospect Alex Strotter-Pipestem Alex Strotter-Pipestem 5’8″ | 180 lbs | ATH Bethany | 2024 OK and he was listed as a linebacker. But after throwing on the film, he’s definitely more of an athlete and played last season primarily at wide receiver and cornerback. The biggest takeaway on his film was how complete it was. He had big plays in all three phases of the game. On offense, the Bethany prospect was a good slot receiver that excelled after the catch. On defense, Strotter-Pipestem did a good job as a cover corner in a lot of 1 on 1 situations. And then in special teams, not only did you find clips of him making plays in the return game, but you also saw him on kickoff coverage going down field and blowing up the ball carrier. It was a complete breakdown on just how versatile Strotter-Pipestem can be, making plenty of plays at a high level in a variety of spots. Whether it’s defense or in special teams, his tackling ability was probably the biggest on-field attribute that stood out as he was solid in that category. But standing 5’8, Strotter-Pipestem is going to have to overcome questions about his size as a prospect. And finding that natural position for the next level is another thing that we’re going to be looking for when it comes to him moving forward.
Highlights
Each week when I throw on the film, I always end up having one player stand out the most and it ends up being my favorite film breakdown of the week. This week, Piedmont 2024 linebacker Brogan Hardy Brogan Hardy 6’2″ | 225 lbs | LB Piedmont | 2024 State OK took that crown when we put on his film and it backed up everything we already knew about him. Hardy was one of the state’s leading tacklers last season and earned All State honors at the linebacker position because of it. The first thing that stands out when you watch Hardy, besides the constant production, is his size. He certainly looks the part at 6’2 and 225 pounds and is an absolute menace at the middle linebacker position. He’s a tackling machine and the production is at an insane rate that not many other prospects can match. Not only does Hardy rack up the tackles from his linebacker position, Piedmont’s opponents have to remember their run ins with Hardy because he is an absolute brick house when he runs into you. He’s one of the harder hitters in the state’s 2024 class. And it was very fun to see Hardy get hung up on a block because when the ball carrier gets close, he sheds the blocker like a rag doll and makes the play. Watching the film and looking for something to improve on, one thing that we could see is Hardy improving his overall speed and quickness. But there isn’t much there to critique.
Norman North 2025 prospect Garrison Utley Garrison Utley 6’3″ | 250 lbs | DL Norman North | 2025 State OK first got on our radar earlier this season and the thing that really stood out was the endless possibilities of what he could be at the next level. Right now, we have Utley listed as an athlete of the “jumbo” variety because he can play multiple spots on the line of scrimmage on offense and also turn around and play defense. But after watching his film, it’s hard not to imagine Utley playing along the interior of the offensive line at the next level. When Utley lined up at left guard for Norman North, he was a pancake machine and because he also had playing time as a tight end, he has quick feet and athleticism that makes him very intriguing as a guard. He’s a really good athlete that has the feet to play a few different positions. We also watched some of Utley’s film from non-varsity action and you saw him making plays at tight end and there’s a belief that he can also play a few different positions on defense. We’re very intrigued about the ceiling that Utley has moving forward but want to see more consistent play at the varsity level. And as we mentioned before, we’re very high on Utley as an offensive lineman moving forward and it’s not just based on his film. He also has the right DNA for it. Older brother Harrison is one of the top 2024 prospects in the state along the offensive line.
Highlights
We’re just telling you right now that Ponca City is a team to watch out for in 6A-2 this fall. And don’t say we didn’t warn you. The Wildcats have some serious talent in the 2024 class and one of those emerging prospects is defensive lineman Hudson Haas Hudson Haas 6’2″ | 235 lbs | DL Ponca City | 2024 State OK along the defensive front. Now, when we saw his listed height (6’2) and weight (235 pounds) we were skeptical about him along the line of scrimmage. But then we threw on the tape and all we saw was a game-wrecker that had a solid push up front. Haas is the energizer bunny of the Ponca City defense and flies all over the field to make play after play for the Wildcats. Another thing that we always look for is how does the prospect look against their toughest competition. It’s somewhat of a red flag if a prospect has a 7-10 minute highlight and there’s no clips against the top three teams that they played that season. That was not the case for Haas as he had plenty of production against some of Ponca City’s toughest opponents last fall. Haas does a great job of keeping his eyes in the backfield and with that, allows him to shed blocks at the perfect time to make a play on the ball carrier. But as a prospect, Haas is in the “tweener” category where he might be considered more of a linebacker at the next level. But you can’t argue with his production along the defensive line.
We wrote about Edmond Memorial freshman offensive lineman back in January when we debuted our first 2026 rankings. Williams landed on the watch list but the upside is very clear moving forward and he won’t be on the watch list for long. Williams has a very high ceiling when you look at his size, wingspan and his dominant blocking style. Now, breaking down his film, the first thing that we notice, which we discussed back in January, was the non-varsity action. We are looking forward to seeing the impact Williams can have on the varsity level. But based on his film from last fall, Williams has the potential to be an immediate impact player for Edmond Memorial this fall. Williams was absolutely dominant when he locked on to a defender at the tackle position. At 6’6, Williams has the size and frame to be a big time tackle prospect moving forward. We also like the athleticism that Williams showcases on the field and he also is a standout on the baseball field as well. His hitting ability is off the charts to go along with that long wingspan that makes it very difficult for defensive ends to get a clear lane to the backfield. As Williams gets on to the varsity level and gets more reps against the top competition in the state, we think that he has the potential to absolutely blow up this fall and moving forward.