Piedmont senior Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK has been one of the state’s top two-way stars for the last two seasons. Wood wrapped up his high school career as an All State 1st Team selection in back to back seasons. Wood was a standout running back in Piedmont’s option offense. He turned around and was a star on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker. And it looks like it’s the defensive side of the ball for Wood at the next level. He signed with UCO and he will join a linebacker class that is absolutely stacked. Five of the top ten linebackers in the 2024 class signed with UCO and that doesn’t include Wood, who adds even more depth.

Piedmont senior Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK is without a doubt one of the best two-way players in the Class 5A playoffs. Last year, Wood earned All State 1st team honors for his play at running back and linebacker and he appears to be well on his way to more All State honors this season. At running back, Wood is a powerful runner that leads a Piedmont flexbone rushing attack. He’s just as likely to carry the ball 20-25 times as a workhorse or break multiple runs for scores. And then on defense, he’s a tackling machine and we’re looking forward to his impact in their game against #4 Elgin.

Piedmont senior standout Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK has been mentioned plenty of times on this website as one of the best two-way players in the state. He had another example of excellent play on both sides of the ball as the Wildcats returned to the field with a shutout win over Shawnee. On offense, as a running back, Wood would finish the game with 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 carries. He would also once again be one of the team’s leaders in tackles with 12 tackles and a tackle for loss on the defensive side of the ball. Earlier this month, we added Wood to our PRZ-Oklahoma Player Of The Year watchlist and he continues to elevate his game each week. The Wildcats will need him to perform at his best in an absolutely loaded Class 5A playoff field in a few weeks.

Piedmont senior Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK is the first of two 5A standouts to be added to the watchlist this week. Wood has led Piedmont over the last several seasons as one of the best two-way players in the state. He’s back at it again this season and has backed up the hype of earning All State honors as a junior and coming into 2023 as arguably the best two-way player in Class 5A. It’s the impact that Wood has on both sides of the ball that make him a perfect candidate for this watchlist. On offense, he’s Piedmont’s leading rusher in a flexbone option attack. He has nearly 800 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. But he also turns around and plays defense and is part of a talented linebacker group. He has 74 tackles on the season with 11 coming behind the line of scrimmage. He also has a pair of interceptions and one was returned for a touchdown. Wood has also had a few clutch moments this season as well and is a great addition to a list featuring the best players in the state.

One week after being shut out by Guthrie, Piedmont rolled to a big win over Lawton Eisenhower on Friday night. Senior running back and linebacker Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK continued to show why he’s one of the top two-way players not only in Class 5A but in the state overall. On offense, Wood was a workhorse running back. He finished with nearly 250 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Then he turned around and finished with 17 tackles on the defensive side of the ball. Wood is one of the top two-way players in the state because of what he can do at running back and then on defense at the linebacker position. After playing in seven straight weeks, Wood and the Wildcats will now have a week off before they continue down the stretch of the district schedule. Wood was one of the best two-way players last year and has backed it up again this fall.

Just like Hardy, senior Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK was also a Preseason All State 1st Team selection but his spot was as an athlete because of what he brings to the table as a running back and a linebacker. Last season, he was one of the top two-way players in the state and he picked up right where he left off in the win over Noble. Wood finished with just over 114 yards on the ground and four touchdowns on just ten carries. He turned around and finished with 12 tackles and a forced fumble on the defensive side of the ball. It doesn’t matter if Wood is on offense or defense, he is going to make a play and he’s going to consistently be one of the best players on the football field at all times. His highlight last week was a 60-yard touchdown run and multiple big hits on the defensive side of the ball.

Two-way star Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK was the other All State selection from Piedmont last season and while his impact at linebacker was great, he was also a standout on offense and earned All State honors as an athlete because of it. On offense, Wood ran for over 1,200 yards and was arguably Piedmont’s top offensive weapon. On defense, like Hardy, Wood was a tackling machine with well over 150 tackles on the season. With Hardy and Wood coming back at linebacker, Piedmont has to feel very confident about that side of the ball. The Wildcats definitely come into this season with two of the better linebackers in Class 5A and in the state overall. We like Wood’s ability to impact the game in a variety of ways and if he exceeds last year’s production this fall, that should mean Piedmont’s playing deep into November.

When we added Piedmont 2024 standout Cannon Wood Cannon Wood 6'1" | 215 lbs | ATH Piedmont | 2024 State OK to the list of prospects for film breakdown, we knew that he was going to have one of the better films from last season. Wood ended up earning All State honors following his junior season for his production on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. In our opinion, he was one of the best two-way players in the state last season and will go into this fall as one of the best at what he does. And the film backs up those statements. On offense, as a running back in Piedmont’s option attack, Wood runs like a linebacker at the running back position. He is so incredibly physical with the ball in his hands and he has to be within their offense as he’ll get hit near the line of scrimmage, bounce off and make some eye-popping plays. On defense, that’s where Wood shines as an absolute star at linebacker. We mentioned the production and the physicality and those were both on full display. He’s an outstanding athlete just scratching the surface on what he can be at the next level.