Guthrie running back Jaylen Harper Jaylen Harper 5'11" | RB Guthrie | 2024 State OK is in a similar situation to Henslick at Collinsville. He absolutely burst onto the scene last year as a junior and by the time this season rolled around, Harper was considered one of the better players at his position in Class 5A. And just like Henslick, Harper has backed up all the preseason hype with a fantastic senior season. He has been dominant this season and has been a touchdown machine. He already has 26 touchdowns on the ground and he’s nearing 30 total touchdowns for the season. Harper and the Blue Jays are a major threat to win the title.

Guthrie running back Jaylen Harper Jaylen Harper 5'11" | RB Guthrie | 2024 State OK enjoyed a breakout season last year as a junior. He filled in for Isaiah Hammons when he was dealing with injuries but this season, Harper came into the year as the marquee back. He quickly became one of the top running backs to watch in Oklahoma. He’s been one of the more consistent running backs in the state this season. Week after week, you know what to expect from Harper. He makes 125-150 yards and a couple touchdowns look easy and he’s shined bright in some of their biggest games this season. Guthrie’s defense has earned plenty of headlines this season but Harper has been the top playmaker on a Guthrie team that expects to contend for another state championship.

It’s hard not to spotlight on Guthrie’s entire defense as they continue to dominate week after week. The Blue Jays had their second consecutive shutout and it was the fifth shutout in six games as they beat Bishop McGuinness 20-0. But on the offensive side of the ball, senior running back Jaylen Harper Jaylen Harper 5'11" | RB Guthrie | 2024 State OK continues to show why he’s one of the best players in the state. Harper had a season-high 220 yards on the ground and three touchdowns in the win. Harper has had an outstanding season as the Blue Jays are now 6-0 and have been carried by Harper and a dominant defense so far this season. The countdown continues as we are now two weeks away from the showdown between Guthrie and defending champion Carl Albert in week eight. This is also your weekly reminder that Class 5A has the best running backs in the state.

Earlier this month, we added Guthrie senior running back Jaylen Harper Jaylen Harper 5'11" | RB Guthrie | 2024 State OK to our PRZ-Oklahoma Player Of The Year watchlist and this was our first chance to see him in person this season. He lived up to the hype. He led the Blue Jays in rushing with well over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game. He also had a pair of rushing touchdowns that put Piedmont in a hole that they wouldn’t be able to overcome. Class 5A has an interesting dynamic this season where the running backs in this class are some of the best in the state. Harper is near the top of that group.

The Guthrie Blue Jays have been one of the more dominant teams in the state so far this season. And while you can make the argument that if we are adding a Guthrie player to the watchlist, it should be a defensive player considering they’ve just given up three points in four games, we’re going with senior Jaylen Harper Jaylen Harper 5'11" | RB Guthrie | 2024 State OK at the running back position. Harper has run for more than 100 yards in each of their first four games. He has nearly 500 yards on the ground and ten rushing touchdowns as well. Harper was outstanding in the first few weeks and then he was once again a steady presence on the offensive side of the ball as they beat Tuttle last week in a showdown of top five teams. Harper is a running back that we’ve had our eye on since his breakout season last fall and he’s off to a great start this year.

The Guthrie Blue Jays are one of the best teams in the state and they showed that again on Friday night when they beat Tuttle 20-3. The Blue Jay defense still hasn’t given up a defense and has only given up three points all year. And while the defense has been incredibly stout throughout the first month, senior running back Jaylen Harper Jaylen Harper 5'11" | RB Guthrie | 2024 State OK has been unstoppable so far this season. He finished with nearly 150 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. It was Harper’s fourth consecutive game of more than 100 yards on the ground and he added to his touchdown count with his tenth rushing touchdown on the season and eleventh total touchdown. The Blue Jays have week four off before opening district play in week five.

It was the Tuttle game last season that Guthrie running back Jaylen Harper Jaylen Harper 5'11" | RB Guthrie | 2024 State OK announced himself as the next playmaker at the running back position. With Isaiah Hammons missing the game with a nagging injury, Harper was expected to split carries but it didn’t take long for him to become the best option on offense. As the Blue Jays rallied in the second half to beat Tuttle, that’s when Harper did most of his damage. He ran for 103 of his 157 yards after halftime. And Harper has been lights out to start this season. He already has nine rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown this season. He’s scored at least three touchdowns in each game so far.