Hooker running back Justin Palacios Justin Palacios RB Hooker | 2027 State OK is going to be a four-year starter when the Bulldogs take the field this fall. We’ve been writing about Palacios since his freshman season and it still blows our mind how he’s still flying under the radar across the state. Maybe that’s because he’s playing way out in the panhandle but it’s 2026, people should know what he brings to the table. We don’t have exact numbers for every player but we’d be shocked if Palacios wasn’t the state’s active leader in rushing yards going into this season. He’s been a highly productive player since his freshman season and he also brings the heat on the defensive side of the ball.

Way out in the panhandle you have Hooker running back Justin Palacios Justin Palacios RB Hooker | 2027 State OK and he’s in the same boat as a running back that has been tearing things up since his freshman season. Palacios has without a doubt been arguably the most productive 2027 prospect in the state when you look at his full body of work and he should definitely get more eyeballs on his game. We’ve seen him in person a handful of times and every time he impresses with the ball in his hands. However, we did watch him again earlier this season and for the first time in the last two years, we started to wonder if his ceiling could be higher on defense. He’s a heat-seeking missile and was very fun to watch on that side of the ball.

Junior running back Justin Palacios Justin Palacios RB Hooker | 2027 State OK is definitely one of the top players to watch for Hooker coming into this season and he’s one of the top running backs to watch in the state period. Palacios earned All State 3rd Team honors last year after he ran for nearly 1,900 yards and 20 touchdowns. This came after his breakout freshman season, where he ran for over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns. Palacios has been flirting with that 2,000-yard mark for the last two years and if Hooker makes another deep playoff run, he could hit it this season. And there’s a chance he gets more carries this season with him being one of a few productive starters returning for the Bulldogs. 

(2024 All State 3rd Team Selection)

Way out in the Oklahoma panhandle, you’ll find Hooker running back Justin Palacios Justin Palacios RB Hooker | 2027 State OK and you can make the argument that he’s been the most productive running back in the state’s 2027 class since they started high school. Palacios was incredibly productive as a freshman and then he stepped his game up even more during his sophomore season. When you look at the numbers that he’s put up during the first two years, you could also make the argument that Palacios will be up near the top of the state’s all time rushing list by the time it’s all said and done. We’ve caught Palacios in person a couple of times during the last two years and have also watched plenty of film. He’s completely underrated and should get more credit, not just within the state’s 2027 class but also just as one of the state’s top running backs in general.

The latest ranking update came out before we went and saw Hooker running back Justin Palacios Justin Palacios RB Hooker | 2027 State OK in person as they knocked off Fairview in a state title rematch. We came away so impressed with Palacios and his big play ability. He’s a legitimate weapon in the speed department and by the time his career is done, he’s probably going to own every rushing record in school history and maybe even flirt with some of the state records. Palacios is an explosive back out in the panhandle that reads the defense well and finds a way to squeeze through holes and accelerate into the second level.

Sophomore running back Justin Palacios Justin Palacios RB Hooker | 2027 State OK was one of the more productive freshmen in Oklahoma last season. And he’s right at the top of the list in terms of running backs. Palacios would run for well over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns last fall and he’s back for much more this season. Just going into his sophomore season, it’s hard not to be excited about what the future looks like for Palacios and the production he could end up having over the next three seasons in the Oklahoma panhandle. In that state championship game against Fairview, Palacios was a bright spot with a solid performance on the biggest stage. We’re excited to see what he does for an encore.

There’s probably not another running back in the state’s 2027 class that had more production on the field than Justin Palacios Justin Palacios RB Hooker | 2027 State OK out in Hooker. Way out in the Oklahoma panhandle, Palacios was putting up strong numbers as a freshman for a Hooker team that would make it all the way to the state championship game. They would fall to district foe Fariview but you can make the argument that the Bulldog freshman was the best player on the team that day. He was incredibly productive, as he had been all season. He should have a big 2024 campaign.