2027 defensive end Kade Barton Kade Barton 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE/EDGE Mount St. Mary | 2027 State OK is a new face for the Rockets after he moved over from Guthrie this offseason. As a junior with the Blue Jays, Barton earned All State 3rd Team honors after he absolutely terrorized opponents throughout the 2025 season. Barton is a machine coming off the edge and puts constant stress on opposing offenses. We’ve said the following statement countless times at this point, but just in case you’re new here. Barton had the single best individual performance from a defensive player that we watched in person last season when Guthrie beat Altus in overtime. Now, Barton looks to terrorize Class 3A quarterbacks in 2026.

(2025 All State 3rd Team Selection)

Mount St. Mary defensive end Kade Barton Kade Barton 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE/EDGE Mount St. Mary | 2027 State OK is one of several 2027 prospects we’re fired up to see in person coming up in the next few weeks during spring ball. We’ve written this before but it’s worth repeating here when talking about Barton. While a junior at Guthrie in 2025, Barton had arguably the most dominant individual defensive performance we watched in person when they beat Altus in overtime. Barton was an absolute machine coming off the edge. And Mount St. Mary is not lacking talent on the defensive line so he’s going to be another piece that make the Rockets a very fun team to follow heading into this fall. Barton was not only a force for the Blue Jays last fall, he also had a really strong showing at our showcase camp back in February, firmly establishing himself as one of 2027’s best on the DL.

Guthrie defensive end Kade Barton Kade Barton 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE/EDGE Mount St. Mary | 2027 State OK is our final newcomer on this breakdown and we just watched him in action two weeks ago. We’ve watched a lot of football in person this season. But Barton’s performance in their week eight win over Altus might have been the best individual performance we’ve seen from a defensive player this season. He was a one-man wrecking crew on the line of scrimmage and was consistently in the backfield. Barton immediately passed the eye test when we saw him before the game and then the play matched the size. He’s another player that could shoot up the ranks when we see his full body of work this season.

Every summer, when we do these team previews, there are usually a handful of players that we start to buy stock on for the upcoming season. For Guthrie, that player is junior standout Kade Barton Kade Barton 6'5" | 215 lbs | TE/EDGE Mount St. Mary | 2027 State OK and the ceiling feels like it’s getting higher and higher. Last season, Barton mostly played as a hybrid edge defender, finishing the year with nearly 90 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Barton stands about 6’5-6’6 and is incredibly explosive. It would be interesting to see how he would look on the offensive side of the ball at tight end. But no matter where Barton is lining up this fall, he has the potential to absolutely cause chaos for the opposition. He could be Guthrie’s top prospect.