Junior of the Year: Brey Walker

Few players have been more anticipated over the past few years of recruiting than Southmoore's Brey Walker. And now it's finally time for the Sabercats prodigiously talented blocker to step to the forefront of in-state recruiting, interestingly he does so after becoming an Oklahoma pledge over 14 months ago.

But as early as his commitment was for Walker, SoonerScoop.com's Junior of the Year was well known for quite some time before hand, emerging on the scene before even his first day of classes at Southmoore.

During the annual Metro Team Camp at Mustang high school, a tall-gangly offensive tackle could be seen wandering around in the Sabercats Vegas Gold and Navy Blue.

The SoonerScoop.com staff assumed that this was an upper classmen giving football it's first real shot.

Oh how wrong we were.

"That guy will be a freshman for us next year. He's got a chance to be the best we've ever put out," one Southmoore coach said at the time.

Fast forward almost three years later and that's exactly the world that Walker is living in.

And it all started way back then according to Southmoore head coach Jeremy Stark.

"Brey is an incredible athlete for his size. Even as a freshman, his athleticism was off the charts for such a big kid. Often you see larger lineman struggle early in their careers because they do not know how to use their bodies or are quite awkward. Brey did not have to deal with this and that accelerated his ability to play early on in high school. I firmly believe, as both his position coach and a wrestling coach on staff here, that Brey’s wrestling helped with this and allowed him to learn how to use his athleticism early on," Stark explained.

Though Walker's prodigious physical gifts were apparent to all from an early age it's been about far more than just being a talented football player. Walker's wrestling background, passed down from Walker's father to himself and his brother, provides an example of that work ethic, as well as his dedication to the school he has been at.

"Right now we are deep into wrestling season and even though he was an undefeated state champion wrestler this year, Brey has decided that he can no longer comfortably make the 285-pound cutoff for heavy weight. Rather than just quit to concentrate on football, Brey has stayed in the wrestling room and is working with our other heavyweights to make them better," Stark explained. "He wanted to continue to be a part of the program that gave so much to him and his brother over the last few years and wants to fill a role and give back what he can to his teammates. This means continuing to take part in grueling practices even though he knows he will not compete again. This speaks to his commitment to the wrestling team and his teammates and to the type of person that Brey has become."

Though it's doubtful that anyone at Southmoore is having to ask for Walker to slow down on the football field the nation's No. 29 prospect, and No. 3 offensive tackle, is consistently having to be asked to take it easy on his helpless teammates.

"Often in practice we would have to tell Brey to take it easy on finishing his blocks. Every year during live team drills he has caused injuries to other players on the team because of a devastating finish. We love to see that in games, but have to make sure we come out of practices healthy," Stark said. "It isn’t often that we have to tell a player to let up a little bit so that we can keep others from getting injured.

"One incident that shows this occurred last year at Mustang Team Camp. We had a receiver show us on film how Brey nearly took him out from behind when finishing a down block 15-plus yards down the field on the far sideline. It was a crazy thing to see on film."

And all of that work in practice, as well as his acumen as a wrestler, makes him nearly impossible to deal with in games. Though according to his head coach it's far more enjoyable to watch him unleashed on his opponents than his Sabercats teammates in practice.

"As a player, Brey can be a dominating force. We often game planned to run behind his down blocks as we knew he could clear out a whole side by himself at times. He can be a road grater that loves having his side called and being given the opportunity to lead the way. He also has a bit of a nasty streak in him that I love to see in all of the offensive lineman I coach," his head coach said.

Honorable Mention: C.J. Moore, WR, Tulsa Union, Josh Proctor, S, Owasso, Ron Tatum, DE, Putnam City, Casey Thompson, QB, Southmoore