The Oklahoman's Super 30: How Putnam City's Brayden Knox stays focused amid chaos of game
As Putnam City's Brayden Knox takes his next steps in life, he carries his past along with him.
Creeping down his pants leg lies the keychain for his car keys. Attached is an array of lanyards from over two dozen schools Knox visited in the past year.
With each college visit, he adds a university lanyard to his collection as a souvenir. It's an act of faith Knox first began as he accrued offers during his junior season.
"The lanyards help me remember all the work that I put in and how it's all paying off now," Knox said.
"I view it as just a little token to keep me going when things get tough."
Knox is No. 29 on The Oklahoman's Super 30 list of the state's top recruits in the 2025 class. A 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker, he holds offers from schools such as Indiana, Kent State, Louisville, Nevada and Tulsa, among others.
More: The Oklahoman's Super 30: Millwood's Xzavier Thompson 'just real consistent' despite size concerns
The path to Knox's Division I football recruitment stems from his childhood athletic desires.
Growing up in Louisiana, his parents required him to play three sports — football, basketball, and baseball — to stay active. But after falling out of love with baseball and constantly fouling out of youth basketball games due to his intense physicality, Knox grew enamored with the gridiron.
Knox and his family moved to Oklahoma City when he was 12.
Since then, he has used his football dominance to fuel his curiosity as he tours the country, attracting interest from over a dozen college football programs.
"I love traveling because it's shown me how different places are from Louisiana and Oklahoma," Knox said. "Those two places are all I know, so it's been fun to meet players and coaches from all over the world and see how they view things from different perspectives."
Knox emerged in his junior season at Putnam City following the exit of three-star edge rusher Taje McCoy.
He led the Pirates in most statistics on defense with 100 total tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles, and two blocked punts.
More: Edmond Santa Fe running back Demarius Robinson commits to Arizona State football
"One thing that blew me away in his first few practices a year ago was Brayden's effort 24/7", second-year Putnam City coach Willis Alexander said.
"He's always going at 100% speed no matter what. It got to a point where we even had to tell him to tone it down and remember that he was in practice playing against our team. But that's what we love to see because effort is a trait we can't teach, and he has it in him."
Growing up, his older cousin, Rashad, kept Knox on his toes.
Whether it was wrestling, on the basketball court or the football field, his cousin managed to keep an upper hand on him in athletics. The dynamic is one he recently grew to appreciate even more.
With a long list of short — and long-term goals ingrained in his psyche, Knox views his cousin as his main inspiration.
"He used to beat me in football all the time," said Knox, with a confessing grin. "He was a great player but didn't get any offers after his senior year. He didn't get that chance to make it, so I'm taking that chance, and I'm going to make it to the NFL for both of us."
Peers view Knox as a quiet kid who can flip a near-instantaneous switch as he takes the field.
Unlike his teammates, who rely on music to pump them up on game nights, Knox has discovered a unique strategy. He harnesses his inner calmness, using it as a tool to maintain focus and clarity amidst the chaos of the game.
Knox believes he's most at peace when running out of the locker room onto the turf at Pirate Stadium.
"Ever since I was little, I always liked being in silence," Knox said. "When I get on the field, I try to channel the things I'm going through and all that stuff that I've been through so that it just releases onto the field. Football has been like my therapy."
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
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The Oklahoman’s 2025 Super 30
Name: Brayden Knox
School: Putnam City
Super 30 ranking: No. 29
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 235 pounds
Position: Linebacker
Recruited by: Arkansas State, Army, Dartmouth, Fordham, Illinois State, Indiana, Kent State, Louisville, Missouri State, Nevada, North Texas, South Dakota, Tulsa
About the series
The Oklahoman’s Super 30 feature series will spotlight each high school football player on the Super 30 recruit rankings for the 2025 class through July 21. The series continued Friday with No. 29, Putnam City’s Brayden Knox.
Here is the list of players featured:
No. 30: Xzavier Thompson, WR, Millwood
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How Putnam City's Brayden Knox stays focused amid chaos of game
