The Oklahoman's Super 30: Why Kansas commit Josiah Hammond is eager for Tulsa Union debut

TULSA — The early years of Josiah Hammond 's high school journey were filled with uncertainty.

The defensive lineman known by friends and family as "Cheese" didn't always assume football was in his future. His doubt began at Crossover Preparatory Academy in Tulsa, where Hammond attended as a freshman.

There, he received little playing time and began second-guessing his ability. The ups and downs of his freshman year led Hammond to transfer to Tulsa Rogers. However, he missed his entire sophomore season due to the Oklahoma Secondary School Athletic Association's transfer rules .

Eager to leave an impact on his new school, the news was devastating for Hammond.

"I spent all year grinding to prepare for the summer of my junior year," Hammond said. "I was around the team a lot, but I really wanted to actually feel like a part of the team, so that drove me."

He then had a breakout season.

Hammond emerged as one of the best defensive linemen in the state, leading Tulsa Rogers with 44 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, and 27 quarterback pressures.

More: A look at The Oklahoman's 2025 Super 30 high school football recruiting series

Now at Tulsa Union, Hammond comes in at No. 16 on The Oklahoman's Super 30 list of the state's top football recruits in the 2025 class. He recently committed to Kansas.

As he approaches his first year at Tulsa Union and final high school season, Hammond is hungry to leave his mark on the Redhawks.

"Josiah has really impressed me so far with his leadership this summer," Tulsa Union coach Kirk Fridrich said. "He's become one of our hardest working linemen, and because of that, he leads by example. Everyone had grown to admire the guy already. He has a huge upside, and I can't wait to see what he does this year."

Hammond is a three-star recruit according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He fielded over a dozen Division I offers from Arizona, Iowa State, Utah, Tulsa and Washington, among others, before choosing Kansas on June 16.

The recruiting process was a new world to Hammond.

Hammond began receiving rapid interest from schools at the end of last season. His first official offer from Iowa State in January sparked a sense that he'd finally arrived.

"I knew I had a breakout year, but I felt like the offers just came out of nowhere," Hammond said. "Honestly, I'm just blessed to have the year I just did. Everyone knew I had potential, but I had to lock in and put it all together."

More: The Oklahoman’s Super 30: Owasso OL Ryker Haff's childhood led to Oklahoma State pledge

Atop the long list of Hammond's tools is his quick first step at the line of scrimmage.

While he has a brawny frame, his unique footwork makes him more agile when shedding off blockers. He can comfortably line up and make an impact wherever needed on the defensive line.

"I think I kept playing football for so long because I just love chasing people," Hammond said. "The feeling of someone running from you is something I never get enough of. Then it's like a reward when you run them down so I can finally hit them."

Hammond joins a Tulsa Union program fresh from a Class 6A-I state semifinal appearance a year ago. Alongside playmakers across the roster, such as quarterback Shaker Reisig and cornerback Ashton Cunningham, the Redhawks look poised to make another deep postseason run.

Hammond has gained 20 pounds of muscle over the offseason and is eager to put his new strengths to the test against opposing teams in the state's largest classification.

"I wanted an opportunity to win and to be closer to home as well," Hammond said. "There aren't too many other places better to show my talent than at a place like Union. I'm having fun so far, but I also look forward to learning more about myself that'll prepare me for the next level."

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

More: The Oklahoman’s Super 30: Why Carl Albert's Marcus James has passion for playing LB at OU

The Oklahoman’s 2025 Super 30

• Name: Josiah Hammond
• School: Tulsa Union
• Super 30 ranking: No. 16
• Height: 6-foot-3
• Weight: 250 pounds
• Position: Defensive end
• Committed to: Kansas

The Oklahoman’s 2025 Super 30 feature 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. 16, Tulsa Union’s Josiah Hammond, and No. 17, Carl Albert's Marcus James. See Nos. 15 and 14 on the list in Sunday's edition of The Oklahoman .

Here are the last five players we’ve featured:

• No. 16: Josiah Hammond, DE, Tulsa Union
• No. 17: Marcus James, LB, Carl Albert
• No. 18: Ryker Haff, OL, Owasso
• No. 19: Javion Antai, OL, Tulsa Hale
• No. 20: Grady Adamson, QB, Deer Creek

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The Oklahoman's Super 30: Why Kansas commit Josiah Hammond is eager for Tulsa Union debut