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TIME FOR TORK: THS football's offensive weapon ready for diverse role in 2026
Other teams are going to have to keep a close eye on Michael Torkelson this season.
Tahlequah football’s junior can’t be tied down to one position in 2026. After breaking through as a sophomore last season, Torkelson is going to be all over the field, playing running back, wide receiver, corner back, kicker – and maybe even back up quarterback, if needed.
For a successful season, preparation will be key for the Tigers’ offensive weapon. During early practices, Torkelson has bounced through all three positions to get ready for any situation.
“It’s really just knowing it all,” Torkelson said. “There isn’t a spot I can’t be ready to play. Running back, receiver or even back up quarterback, I have to know what routes we are running [inside and out].”
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Michael Torkelson, left, plays lead blocker as a wide receiver for Kael Dobbins during a practice early in the 2026 season.
In his second season, Torkelson’s main production came at corner back on defense and and occasional offensive role.
On defense, as a sophomore, he nabbed six interceptions to lead this year’s returning players.
On the offensive side of the ball, Tork caught 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. In limited rushing chances out of the wildcat scheme, he ran 18 times for 120 yards.
Even though he only had 31 offensive touches last season, Torkelson averaged 9 yards a play, including 6.6 yards per carry in rushing attempts.
“He just gives us that option; he’s just such an intelligent football player and he’s versatile,” THS head coach Brad Gilbert said. “We, as coaches, said if this guy can do multiple things, let’s allow him to do that; we have to put him in a position to be successful. If this is successful, we think as a team, we will be as well.”
Moving into more reps at running back, Torkelson will share duties this season with Dustin Duvall and Miguel Martinez. When not running between the tackles, Gilbert expects him to be lining up to face off with corner backs.
“I want the ball and I want to go score,” Torkelson said. “It’s advancing the ball when you need to and knowing what you need on every play. You don’t need a home run every down; sometimes you just need three, four give years. Getting those yards on first down opens up the passing game and makes it a lot easier.”
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After catching a pass, Michael Torkelson turns upfield during the Muskogee passing league this summer.
With so many roles, other teams might think they can focus on Tork, but they will have to account for a balanced offensive attack from THS. Along with the utility player, Kale Dobbins, Ashton Morgan, Isvan Santana and Konner Tindel all join a deep roster of receivers.
With so many different weapons for quarterback Will Talburt, the opportunities should open up for Torkelson. The number of returning players allows the Tigers to switch up the scheme seemingly at will.
“This year, I expect a lot of explosiveness,” Torkelson said. “We’ve got the entire receiving corps coming back and then we added Tindel. We’ve got a lot of different packages. Being versatile is our main thing; we can go anywhere. We’ve got so many guys who can do so many things that we’re really just open; anyone can get the ball.”
Torkelson and the Tigers hit the field for the first time in scrimmage play at 6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 21 at Muskogee.
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