South Fla. squad earns BadgerSports title
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The championship game of the BadgerSports Elite 7on7 National Championship was held on the afternoon of the 4th of July. The last two teams standing were the Miami-based South Florida Express and the California-based 1925 All Stars. It was the premier matchup of the weekend and the two most highly touted teams at the event. With four-star and five-star prospects all over the field, it was a combustible atmosphere fitting of the holiday.
Teddy Bridgewater helped lead his South Florida Express squad to the title.
In the championship game, there were as many as eight Rivals250 prospects on the field at the same time. There were also numerous players in the class of 2012 that project as highly rated prospects for next year. There were three USC commits, two Miami commits, one Florida commit and an Arizona State commit as well.
In a game that came down to the final play and lived up to all of the hype and expectations, the South Florida Express took home the title and it had the sterling play of its quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to thank.
Bridgewater made great decisions, showed good arm strength, accuracy and poise and marched his team to a score on each of the three times he had the ball. He distributed the ball equally between his four main targets: current and future teammate Eli Rogers, Boyd Anderson receiver Jesse York and a phenomenal pair of 2012 pass-catchers in Avery Johnson and Brandon Snell.
"For one, I think we played as a team," Bridgewater said following the championship. "I think I played a great game, kept my composure and didn't let the hype get to me and I was having a lot of fun out there. You know I'm all about having fun. Playing against California it's speed on speed, strength on strength, and they were just giving it to us and we were handing it back to them. It was a back-and-forth game."
The versatile Bridgewater has had doubters as to just how good he can be at the quarterback position. Following his championship performance, Bridgewater had no problem admitting that he looked forward to proving any doubters wrong with his performance.
"On Tuesday, I told coach that I hope some of the top quarterbacks in the country show up so that I can outplay them and show them that I deserve to be No. 1," he said. "It's just events like these that really help you get your name out there and help the scouts evaluate you with your progression reads and your mechanics and arm strength and accuracy."
Though there was no MVP awarded at the event, it would have been hard to go with anyone other than the Miami (Fla.) Northwestern star for the title. But the championship was a team effort and several other South Florida Express members stood out in victory.
Offensively, Snell and York in particular were nearly impossible to cover throughout the weekend. Neither seems to have remarkable speed but both have great feet, run great routes and catch everything. In the semifinals, Snell caught a one-handed touchdown that may have been the catch of the weekend. Johnson also has a world of potential, his catch-and-run on his team's final score showed terrific speed and essentially put a safety net beneath the Express victory.
De'Anthony Thomas looked every bit a five-star prospect.
Defensively, a terrific secondary was led by Gerrod Holliman, junior Deon Bush, and Wayne Lyons. Each took turns making big pass breakups and interceptions, particularly when it mattered. Bush and Lyons each had game-saving breakups in the closing seconds of the championship game.
The opposite sideline did its part to add to the afternoon fireworks display primarily behind a very strong receiving corps. USC commits Victor Blackwell and junior Jordan Payton both made big catches throughout the afternoon. In fact, if not for leg cramps with Blackwell late in the game, the final attempts to tie the game may have been drastically different. Devin Lucien and Michael Thomas completed a foursome that was tough to contain all afternoon.
The signal-caller for the 1925 All-Stars was Jerry Neuheisel most of the day and his quick release, strong arm and poise in the pocket helped the California team dominate all day. In the championship game, the South Florida Express got a glimpse of the future when 2013 quarterback Troy Williams took the snaps and played a flawless game.
Despite all of its talent though, De'Anthony Thomas remains the headliner for the 1925 All-Stars. The five-star lined up at cornerback throughout the day and had some spot duty at running back as well. Every time he touches the football he is a hesitation away from a score. Defensively, Thomas is asserting himself as one of the nation's top defensive backs despite only playing the position for a matter of months. In this event, Thomas looked every bit the five-star he has been hailed to be.
Pike and company
Zeke Pike. Write the name down.
Playing in the tournament out of Edgewood (Ky.) Dixie Heights, Pike was surrounded by the least heralded supporting cast in the tournament. That didn't stop his team from putting a buzzsaw to the competition, going undefeated up until a close loss to the loaded California squad.
Zeke Pike looked like a big-time QB prospect at the event.
As a quarterback, Pike checks off all of the boxes with a big arm, a great internal clock, touch and accuracy, and a confident demeanor. Pike was playing loose and having fun all weekend but also had a competitive drive and fought for every win.
Already Pike holds verbal offers from Eastern Illinois, Kentucky, Purdue, Iowa, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Boston College, Cincinnati, Toledo and Buffalo. His performance over the weekend places him in the early conversation as one of the truly elite quarterbacks in his class.
Though Pike's play was impressive, he didn't do it alone. He was fortunate to have one of the biggest and most reliable safety valves in the tournament in Chris Barnett. Barnett's mixture of size and hands allowed him to just box out defenders and easily move the chains throughout the weekend.
There were also a few under-the-radar players that made things easy on Pike. Jeff Harmon out of Indianapolis (Ind.) Pike had two very good days of work while the surprise of the tournament was Goose Cohorn, Pike's teammate out of Dixie Heights. Cohorn doesn't have great size or speed but he was getting behind defenders all day, and making spectacular catches against some of the most athletic defensive backs in the nation.
Top Guns
The last member of Sunday's final four was the southeast Top Guns squad composed of Florida and Louisiana prospects. The team showed tremendous athleticism all weekend and was led by Odell Beckham Jr., Cortez Davis and Jarvis Landry.
Beckham had a performance that has become standard for him, playing on both sides of the ball, he showed soft hands and an effortless, fluid athleticism that is just fun to watch. Due to his size, Beckham looks to have the most upside as a ball-hawking safety or even a big, physical corner but as smooth as he is athletically, playing both sides of the ball is not out of the question.
Though it isn't obvious, Beckham's future position is much more clear than that of Cortez Davis. Listed at 6 feet 3, Davis looks more like 6-4 or 6-5 due to his length. He played safety, linebacker, cornerback and receiver over the weekend and excelled everywhere. Whether it was a jump ball in the end zone, a pass breakup defending a tight end or the rare sight of seeing a 6-foot-4 cornerback turn his hips, Davis impresses. 'Where does he play?' is the only question to ask of the Florida State commit because though he has the ability to play a number of positions, he is not a prototype for any.
Jarvis Landry made big plays on both sides of the ball.
As the other big-name prospect on the Top Gun squad, Landry did it all. When he wasn't making pure catches on offense and spectacular runs after the catch, Landry was active as a defensive back, tallying a number of breakups and interceptions on the weekend. The bottom line with Landry is that he is a competitor and just makes plays in any way possible.
Sleepers no more
Ameer Abdullah emerged this spring as an explosive back with the ball in his hands. Now that he has garnered a few major offers he is no longer an unknown but this weekend he showed that he can be more than just a running back. Abdullah showed hips and instincts at cornerback and could become a very good defensive back if given the opportunity.
Louchiez Purifoy emerged this spring similarly as an athlete with the ability to perfect the cornerback position and his play in Tuscaloosa showed him to be well on his way. Purifoy has legit sub-4.4 speed and showed it off on offense and defense. He also has good size and based on his play Saturday and Sunday looks to be one of the truly elite defensive backs in the state of Florida. Already with a Florida offer, Purifoy should expect several more offers coming in the near future.
At quarterback, it is hard to be considered a sleeper as an early commit to the Pac-10 but Arizona State commit Michael Bercovici may have outplayed his ranking in this tournament. The 6-foot-2 signal-caller has a smooth delivery and pin-point accuracy and helped guide a team thrown together at the last minute into the quarterfinals.
Class of 2012 prospect Kelton Brackett did a lot to help his stock during the tournament showing good ball skills and instincts from his safety position. The Prichard (Ala.) Blount star will be a definite name to watch in what is shaping up to be a loaded 2012 class in the state of Alabama.
With multiple highly regarded tight ends competing during the weekend, Clinton, Mich., prospect Nate Dreslinski competed as though he should be added to that list. Dreslinski doesn't have unique height but at 6-3 he is big enough. He used his body very well, showed great hands and had the strength to hold off defenders for catches in traffic.
Recruiting notes
Immediately following the championship game, Gerrod Holliman and Andrew Johnson made known their intentions to commit to Ole Miss. The commitments gave Ole Miss its third and fourth four-stars thus far in the 2011 class.
Chris Barnett formed a bond with several of the south Florida prospects and he may be taking a much closer look at the Hurricanes consequently. Previously with Oklahoma and Arkansas alone at the top of his list, Barnett is planning on taking an official visit to Miami and has the Hurricanes inching closer to his top three.
Even after picking up three commitments on July 4, Ole Miss may not yet be done for recruiting in July. Gadsden City (Ala.) High School receiver T.J. Worthy has plans to attend the Ole Miss camp on July 17 and could be close to a commitment. Due to the relationship that he has built with several other highly-touted Mississippi prospects, Worthy may not be alone if he does pull the trigger.
"I like the (Oregon) coaching staff, it seems like a big family up there and it's a great environment," Atkinson said. "At SC, it's great history and the possibilities to play at the next level are big, too."
