Barnwell breaks out in Brooklyn
The annual New Level Athletics Elite 7-on-7 National Championship has hit Brooklyn, N.Y., and here were Saturday's top performers on offense.
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NLA 7-on-7: Top Offensive Performers
1. WR Nadir Barnwell, Piscataway, N.J.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Barnwell is an athlete prospect who can play wide receiver or defensive back, but he spent a vast majority of his time on Saturday on offense and was arguably the most explosive player on the field. Barnwell is built more like a safety, but he has the speed and agility to be a dynamic wide receiver. He used those attributes to create space for himself and provide an inviting target for his quarterback, who found him for several long-gainers and touchdowns.
2. WR Jamil Kamara, Norfolk (Va.) Lake Taylor (2014)
The 6-foot-2, 186-pound Kamara is really starting to fill out his long frame, and on Saturday proved to be one of the most physical wide receivers at the event. The rising junior has good speed for a player his size and knows how to use his frame and his route-running to get open. Kamara has no fear going over the middle, and did a lot of damage on post and crossing patterns. He also showed he can take cornerbacks down the sidelines and use his size to outmuscle defenders on jump balls.
3. WR Dhameer Bradley, Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy
The 5-foot-10, 166-pound Bradley was one of the smaller players on the field Saturday, but he made a big impact by taking several short passes and turning them into long gainers. Bradley lined up in the slot most of the day, but also has the ability to flash into the backfield and run routes as a running back. They key for Bradley's ECA quarterback teammate, David Sills, was to get the ball in Bradley's hands early, and let the Connecticut commit's speed and elusiveness take over.
4. WR Sam Gallahan, Alexandria (Va.) St. Stephens & St. Agnes School (2014)
One of the surprise standouts on Saturday was the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Gallahan, who has the size to play a split end role, but the speed and agility to line up in the slot. Gallahan caught a ton of passes on Saturday because he was always open, but his run-after-catch ability was just as impressive as his before-catch maneuvers to find space. Gallahan shook several defenders attempting to put a hand on him after the catch, and his quickness in and out of breaks created separation from defenders throughout the day.
5. RB Taquan Mizzell, Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside
Mizzell is coming off another standout performance at last week's Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge. On Saturday, the four-star back did not have any of the big plays we saw in Atlanta, but he was again a reliable safety valve for his quarterback. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound Mizzell can take over events like this when he wants to, but with Saturday just being pool play he was content settling into his role as his team's outlet and picking up key yards when needed.
6. QB Corwin Cutler Virginia Beach (Va.) Ocean Lakes
Cutler and fellow Virginia Thoroughbreds teammate Devon Stitt alternated games on Saturday in round-robin play, with both quarterbacks throwing the ball extremely well. At 6-foot-3 and 182 pounds, Cutler is the more prototypical quarterback size of the two, and he showed a live arm and consistent delivery. A Virginia commit, Cutler showed the ability to lead his team down the field series after series and did a great job distributing the football to a host of talented playmakers.
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