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Future 50: Takeaways on prospects from the Mid-South

Jalen Hale
Jalen Hale

BRADENTON, Fla. - The annual Future 50 event in Florida brought out some of the nation's top talent once again, including nearly a dozen prospects from the Mid-South region. Here is a look at those prospects and how they performed while competing among some of the nation's top prospects.

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CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

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Arlington (Texas) Martin five-star cornerback Javien Toviano used his length and crisp technique on Saturday to overwhelm some of the best receivers in the country. His technique stands out as one of the best among defensive backs across the nation, as it allows him to change direction on a dime and account for shiftier offensive weapons.

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Coming off a strong performance at Elite 11 in late June, Denton (Texas) Guyer four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold showed off some more of his game in the morning session on Saturday as he was placing passes in tight windows during the 1-on-1 reps. He also had a strong performance on the bags. In the nighttime 7-on-7 session, Arnold struggled a bit, but it was to be expected with his lack of experience playing in the setting. Regardless, Arnold is still a stock up candidate after a strong summer.

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DeSoto (Texas) four-star wide receiver Johntay Cook is inching closer and closer into the five-star conversation with consistent strong performances against national talent. While his morning session didn't stand out on Saturday, his night session in the 7-on-7 game was stellar as he hauled in multiple receptions, including a touchdown grab in the first half. His IQ in route-running continues to stand out as he knows when to fall back out of a route while finding holes for his quarterback to find. Down field, Cook can also create some separation with his speed and crisp breaks at the top of his routes.

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After a big performance in Las Vegas at Overtime 7v7, Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff four-star cornerback Malik Muhammad showed out once again in front of national talent despite a couple of losses on the day. His change of direction and length were on display, and he further proved that he is worthy of a rankings boost in the future.

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My personal top performer in the Mid-South region on Saturday, Longview (Texas) four-star wide receiver Jalen Hale was unstoppable in the 7-on-7 night session where he hauled in three touchdown receptions and made multiple impressive grabs in the open field. His size complements his athleticism extremely well as he is finally starting to settle in and grow comfortable with his physical profile in a way that hasn't been seen previously in his career. Of all prospects in the Mid-South, Hale was the biggest stock-up guy for me on the weekend.

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Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab four-star outside linebacker Jaiden Ausberry was able to move well in coverage during the weekend, but where exactly he will play at the college level is starting to become a question. His size seems limited, but his frame remains wide. If he can fill out and grow into a bigger physical presence, it would be really easy to bank on his athletic traits and expect him to make noise at the college level.

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Denton (Texas) Guyer four-star safety Peyton Bowen is another big stock-up candidate after a strong weekend at Future 50. In both sessions on Saturday, Bowen was a clear standout at the safety position as he made impact deflections in 1-on-1s and even picked off his high school quarterback Jackson Arnold in the 7-on-7 session after coming down and attacking a slant coming across the middle. Sitting just inside the Rivals100, Bowen should see a healthy rise after a big weekend.

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Ridgeland (Miss.) four-star wide receiver Ayden Williams had arguably the catch of the day on a deep ball in the end zone that he snatched out of the hands of Malik Muhammad for a score in the 7-on-7 session. His physical presence creates problems for opposing defensive backs as he muscles his way through any and all contact while also creating separation with his solid technique. Sitting as the current No. 4 prospect in Mississippi, I think he's a safe bet as a top-two prospect in the state moving forward.

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Tyler (Texas) Legacy four-star defensive lineman Jordan Renaud might not be the biggest guy in the trenches, but his hands and athleticism more than make up for what he lacks in size. Confident and steadfast in his technique, Renaud uses a combination of moves to slip by offensive linemen lined up both inside and out, which is why schools such as Alabama and Oklahoma see him as one of the more versatile pass rushers in the class.

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Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point four-star wide receiver Braylon James is one of the more athletic wide receivers you can find in the country with his off-the-charts testing and hurdles numbers, and he was able to flash those traits this weekend. Despite not being able to link up with his quarterback in the 7-on-7 session too many times, he was still bringing in a lot of attention from opposing defensive backs.

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Rockwall (Texas) four-star wide receiver Noble Johnson drew a lot of attention when he walked into the check-in room on Friday due to his big physical profile that has some curious about his potential on the defensive side of the ball. However, Johnson proved his worth over the weekend as a receiver with his strong hands and his ability to find some separation. Ranked just inside the Rivals250, Johnson has the potential to rise with a big senior season.

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Denton (Texas) Guyer cornerback Ryan Yaites does a lot of things in the secondary for his high school team, but his focus over the weekend was at corner. His eyes and quick feet stand out, and he wasn't overwhelmed by bigger or shiftier receivers on the weekend. One area of improvement could be his consistency in the short-to-medium game, but overall Yaites was able to show some big offseason improvements.

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Crisp route-running and physical play is what you expect out of Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus wide receiver Ashton Cozart, and that's exactly what he was able to show over the weekend. It's easy to see what Oregon sees in the DFW pass-catcher as he stacks up well against tall boundary corners and has clean enough breaks to create separation from some of the more speedy defensive backs as well.

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