Gorney Awards: OT7 Nationals

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - There were a lot of elite performances over the first two days of the OT7 Nationals but only so many could make the Gorney Awards. It’s time to roll out the hardware:

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Jokes were being made with the Elite 11 going on at the same time that maybe the best two quarterbacks in the 2024 and 2025 classes are lefties since Air Noland had been doing so well in the quarterback competition and Knight was so impressive at OT7. The lefty from Lucedale (Miss.) George County who has Tennessee and Notre Dame atop his list reminds me of a bigger Michael Penix, who will be one of the best quarterbacks in college football this season. An effortless thrower with size, Knight was really impressive throughout the tournament.

The 2025 four-star receiver is not the biggest, he’s not the fastest but every other down it seemed like Olugbode was getting open against elite competition. That was the same story for the Chicago native who’s now playing at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy at the Rivals Camp Series and the OT7 Phoenix as Olugbode has a knack of getting open against anybody and then he has super reliable hands. Georgia, Tennessee and Notre Dame are three to watch.

His nickname is “Yellow” but Ryan put the red light on all receivers throughout the tournament. Early on, the 2026 cornerback from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran had a big interception when an older, bigger receiver tried to jump over him but Ryan wasn’t having it. There is still some physical development needed but that will come with time. In terms of instincts and confidence, Ryan has it all as an early USC offer has caught his attention.

The 2025 five-star more than backed up his ranking and his No. 1 cornerback spot because he has the length and all the tools to be an elite player at the position. Sanchez is a shade under 6-foot-3, he has really long arms and for someone so big and lean he runs smoothly and covers ground incredibly well. Ohio State, Alabama, Texas A&M and Oklahoma look best at this point.

If Sanchez has locked up the No. 1 spot at cornerback, the No. 2 spot could be up in the air and Lee was as impressive as anybody during OT7. Playing the other cornerback spot opposite Sanchez for Trillion Boys, Lee was nearly a mirror image as he has incredible size and length, a competitive drive and those long arms to poke balls away without a problem. The Mission Viejo, Calif., could be moving up a lot soon as USC and others pursue.

There were a lot of good receivers at OT7. Nearly every team was loaded with high-end ones. But not many were as productive as the St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers who used his physical frame to muscle away cornerbacks and it looked like something must’ve been on his gloves because he caught everything. Ohio State looks best for the four-star receiver but Oregon, LSU and Missouri are in there.

OT7 Nationals was loaded with elite players, the best of the best, but maybe nobody carried it better than Patterson, the new five-star do-everything player from Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna. In the game I watched, Patterson wasn’t as productive as other times but in terms of having a physical build where he could play safety, drop down to play linebacker or flip over to play receiver, there might not be anyone more equipped in the country.

The four-star receiver from Chicago (Ill.) Kenwood knows how to reveal his commitment. Michigan won out for Stewart during a break at OT7 and then someone came out dressed as Wolverine from the Marvel movies. Someone else had a big chain-link necklace on with a huge M on it. Michigan had been trending for a while in Stewart’s recruitment so his choice was not a big surprise but the reveal definitely was and added to the spice of the tournament.

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Are there at least three five-star receivers in 2025? Alabama commit Ryan Williams and Colorado pledge Winston Watkins have certainly made the case but Moore had arguably the best catch of the entire OT7 tournament with an athletic, nearly impossible grab on the sidelines and then he almost had another one in the end zone minutes later. Trillion Boys coach Chris Hawkins, who used to coach at Arizona State, said he thinks Moore is the best receiver regardless of class. That’s a bit heady considering Jeremiah Smith was at the tournament as well but the point was made: The 2025 four-star from Duncanville, Texas is really good.

The 2025 prospect from Galveston (Texas) Ball said he wants to stay at safety - God willing - and he has the agility and speed to possibly do it but Williams is already 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds and looks like he’ll end up as an outside linebacker. That’s certainly not written in stone but Williams, even while wearing pink heart-shaped sunglasses - looked like someone with elite potential as a defensive player, wherever he may line up, with tremendous length and instincts. Oklahoma, Ohio State and LSU look best.

In some ways, Smith already looks like a college football player going up against high school kids. The five-star receiver and No. 2 overall prospect was making some unreal one-handed catches in warm-ups at the Elite 11 - oh yeah, he also worked out there over the last few days - and then dominated at OT7 as well. When the five-star wants to turn it up and take over, there might not be anybody on the high school level who could stop the Ohio State commit.

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We all know his older brother is Nico Iamaleava, one of the better quarterbacks in recent memory who might not have really even tapped his full potential yet. But the 2025 Iamaleava quarterback is getting out from under his brother’s shadow and making a name for himself. The Downey (Calif.) Warren standout throws a really catchable ball, he’s getting bigger and stronger and he’s a tremendous team leader. There’s no doubt he has high-end potential.