NFA 7v7 National Championships: Recruiting news and notes

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Over 30 7-on-7 teams and numerous top prospects took part in the National 7v7 tournament at IMG Academy over the weekend. With that much talent in one place, there was plenty of recruiting buzz floating around.

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It seems like a distant memory when Justin Fields decommitted from Penn State, but it was still less than two weeks ago that the five-star quarterback out of Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison opened his recruitment back up. He has been the talk of the country since in the recruiting world. There were local reporters camped out at IMG Academy around noon Friday waiting for his arrival.

Once Fields arrived, all eyes were on him. His performance was solid, but he his arm was a little tired, so he was not as sharp as he has been in the past. Nobody really cared about how he threw the ball, though — it was all about recruiting and what was going to happen next. Fields mentioned Alabama, Ole Miss and North Carolina on his list, but the schools that look to be true contenders are Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. He visited all but Florida last week and the Gators will likely host Fields in the near future. Florida had the most buzz right after his decommitment, but over the weekend Florida State and Georgia were the schools tied to Fields' name the most.

He would like to commit before the season starts, but he is not going to push it if he is not ready. The media was all over him and he used his coach, Cam Newton, to shield him some, but he still had to answer a lot of questions in between games. Fields will stay in the news and be a hot topic until he does choose his school and commit once again.

Florida had a couple of commitments, 2018 athlete Iverson Clement and 2019 athlete Tyrique Stevenson, competing over the weekend. Both had their moments on the field, with Clement definitely being one of the top performers over the two days. Both are versatile athletes who plan to call Gainesville home in the future.

There were others in Florida speaking highly of the Gators as well.

One was Kwantel Raines, a Rivals 250 defensive back out of Aliquippa (Pa.). He headed to Florida to see the Swamp on Monday before heading home. Florida was one of the first schools out of his mouth when asked about programs high on his list. Raines is in no rush to make a decision.

Some of the young prospects on Georgia-based Team FSS also have the Gators high on their lists. Class of 2019 wide receiver Ramel Keyton, 2020 quarterback Harrison Bailey and 2020 wide receiver Jermaine Burton may all be Gator leans. Burton is from Florida and he will be one of the top prospects in the country, so he is one Gators fans should keep a close eye on. Bailey recently said Alabama and Florida are high on his list.

Moving back in state, five-star defensive back Tyreke Johnson said, “Florida came back in on me” when we spoke with him Saturday. The Gators were not long ago the favorite to land the Trinity Christian star, but things seemed to slow down a bit between those two. Georgia and UCLA are two schools he may be highest on today, but Florida is back in the discussion.

Another in-state athlete to know is Cam Coleman, a four-star out of IMG Academy. He made plays on offense and defense over the weekend, and the Gators are one of his top schools. He was offered by Florida not too long ago and he loves the environment there.

Harrison Bailey made news last week by being the youngest prospect to compete at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas in Indianapolis. He is going to sleep well this week. He was the only quarterback for the FSS Club team, so he played every game for them, but he also played games for their 15u team as well.

Bailey may look like a senior, but the 6-foot-4, 220 pound quarterback out of Marietta, Ga., is just a rising sophomore. He was tired Sunday, rightfully so, but he took his team to a third-place finish. He was offered by Ohio State last week and that gives him 21 offers. He recently said to Rivals that Alabama and Florida are two schools he is high on at this stage and that he could commit “silently” after his sophomore year. Bailey is one who could break numerous passing records in Georgia before all is said and done.

There were plenty of talented Florida playmakers on the field Saturday and Sunday, but three really stood out more than the rest.

Warren Thompson passes the eye test immediately, and he was strong. Mark Pope is smooth, explosive and he can change the game. Those two are 2018 talents; then there was 2020 star Leonard Manuel doing what most kids his age only dream of.

Thompson looks like a young Julio Jones on the hoof. He can still improve his hands and bringing the ball in, but he is strong, he made plays and he knew where the end zone was. Thompson committed to Oregon on Monday.

Miami already has Pope locked up. He is quick off the line of scrimmage and he will make plays for Mark Richt in Coral Gables as a freshman.

Manuel is an elite talent in the 2020 class, and he recently committed to Tennessee. He was good on Saturday, then great on Sunday. He made great adjustments to the ball, he was getting behind the corners on a regular basis and he has a chance to be special.

Will it be Florida State? Is Ohio State going get him? Seven schools remain in contention for Houston Griffith, a Rivals 100 defensive back who’s from Chicago but plays at IMG Academy. The buzz this weekend was Florida State is the school others are chasing. Alabama, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State and Texas along with Ohio State are in this too. Tim Brewster has known the Griffith family for many years, so that helps the Seminoles' chances.

“I just feel comfortable in Tallahassee,” Griffin said.

The buzz across the fields at IMG Academy was that Florida State is the favorite to land Griffith. He plans to make a decision in the fall.

Keep an eye on Isaiah Bolden, a four-star defensive back out of Zephyrhills (Fla.) Wesley Chapel. He was a Florida State commitment for 10 months, then flipped to Oregon six weeks ago. He was back in Tallahassee last week for three days and his family would love for him to stay home and be a Seminole. Could he flip again and go back to the school he originally committed to? Yes, he could. He was wearing Oregon gloves over the weekend, but he had FSU cleats with him as well. Which of those will he be wearing on the next level? Even though he is committed, that is still to be determined.