MYRTLE BEACH (S.C.) — The NFA 7-on-7 East Regional was held over the weekend at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium, and over 70 teams from up and down the east coast competed. There were numerous top players in the 2022 and 2023 classes in action, and one jumped out, and made a strong statement with his performance.
After his sophomore season, during a training session, Bainbridge (Ga.) athlete Deyon Bouie tore his ACL and MCL. The four-star went through rehab, and could have played late in the 2020 season, but his coach decided to hold him out to give him all the time needed to fully recover.
The Georgia commit is fully recovered, and he showed he needs to be considered as one of the best cornerbacks in the 2022 class. He is currently ranked the no. 9 cornerback and no. 62 overall player — both are too low.
We had nothing to go off of in 2020, so now that the 7-on-7 circuit has kicked off in 2021, Bouie is out competing, and we have a new evaluation. He has made a case for a fifth star after being watched closely for three games over the weekend. Bouie is an explosive athlete that has very fluid hips, and his ability to turn and run without slowing down was on display in Myrtle Beach. He mixed it up at safety and cornerback, and was impressive at both positions, but cornerback is his future home in Athens.
Bouie is back healthy, and he showed he is one of the top cornerbacks in his class.
A DOZEN MORE THAT IMPRESSED
Kojo Antwi is known for his speed, and he showed that in this setting, but his hands were just as, if not more impressive over the weekend. He showed very strong hands. He caught the ball in traffic, he adjusted to the ball well, and he made numerous big plays. Schools like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Texas A&M are on Antwi’s radar.
Thomas Castellanos is a jack of all trades. He is a quarterback that scored 47 total touchdowns in 2020, but in this event, played wide receiver and safety. He flashed at both. Florida State offered as an athlete, and the Seminoles have his attention. Where does he play in college? He wants a shot at quarterback, and that could factor into his decision. Georgia Tech is a school he spoke highly of. Castellanos is a gifted athlete with a lot of natural ability.
Amari Clark battled through minor leg issues Saturday, and he was in and out of action, but when he was in, he made plays. The Maryland commit just has a great feel for the receiver position and constantly gave his quarterback a good window to throw to. He scored quite a few touchdowns, and the Terrapin fans should be excited about how locked in he is with his commitment.
Trequon Fegans played very early in the cold weather Saturday, and he was in lockdown mode right away. The four-star out of Alabama is a long and versatile defensive back. He showed the ability to knock receivers off their routes in press coverage, then sit back in off coverage as well. He has the frame schools covet, and Georgia looks to be in the driver’s seat at this stage.
Chris Graves has been one of the hotter prospects in Florida in 2021. He was offered my in-state school Miami January 20, and has added over a dozen more offers since. LSU is the most recent to offer. Florida State, Georgia Tech, Minnesota and Penn State are some of the others that have offered. He has a couple of offers to play wide receiver, but in this event Graves worked at cornerback, and he was strong. He is an aggressive cornerback with length, and good flexibility.
Holden Geriner was arguably the most consistent quarterback Saturday. He got into a rhythm Saturday morning, and made short throws, intermediate throws, and deep throws with great timing and accuracy. The Auburn commit was sharp, and impressed in this setting. He threw the best deep ball of the quarterbacks rivals saw play all day.
Sam Mbake is a big-bodied receiver with surprising quickness in his release and he was a target for his team throughout the day. He showed good separation and consistent hands, catching the ball away from his body. Florida, Georgia, LSU and USC were schools the four-star mentioned when talking about schools he is consistently communicating with.
Tyler Morris showed a burst after the catch, and what he can do after he has the ball in his hands stood out. He caught the ball in stride, he ran past defenders, and the four-star wide receiver out of Illinois created a buzz inside the stadium early. Florida is a school that has picked up their interest in Morris, and others, like Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern and Notre Dame are still in regular contact.
DeNylon Morrisette dropped one ball Saturday, and for him, that is not normal. He is a smooth receiver that runs crisp routes, and consistently gets open. He is one who could work inside and outside on the next level due to his skill-set. His hands are a weapon for him, and that showed again. Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame and USC are five schools still in the mix. He is looking to make a decision this spring.
Toriano Pride looks the part, and he played to those looks a few miles from the beach over the weekend. Pride was walking around in between games in a Clemson stocking cap, and the Tigers are a school he said he is high on. Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon are others at the top. He is a physical cornerback that played with good balance and broke well on the ball. He has a nice interception early, and he played at that level the remainder of the day.
Adam Randall is a thick wide receiver with sneaky speed. He made his share of plays in three games Saturday, and the four-star performed up to his ranking. He showed good body control, the ability to adjust to the ball, and speed to run away from defenders. He is locked in with Clemson.
Gunner Stockton showed his arm strength and the ability to fit the ball into thigh windows consistently Saturday. The Georgia commit is a pure passer with a live arm, great touch, and the ability to throw guys open. He had a few mis-reads, but he was strong, consistent, and again showed why he is one of the best in 2022.
NEW NAMES TO KNOW
Tyeseer Denmark, Robert Lockhart and Grant Tucker are underclassmen to know. Yes, there were many others at this event, but this trio took advantage of this weekend to make their presence known.
Denmark is a 2024 athlete out Pennsylvania that picked up an offer from Penn State earlier this week. He is on track for many more. He is a natural athlete that worked at wide receiver this weekend.
Lockhart is a 2023 athlete out of Georgia that picked up his first two offers this week from Liberty and Maryland. He is on the smaller side, but he is electric. He is an explosive athlete that can work out of the backfield or out of the slot.
Tucker is a 2023 safety out of North Carolina with great range and athleticism. He has early offers from North Carolina and Virginia Tech. His offer list should grow in the coming months.
This list was based on the games we were able to see.
