COVINGTON, La. -- Teams from around the Southeast and Midlands converged in Louisiana to do more than shake off the rust heading into spring football. Bragging rights were on the line and swag was in full effect as teams competed in the Pylon 7-on-7 Bootlegger Invitational to prove who could provide the most substance with flash en route to the AAU Junior Olympic 7v7 Finals later this year.

Class of 2017 Louisiana wide receiver DeVonta Smith. The long, lanky receiver fits the mold of a perimeter guy making long strides and winning jump-balls, but his Bootleggers teammates were typically the ones that did that. Meanwhile, Smith was the day’s best inside-out threat, winning matchups lined up anywhere on the line of scrimmage. He won individual battles with a combination of slinky jukes and sharp route-running. He finished the day as one of the tournament’s MVP’s by catching everything thrown his direction and displaying a knack for finding open gaps in the defense. Bootleggers advanced to the tournament finals on the strength and length of its pass-catchers, and Smith was their most consistent and productive.

South Florida’s amalgamated team, War Zone, had a pair of slot wide receivers that were equally as steady and effective as Smith in their own right. Three-star Miami Gardens-Carol City receiver Caleb Thomas routinely ate up yards after making catches and teammate Victor Tucker was nearly indistinguishable from fellow four-star War Zone WR Mark Pope, both physically and with his play-making ability. Thomas found his greatest success making defenders miss after creating separation on outs and quickly timed routes, Tucker caught short and long passes alike, in traffic and in space and was flat-out as solid as any receiver on the day.

War Zone players took home two MVP awards at the tourney’s conclusion. Quarterback Stone Labanowitz and four-star safety Stanford Samuels rode the wave of a strong championship game to secure top honors. Samuels didn’t play in War Zone’s semifinal matchup against Team Texas Elite, but made a huge impact late in the team’s final matchup against Bootleggers, shutting down consecutive attempts in the back of the end zone with blanket coverage and a pass defensed respectively. He was a clear leader for the defensive group when tempers flared with opponents and he embraced taking on receivers like DeVonta Smith one-on-one. Labanowitz made several passes on the run that he was able to squeeze through tight windows to fast-moving targets. While there were plenty of examples of War Zone receivers making big plays after the catch, he made just as many quick reads and tough throws into narrow areas close to the end zone.

Class of 2018 LSU wide receiver commit Devonta Jason likely could have took top honors at the position from his similarly-named teammate had he played more as the day wore on. That’s not to say that the body of work he did turn in wasn’t impressive. Jason likely won the most jump-balls of any single receiver on the day -- some coming in spectacular fashion -- and served as more than just a safety valve for quarterback Levi Lewis. Bootleggers repeatedly split Jason out wide by himself in the red zone, all but telling opponents the pass was going to him in the corner of the end zone, and still hit on a high percentage of passes sent his way.

Three-star Dickinson, Texas, defensive back Chris Wilson started the day as well as anyone for Dem Texas Boyz, snatching three interceptions in his first game. Perhaps the fast early start was a curse as much as it was a blessing, as he seemed more focused on jumping pass routes and watching quarterbacks than keeping receivers in front of him from his safety position. While he was still one of the more influential defenders on the day, he was occasionally caught looking elsewhere during plays and losing sight of a receiver over the top.

Team Texas Elite had the two most physically imposing players on either side of the ball in four-star safety Grant Delpit and four-star IMG Academy receiver Jhamon Ausbon. Delpit made a case for most impressive defensive back in the camp, coming away with a few interceptions despite quarterbacks often throwing away from him. Equally as impressive was Delpit’s work rate following a long trip from Southern California, where he took in the Trojans' spring game the day before. Ausbon was a little more streaky, but could step onto a college football field today and instantly be one of the most impressively-built players out there.

The Romans 8:28 trio of Derique Ryan, Hurshie Williams, and Carl Robinson will be an exciting group of players to continue to watch this spring. Robinson got better as the day carried on and very nearly willed his team into the finals with a late flurry of clutch passes. Physically, Williams looks like a linebacker in a cornerback’s body. He didn’t always flash clinical technique in coverage, but had great awareness and instincts the kept quarterbacks looking for other options. Ryan is very reminiscent of 2014 wide receiver and Missouri commit Nate Brown. He’s not a burner, but is a bigger, physical receiver that isn’t going to be bumped off a route and he out-muscled a few defenders for 50/50 opportunities.