Rivals Recap: Sam Madison 7v7

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Sam Madison 7v7 Battle in North Florida attracted more than 25 teams that arrived with rosters crawling with college-bound talent. Underclassmen stole the show during the two-day even, however. New and notes on the players that stood out from the crowd are listed below.

There’s a reason Brieon Fuller lists four major scholarship offers as a high school freshman. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver was one of the most dominant players at the event and proves himself to be an incredibly explosive wide receiver that provides a deep threat. Even when defensive backs managed to stay stride-for-stride with Fuller, he seemed to always come down with the football. Fuller has incredibly strong hands and is already turning into a well-rounded prospect.

Defensive tackle Kane Taylor turned in one of the weekend’s most impressive performances as a tight end. The massive Taylor was incredibly light on his feet and dominated a handful of games as an unstoppable offensive weapon. Taylor, of course, will never play tight end in college but the weekend performance did plenty to show off his agility. Taylor has all the makings of an exceptional three-technique defensive tackle.

Bremen (Ga.) High School defensive back Kyle Bailey arrived in Tallahassee with a few scholarship offered and played like an FBS prospect for most of the weekend. Bailey has great size for a safety and breaks on the ball well. On Saturday, he erased the mistakes of more than one cornerback and closed quickly to deflect a couple passes that looked like sure completions.

On day after committing to Alabama, running back Trey Sanders showed up in Tallahassee and backed up his standing as a future member of the Crimson Tide. Sanders accelerates as quickly as any back in his class and was one of the fastest players in attendance at the event. When you lay eyes on Sanders’ solid frame, it’s easy to forget he’s a high school freshman. Sanders has every physical tool to become a special player and showed most of them off on Sunday. Sanders played both safety and running back on Sunday and looked impressive at both positions.

Cornerback OJ Tucker of Ocala (Fla.) Forest High turned in a solid two-day performance, during which he looked as physical as any cornerback at the event. Tucker uses the sideline well and is not afraid to mix it up at the line of scrimmage. He’s the type of cornerback that can use power to take a smaller wideout out of a play but can also cover most bigger targets down field.

Largo (Fla.) defensive back Zamari Maxwell remains under recruited. He lists offers from just two power conference schools but has the length and the agility to play in a major league. The long-armed Maxwell was consistent all weekend but really found a groove on Sunday, when he picked off a pair of crucial passes in elimination game. Maxwell is solid in coverage but breaks on the ball incredibly well and has the size to play safety.

Miami Central High School quarterback Maurice Underwood showed tremendous poise for a true freshman. He also certainly has the size to be a high-level college quarterback.. He’ll need to add weight and develop his footwork, but his length and arm strength make him an interesting prospect. The most impressive thing about Underwood at this stage, however, is how well he goes through his progression. He rarely forces throws and makes sound decisions.

Largo (Fla.) Indian Rocks Christian School tight end Sam Veltman mad an impact on the tournament and proved himself to be a big body capable of getting open downfield. Veltman has a thick frame but also flashed light feet during the tournament. He shined particularly bright on Sunday, as he created matchup issues for defensive backs and linebackers alike. Veltman, a junior, is still awaiting his first scholarship offer.

Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Catholic defensive back Sean Bouie has the size and the speed to make an impact at the college level. He only participated in the tournament ton Sunday, but wasted no time making an impact. The thick-built Bouie was particularly impressive deep downfield, where he routinely stayed with smaller wide receivers and broke up passes in the end zone.

A recent Alabama commit, Trey Sanders says he intends to take visits and looks around. He’s solid to the Tide but is quick to point out that there’s plenty of time until Signing Day 2019, when he the high school freshman will officially pick a school.

“I’m still going to visit other schools to see what they have to offer and maybe change my mind but, right now, I feel like Alabama is home for me,” Sanders said. “Other than that, Roll Tide.”

Zamari Maxwell says USF currently leads his recruitment, but Iowa State and Vanderbilt are also heavily in the mix. The Florida-based defensive back plans to visit USF in the coming month and hopes to take official visits to Iowa State and Vanderbilt.

Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Daewood Davis remains committed to Syracuse. That has not stopped him from taking other visits in the past, however, and it certainly won’t preclude him from doing so in the future. On Sunday, Davis said he intends to visit Florida, Georgia and FAU in the coming month.