Rivals Recap: South Florida Pylon 7-on-7

DAVENPORT, Fla. – The two-day Pylon 7v7 event wrapped up on Sunday. South Florida-based Florida Fire walked away with the event’s championship, but plenty of prospects across a number of teams left their respective marks on the event. Below are notes on some of the tournament’s top individual performances.

An Ohio State commit, Shaun Wade spent the weekend backing up his five-star ranking. Cornerbacks as long and athletic as Wade don’t come around very often. He was remarkably consistent at cutting off one side of the field and made plays on the rare occasions that he was tested. Wade’s one-handed, diving interception was the play of the tournament. There simply aren’t a lot of holes in the Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian star’s game.

St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Mike Harley has as good a burst as any receiver that was at the event. Harley spent the weekend turning short passes into huge gains and projects as a high-level slot receiver. Harley is as sudden as he is quick and is at his best when he gets the ball in space. Harley has long arms and a nice frame. He’ll need to add weight before he gets to college, but he has plenty of time to do so.

Class-of-2018 defensive back Al Blades continues to develop and is as well rounded as any defensive back in his class. His speed is complimented by tremendous length, which makes him a nightmare for wide receivers in coverage. Blades has been blessed with tremendous physical gifts but has also worked to refine his technique and has improved his footwork dramatically in the last year. A one-time Miami commit, Blades is currently undecided. Still, most expect him to recommit to Miami eventually.

Four-star safety Cyrus Fagan had as impressive a first day as anyone at the tournament. His team’s second day was cut short by an early elimination, but Fagan made his statement in pool play, which saw him intercept at least two passes. Fagan is a nice blend of size and speed. His offer list is lengthy for a reason.

Four-star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was possibly the most effective offensive player at the tournament. Jeudy, who is thought to be a slight Alabama lean, was remarkably consistent during the two-day event and routinely got open on deep routes. Jeudy was a big reason for his team’s run into the tournament finals.

Stanford Samuels is a top-100 prospect for a reason, and he showed all of those reasons over the weekend. Samuels worked at wide receiver and his college position of defensive back. He shined at both spots, but his ability as a corner is improving because of his added size. The four-star defensive back has added length and muscle in the past year and continues to develop at a rapid pace.

Quarterback N’Koski Perry, a former Miami commit, had a solid two-day run. And while he occasionally underthrew wide receivers on deep routes, the good far outweighed the bad. Perry is a duel threat, so the fact that he managed to shine without being permitted to show his speed is impressive. Perry has a nice quarterback’s build and a quick release. Tennessee is thought to hold a slight edge in the race to secure his commitment.

Miami Southridge wide receiver Rodney Scott had a nice day playing for the tournament champion Florida Fire. Scott has good-enough size and his routes are sharp. He used quick cuts to create separation quickly and also picked up plenty of yards after catches. Scott’s acceleration makes him hard to cover on intermediate routes.

Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna wide receiver Xavier Williams gets off the line in a hurry and uses a quick first step to devastate corners that attempt to press. He flashed incredible hands on Sunday, as he made of the of the day’s best catches in the end zone. Williams could stand to add some muscle but is likely to do so before he gets to college. A 2018 prospect, Williams is developing at a nice pace and has plenty of time to gain weight. He’s already a lethal deep threat as things stand now.

Dominick Watt’s size is the first thing anyone notices about him. A 2018 prospect, he stands roughly 6-foot-3 and plays both wide receiver and defensive back for his 7-on-7 team. Watt made plays at both spots but was nearly impossible to stop as a receiver. Watt is incredibly versatile for his size, as his speed is notable and his ability to win jump balls is undeniable. Watt did a lot of things well on Saturday and Sunday and will likely have a long list of scholarship opportunities down the road. For now, Louisville represents his lone offer.

Asante Samuel lacks the size of other elite defensive backs, but his play dictates that he fits in well with the other top-flight cornerbacks. Samuel is remarkably quick and covers as well as any cornerback in his class. He’ll need to add size in order to be the type of tackler he wants to be, but his coverage skills are already elite. Samuel made a number of interceptions over the weekend and was rarely beaten despite matching up with some highly regarded receivers. Samuel is thought to favor Florida State.

Mac Jones’ second day was short because his team was eliminated in an overtime loss, but the fact that he helped orchestrate an undefeated first day shouldn’t go overlooked. Jones has developed as a passer over the last year. He’s also added muscle. The Jacksonville-based prospect makes sound decisions and goes through progressions quickly. He’s not as mobile in the pocket as some other quarterbacks but he has good-enough arm strength and impressive accuracy on deep balls. Jones is committed to Kentucky but taking other visits.

After an up and down start to the offseason, Todd Centeio looked remarkably consistent over the weekend. The quarterback of the tournament champions, Centeio made few mistakes. He also made a number of difficult throws look relatively easy. Centeio’s touch is what propelled his team to the title, but he showed some impressive arm strength as well. A one-time Miami commit, Centeio is considering schools such as N.C. State, Temple, Louisville and Wake forest.

LSU commit Justin Watkins played offense and defense over the weekend, but looked more comfortable playing cornerback. That said, Watkins was his team’s MVP on both sides of the ball. A hyper-athletic playmaker, Watkins cam eup with a number of clutch catches and at least two interceptions. Watkins has nice top-end speed and the ability to change directions on a dime.

Three-star wide receiver Kevaughn Dingle favors Miami for the time being and plans to attend the Hurricanes’ upcoming junior day. Dingle says the Hurricanes sit on top of his recruitment alone because of how close he feels to the current Miami coaching staff.

Oregon State commit Camron Davis, a class-of-2018 prospect, picked the Beavers without setting foot on campus. The Carol City High School running back plans to visit Corvallis this summer but also hopes to tour schools such as Notre Dame, Florida State and Clemson this summer. He has yet to receiver an offer from any of the three.