8/30/2015 football Edit

Rivals Recap: Tampa area matchups

Rob Cassidy

Recruiting Analyst

Five-star wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers led his Tampa Catholic team to a 45-16 route of Indian Rocks Christian on Friday night. Myers, who played safety as well as receiver on Friday, scored a pair of touchdowns and made two interceptions in the contest. Less than 48 hours later and a few dozen miles down the road, IMG Academy bested Miramar 38-14 in a contest that saw the IMG backups get plenty of playing time.

I was impressed with...

Hello, Devan Barrett. Barrett, who plays both cornerback and running back is ranked as the No. 231 player in the 2017 class. After Friday, even that, it seems, may be a touch low. Barrett, a teammate of 2016 five-star Nate Craig Myers, was the most dominant force on the field on Friday night. He accounted for 233 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the game. And while the competition level wasn't exactly elite, the quickness and power he showcased were unmistakable. Barrett doesn't have top-level breakaways speed, but he's certainly fast enough. It's unclear whether his future is on offense or defense, but he's clearly a high-level, versatile athlete and will be a truly national recruit.

And here's 2017 four-star Devan Barrett with his second TD. 27-7 Tampa Catholic https://t.co/vUr06zmTkN- Rob Cassidy (@Cassidy_Rob) August 29, 2015

Nate Craig-Myers is impressive. There's no disputing that. The debate is on whether he's truly a five-star talent after the leg injury he suffered last year. He certainly was in spurts on Friday. He scored one touchdown on offense and one touchdown on defense. Aside from two or three big plays, though, he didn't take over the game. Of course, he battled double coverage for much of the night, so it's unfair to hang the five-star prospect's offensive stat line over his head, as he did grab a pair of interceptions and impact the game significantly as a safety. Whatever the case, his athleticism and physicality are certifiable weapons. The rest of Craig-Myers' season will determine his final ranking, as he's currently toeing the line between five-star and four-star status.

So much for Craig-Myers being quiet. Here's a touchdown 20-7 Catholic https://t.co/UFoqWVcEKI- Rob Cassidy (@Cassidy_Rob) August 29, 2015

The No. 1 player in the country posted solid stats in limited playing time. IMG Academy quarterback Shea Patterson finished his team's 38-14 romp of Miramar with 179 passing yards. He completed 15 of his 23 passes and tossed three touchdowns in the contest. The most impressive thing about Patterson's performance, however, was his ability to throw on the run. He routinely extended plays with his feet, buying his receivers time to get open and ultimately making a play. Patterson is more mobile that people expect and moves around well in the pocket when need be.

I was surprised by...

Rivals250 wide receiver Drake Davis hasn't missed a beat despite taking a year off of football to concentrate on soccer. Davis, who has impressive length, took the game's opening kickoff back for a touchdown and flashed impressive speed in the process. Davis' blend of size and quickness is truly unique and the reason why his stock is consistently rising.

Malik Barrow's return from a shoulder injury has been impressive to say the least. On Sunday, Barrow tipped a pass, intercepted it and returned in for a touchdown early the game. He created chaos in the Miramar backfield on a few occasions and seemed to be around the play on most downs. Barrow's solid performance came on the heels of another impressive showing in IMG's Week One loss to American Heritage.

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