Top talent turns out for Texas 7-on-7

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - One of the most prestigious summer 7-on-7 tournaments in the country, the Texas 7-on-7 State Championship kicks off Thursday on the campus of Texas A&M. Rivals.com will be there to break down all of the action for you as multiple Division I-A prospects from the Classes of 2008 and 2009 are expected.

Small school play begins Thursday at noon and the action runs through Saturday with the larger school championship.

Here's a look at some of the top talent in the field.

Rivals100 quarterback Andrew Luck will lead Houston Stratford into the field. Luck, an Elite 11 selection and the top prospect at his position in the Lone Star State, recently gave a verbal commitment to Stanford University. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder currently rates as the nation's No. 3 pro-style quarterback prospect and the No. 59 overall prospect in the Rivals100.

Class of 2009 defensive end Terrence Lloyd also could be one to watch for Stratford.

Rivals100 cornerback Aaron Williams will lead Round Rock McNeil into the field. The talented corner is committed to Texas and is the nation's fifth-ranked prospect at his position.

Perhaps the prospect that has seen his stock rise the most this summer is Celina safety/cornerback D'Anton Lynn. After a stellar showing at the USC Rising Star Camp in late June, Lynn picked up a scholarship offer from the Trojans. Florida, Penn State, UCLA, Wisconsin, Arkansas and others have jumped in the mix for Lynn, who has the chance to see his stock rise even higher with a dominant showing this week. Celina last won a title in 2000.

South Garland features a plethora of talent, including four-star Oklahoma safety commit Joseph Ibiloye and Baylor quarterback commit Nick Florence. Other South Garland prospects to watch include wide receiver Steven Osborne, cornerback Josh Rolfe and Class of 2009 linebacker Austin Moss, who recently was rated as the state's No. 16 overall prospect in his class by Lone Star Recruiting.

Mesquite will be led by two of the top sleepers in the Lone Star State, quarterback Kelly Page and wide receiver Adrian Richards. Both have the tools to play in the Big 12, but neither have garnished much attention thus far during the recruiting process. Both will be out to reinforce their legitimacy during the event.

Southlake Carroll features several Division I-A prospects. The Texas high school football powerhouse is seeking its first 7-on-7 title since 1998. Texas running back commit Tre Newton and quarterback Riley Dodge, who recently switched his commitment from the Longhorns to North Texas, lead the charge. Wide receiver Blake Cantu (Oregon) and linebacker Derek Tomlin (North Texas) also are prospects to watch.

Texas A&M linebacker commit Kyle Mangan, Texas fullback commit Ryan Roberson and three-star running back Lester Ward will make the 40-mile drive up from Brenham High. Class of 2009 running back Markevious Franklin and cornerback Kendrell Washington also are two to keep an eye on for Brenham.

Houston Lamar tight end Eric Lair, who recently committed to Minnesota, is a prospect to keep an eye on as are his two rising junior teammates, cornerback Dwayne Buggs and athlete Josh Gordon.

Oklahoma State quarterback commit Kody Spano and Texas Tech safety commit Cody Davis lead Stephenville into the field. Spano is the nation's seventh-ranked dual-threat quarterback while Davis had multiple BCS Conference offers before deciding on the Red Raiders.

Brownwood is led by a pair of top juniors. Quarterback Casey Pachall (No. 13 in the LSR top 100) and cornerback Kenny Vaccaro both are expected to be among the top prospects in Texas during the next recruiting cycle. This week's event will give both the opportunity to firmly establish themselves as such.

Baylor cornerback commit Mike Williams will lead Beaumont Westbrook into the event, along with running back Christian Michael, the No. 5 overall prospect in the LSR Top 100. Class of 2008 running back Albert Williams also is one to watch.

Last year's champion, Colleyville Heritage, features Class of 2009 defensive back Eddie Foster, the No. 74 overall prospect on the LSR list.

Here are some others to keep an eye on...

Katy features UCLA commit Aundre Dean (running back) and Kansas State safety commit Trent Hunter; Marlin features Oklahoma State running back commit Travis Miller, Port Arthur Memorial features Nebraska cornerback commit David Whitmore, UTEP quarterback commit Tim Curry leads Elysian Fields into the event, UCF running back commit Chris Wilson of Fort Bend Austin also is one to watch.

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