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What we learned: Badger championships

MORE BADGER: Info page | Day 1 | Day 2 | Top players
DALLAS - Rivals.com analyst Brian Perroni confirmed some thoughts and learned a few new things at the BadgerSports 7-on-7 National Championships on the SMU campus. Here are a few of his thoughts from the weekend:
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1. Southern California is loaded with skill players
If the rosters of Team 1925 and B2G are any indication, the Southern California area certainly is not lacking for receivers and defensive backs in the class of 2012. The two rosters were comprised of eight four-star receivers. The 1925 squad had so many elite pass catchers that Notre Dame commit Deontay Greenberry and Arizona State commit Richard Smith played primarily on the defensive side of the ball. Five-star Shaq Thompson, Kevon Seymour, Ishmael Adams and Notre Dame commit Tee Shepard were all Rivals100 defenders in action as well.
2. Texas 7-on-7 teams are better than advertised
Manvel (Texas) High School is a pretty good program in the Texas high school 7-on-7 ranks and the Mavericks marched through their side of the bracket to reach the championship game of the tournament. Despite not having a single prospect on the roster with a Division I offer, Manvel simply played as a team and beat bigger and faster opponents. Mansfield (Texas) Timberview is not known as a 7-on-7 power in the state yet the team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the weekend when they defeated a loaded Goon Squad team.
3. Pike is not quite the same as before
Last spring and summer, Edgewood (Ky.) Dixie Heights quarterback Zeke Pike was making the tournament and camp rounds and impressing at every stop. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound passer earned quite a few offers over that stretch. This spring and summer have been a different story, though. After struggling mightily at the Ohio State Elite 11 camp, the Auburn commit had surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. Five weeks later he was better at this event. However, he was still off a lot of the time and only showed flashes of brilliance. Will he show his old form at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January?
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