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Plus, the class of 2020 offers a return of elite QBs.
Tuesday, I offered up the best 2019 recruits at the Adidas 7v7 National Championship, as well as thoughts on where they might sign. Wednesday, it’s time for the younger players to take their turn.
The QB talent returns in 2020
There is a lot of justified chatter about the lack of quarterback talent in the 2019 class nationally. But those worried about a trend should rest easy, because the 2020 class is back up to normal standards, at least based on what I have seen so far.
I wrote about DJ Uiagalelei a month ago, so I won’t say the same thing again. He was again promising.
The top 2020 QB DJ Uiagalelei has everything going for him. The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco prospect is huge at 6’5 and 240 pounds. He has a cannon for an arm. He has a very high IQ, both on field (countless relatives are coaches) and off (he says he has the grades to play for Stanford or Cal). He is also an excellent baseball player who will likely get drafted, though he expects to play football. Basically every major program in the nation has offered.
Intel: Everyone, and I mean everyone, I spoke with expects him to go to USC.
The next are T.J. Finley and Aaron McGlaughlin (2021), whom I also wrote about a month ago. Both continued to look good in this tournament against older competition.
The first is 2020’s T.J. Finley. From Ponchatoula, Louisiana (northeast of New Orleans, where I-55 meets I-12). Finley is 6’6, 230 pounds, and doesn’t turn 16 until March 25. Physically, Finley stands out. He is a giant, and has a young body. His dad joked with me that they had to carry his birth certificate around when he was a kid.
Finley has a big arm, which you’d expect from a kid of his size, but he impressed me with his combination of zip and touch. That’s not something you always see. And he had a good idea of where to go with the football.
Another young QB who really impressed Sunday was Aaron McGlaughlin, of Buford (Georgia). He is actually seven months older than Finley, but is in the 2021 class. McGlaughlin is 6’4, 205 and, like Finley, throws the ball with plenty of RPMs and touch. He seems to know where to go with the ball. He was one of the best QBs at the event. Plus, he simply looks like every Georgia QB ever. Offers include Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, USC, and Texas A&M.
But three more 2020s impressed me this weekend: Bryce Young, of Santa Ana (Calif) Mater Dei; Harrison Bailey, of Marietta (Ga.); and Jack Miller, of Scottsdale (Ariz) Chapparal.
Young impressed me with his throwing of the football. He’s a talented scrambler as well, but in this format, athleticism doesn’t factor in, but he still carved defenses up with his arm. Harrison Bailey also impressed throwing the football, generally knowing where to go with it. And this was the first time I had seen Jack Miller in person. He has a good build at 6’4, 210, and he spun it well.
The early feel is that Ohio State looks good for Jack Miller. USC is the default pick for Young, though he likes the Arizona schools, Washington, etc. Michigan has made a strong connection with Harrison Bailey.
2019 might be the worst year of QBs I have ever scouted, but a bounce back is due in 2020.
14 future stars at pass catcher and those who cover them
(7v7, or “passing skeleton” as it is sometimes known, is football without linemen, thus there aren’t any discussed here)
New Caney cornerback Dwight McGlothern is drawing a ton of interest from elite schools. The 6’2 McGlothern will visit Texas A&M April 14th, and then either the LSU or Texas Spring Game on the 20th. He has briefly visited Austin, but wants to get back to see more of the Longhorns. McGlothern is not an early enrollee, and is taking his time with the process. He said that he is not ready to make a top list yet, but will be “Once USC, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State and USC offer me.” McGlothern is quite the character, but he really is a good player with great length for the corner position.
Logan Loya, about whom I wrote in February, again balled out.
Logan Loya, 2020 WR, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran: Whoa. Logan Loya is really nice. An underclassman, the 6’0, 170-pounder was quite simply the best receiver at the event all day. He was able to vary his tempo, gets in and out of his breaks without having to gear down, and catches everything. I was shocked that Loya only has one offer (San Jose State). That should change soon. Loya is currently unrated by all of the major sites.
Joshua Downs, a receiver out of Suwannee (Ga.) North Gwinnett was excellent as well. Downs consistently got open underneath. He has some Power 5 offers including Boston College and Kentucky.
Arik Gilbert, a tight end/linebacker out of Marietta (Ga.) is one of the best underclassmen tight ends I’ve ever seen. He is 6’4, 230, and looks like he’s 25. But his birthdate says he recently turned 16, which is pretty scary. Georgia has offered.
Elias Ricks might have been the best corner at the event, regardless of year. The Mater Dei star is lsted as a safety at many sites because he has the frame to add 30+ pounds and be 6’2, 210ish, but he looked great. Ricks likes USC, and like several of his Ground 0 7v7 squad teammates, also likes Florida State, since Groud 0 alumni five-star DB Jaiden Woodbey signed with the Seminoles in 2018. Ricks is a no-doubt five-star in my book.
Ricks high school teammate, corner Darion Green-Warren, also had a great tournament. DGW is shorter than Ricks, and I didn’t get a chance to speak with him, but he holds an Oklahoma offer and is one to watch.
J.T. Tuimoloau, a tight end out of Sammamish (Wa.) Eastside Catholic is an absolute freak and I have no doubt he’ll be one of the best recruits out West in the class of 2021. USC and Washington have already offered. His teammate, Gee Scott Jr., is going to end up as one of the best receivers in the class of 2020. He has good height at 6’3 and plus ball skills.
I again liked what I saw from La Habra (Calif.) cornerback Clark Phillips III. The 5’10, 180-pound 2020 CB is very physical, and plays with great focus. He tries to make the most of every rep and had a good day in coverage.
Linebacker Tyler Berrong of Port Orange (Fla.) Atantic has really been showing out over the last month, and his elite play continued over the weekend. He’s a legit 6’2, 210, and can really cover. Florida and North Carolina have offered.
Kahlil Brantley, of Miami (Fla.) Doral Academy had a very strong tournament. The 6’1 receiver made strong catch after strong catch, including this one.
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Just as they did in the East Regional Championship, Marcus Fleming, Henry Gray, and Ja’Corey Brooks balled out in the National Tournament.
Another star receiver to watch out for is Marcus Fleming of Miami Northwestern. Fleming is 5’11, 170, and is just always getting open. He has good top-end speed, but it is his quickness and change of direction that put distance between him and other defenders. Fleming reliably catches the ball with his hands and shows a good feel for finding space and sitting down in it. I have seen him three times so far in 2018 and am sold. He can play slot in the upper half of the Power 5. So far, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, and NC State have offered.
Ja’Corey Brooks, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington: Brooks is the only freshman on this list, but he’s actually been known in recruiting circles since the eighth grade, when Tennessee offered him. Eyeballing, I’d say he is 6’3, 190, and uses his big body to shield defenders. He is adept at going up and getting the football, and for his size and age, he is not slow. Florida, Georgia, and Miami have already offered.
Henry Gray, Miami (Fla.) Central: 6’1, 175, good speed, good body control, good instincts, and a great mentality for the position? Sign me up. Gray just picked up a Miami offer, so expect his recruitment to take off.
Fleming must have caught 40 balls in a two-day span. He is so advanced for his age.
One name to add to the list is Malik Rutherford, a 2021 speedster out of Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Academy. Rutheford was playing on South Florida Express’ youth team, but showed that his speed translates against older players.