The Garcia Awards: OT7 Finals

[ad_1] The Garcia Awards: OT7 Finals

Derrick Baker FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Whereas the match wound up as the newest notch on the belt for an all-time 7-on-7 run from Lo Professional, the street to Sunday night featured jaw-dropping performs, constant performances and new names to know from the nationwide occasion.

Rivals seems again and dishes out some {hardware} of its personal after taking in every day of the motion.

OT7 FINALS: Recruiting Rumor Mill | Prime performers from opening day | Garcia's takeaways from Saturday

CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Workforce | Place | State

CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Workforce | Place | State

THE BREAKOUT: Derrick Baker The South Florida native is about to kick off the autumn as QB1 at Milton (Ga.) Excessive Faculty, however he'll have some further momentum going into his junior marketing campaign within the Peach State. Baker is well-built at about 6-foot-1 and 225 kilos, however his tempo, precision and development in piloting the Cam Newton offense went from good storyline to constant risk in opposition to the nation's elite membership groups.

Baker was a real level guard on grass, directing visitors and executing to all three ranges en path to C1N's semifinal run. Loads of affords are already in for the 2027 passer, who additionally confirmed off his wheels when blitzed, as early relationships at Florida State, Indiana, Virginia Tech and others have his consideration.

MR. COMPETITIVE: Briggs Cherry Briggs Cherry The four-star Louisville dedication confirmed nice drive on the soccer and loads of belief in his arm expertise all weekend lengthy. Cherry wrapped up the playoff run as the one main passer within the nationwide match to have made profitable stops on the Elite 11 Finals, Rivals 5-Star and OT7 Finals.

Regardless of extra quantity of throws than simply about any quarterback within the nation throughout that stretch, Cherry was nonetheless pushing the ball deep with ease properly into Sunday afternoon. The competitiveness and head-turning expertise has different applications checking in on the Cardinals dedication.

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SNAG CITY: Devin Fitzgerald Devin Fitzgerald This setting gives loads of footballs within the air, revealing these with polish amongst those that could struggle the soccer some. The latter by no means comes up with the son of the NFL legend, who have to be bored with listening to these comparisons at this level.

Nonetheless, the way in which Fitzgerald finishes performs is one thing his previous man would absolutely recognize.

The four-star, who could also be trending to Notre Dame, plucks the ball away from his physique on routine. He can work the sideline with physique management, go up and get it, or monitor it in stride with true consistency.

SPIDEY SENSE: Joey O'Brien It doesn't matter what place a defensive again could occupy, the instincts one reveals when the soccer is within the air can change into the distinction between a cross breakup and an interception – and O'Brien had loads of every over the weekend.

The OT7 Defensive Participant of the Yr saved a few of his greatest juice for the ultimate match of the season whilst onlookers anticipated him to make that sort of affect. O'Brien's size and set off permits him to play the seam downhill however he additionally reveals lateral vary and true ball expertise in opposition to different ideas.

There was some cornerback speak and even offensive packages for the Notre Dame dedication, however his free vary recreation as a excessive security is well probably the most constant on this setting.

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WALK IT, TALK IT: Brysen Wright It would not take lengthy to listen to the 2028 prospect demand the soccer on a given play however it additionally would not take lengthy for Wright to make a type of 'wow' performs all the identical. On a Miami Uncooked roster loaded with blue-chip cross catchers, it is the 14-year-old who splashed as a lot as any large receiver on any roster over the weekend.

Wright is open even when he would not create separation, which is not typically, and when the ball is within the air he comes down with it properly greater than not. He performs with emotion and an edge that might not be for everybody, however there additionally aren't many defensive backs who confirmed a capability to sluggish him down regardless of his youth.

THE TELEPORTER: A'mir Sears A'mir Sears The 7-on-7 setting is offense-driven and folks wish to see factors on the board, however sure prospects make it that a lot tougher to perform. Sears is one among them within the secondary and he reveals it in working all around the discipline for Miami Uncooked.

Elite anticipation and an much more elite wingspan permit for Sears to take actual probabilities on the soccer from each depth and beneath in protection. The freshman had the interception of the match in baiting OT7 MVP Maika Eugenio over the center earlier than tipping the soccer to himself and corralling it on the way in which again down.

Sears would get his arms on loads of passes and even flash on offense as a receiver earlier than all was stated and executed.

THE CANNON: Trae Taylor The rising-junior Nebraska dedication has had some robust showings all through the offseason circuit and he saved his hottest run for a bit of championship Sunday. Taylor has work to do from a consistency standpoint like most younger passers, however when he was requested to fireside the soccer with velocity and/or to the third degree he could have been the very best in present regardless of a loaded discipline.

Taylor can rip the soccer by the air with out a lot wasted movement and he got here out of the gates with that mentality on Sunday, notably with speedy Ohio State large receiver dedication Jamier Brown. That could possibly be among the many most dynamic duos on the circuit subsequent offseason given their youth.

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BLURRRRRR: Bryan Hamilton Pitt could have discovered one other steal within the Sunshine State with the Tampa (Fla.) Gaither star wideout. Hamilton made performs all around the discipline in serving to his group make a deep run within the match, however his assertion performs shared one component in frequent – he acquired behind the protection.

Hamilton, who touched sub 4.5-seconds within the 40-yard sprint in February earlier than clocking a ten.66-second 100 meter sprint in March, confirmed it wasn't simply offseason work and as a substitute it continues to translate.

The improved ball expertise on prime of the pure velocity pressured loads of 'who's that?!' moments from onlookers near our place this weekend.

CAPTAIN CLUTCH: Maika Eugenio The tip of the 7-on-7 run for some of the adorned gamers within the setting ended what number of would have predicted a number of days in the past – with a match crown. Lo Professional's undefeated run was a little bit of a breeze in pool play however it got here with loads of rivalry on Championship Sunday.

Eugenio led the group to quarter and semi-final wins on walk-off passes. The Hawaii dedication was particularly clutch in opposition to Uncooked Miami, the place he was as soon as down a pair of scores earlier than forcing additional time and ultimately firing a sudden-death dime to ship the native program dwelling.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Zyren Menor There's a notion that the OT7 champs trot out a roster that does not have a lot FBS expertise on it for these occasions however that definitely will not be the case. There's additionally formally a brand new Energy 4 prospect on that roster in rising-sophomore large receiver Zyren Menor.

This system's main cross catcher was unimaginable to overlook because the occasion wore on, beating defenders down the sector with velocity as a lot as he discovered the outlet within the zone to snag a rating.

The robust route-running and even higher arms Menor showcased led to a suggestion from the Miami Hurricanes earlier than Lo Professional traveled again to the West Coast.