Boom 7v7 Finals: Top defensive performers

This past Sunday, Boom completed their 7-on-7 with a double-elimination tournament held at St. Francis High School. There was plenty of talent on hand, even though this kind of format is designed to highlight wide receivers and tight ends, there were plenty of defenders that stood out. Here are the linebackers, corners and safeties that made an impression during the four hours of competition. 2022 Safety Khary Shaw, Brother Rice @KharyShaw Shaw’s team made it to the finals and he was a big part of it. Constantly directing his teammates and calling out defensive alignments, Shaw was clearly a leader on their defense. A great frame at 6’2” and around 200-pounds, could ultimately outgrow the position and become an outside linebacker. Either way, Shaw has a high ceiling. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-61496" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/CDFD2989-7370-4115-868E-2585E8198F7F-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> 2021 Safety Ben Perry, Mount Carmel @perry_ben10 It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Perry’s name on this list, as a Louisville commit he should stand out. Long, athletic, and rangy doesn’t quite tell Perry’s whole story. Perry was constantly communicating with his teammates, showing his high football IQ. The Cardinals are getting a very good prospect. <span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">2022 Linebacker Shea Gaffney, Glenbard North @shea_gaffney</span> Although a bit undersized at 5’11” and 180-pounds, Gaffney used his speed to cover the middle of the field very effectively. If a play was made in front of him, he’d stop it quickly. When receivers tried to get over the top of his zone, Gaffney was typically running stride for stride with them. Gaffney also is a baseball player and I’m a huge fan of multi-sport athletes. If Gaffney can add on some weight, he could move back to a safety at the next level. He’s one to watch over the next 12 months. 2022 Safety [player_tooltip player_id="20930" first="Saveon" last="Brown"], Thornwood @SaeNext Brown didn’t just line up at safety, occasionally he moved out to the boundary corner and played press-man on the outside receiver. His obvious versatility makes Brown a very intriguing prospect. Made one of the plays of the day when he picked off a pass in the endzone off a tipped ball. The athleticism is off the charts and Brown has a great frame at 6’1” and 196-pounds. He’s already possessing a muscular build, but can still add on some solid weight. Has an offer from Iowa State and Akron, but that should change in the coming months. 2021 Cornerback Josh Bridges, St. Charles North @JoshBridges13 Always was in position to make plays and had multiple PBU’s. Bridges has a very solid frame and speed to go with it. Bridges seemed a bit short from afar, but it was due to his good knee bend and good flexibility, he’s 5’10” and 192-pounds. Showed good feet and hip movement. I like the upside here. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-61498" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/79271CB9-F067-49D2-B478-1C3582782AB0-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> 2022 Safety [player_tooltip player_id="20887" first="Eian" last="Pugh"], Fenwick @EianPugh7 This young man shouldn’t just be viewed as a wide receiver, on Sunday he showed the skills to play on either side of the ball. His frame will allow him to add the needed weight at the next level to be a back of the defensive star. I like him on this side of the ball due to his hands and angles he took to track down his opponents, but either way, I’d love to have him on my team. Pugh has some D1 offers right now, but expect that list to continue to grow. 2021 Cornerback [player_tooltip player_id="20263" first="Isaiah" last="Bragg"], St. Rita @isaiahbragg21 Bragg was one of the few corners to turn heads on Sunday, as I saw him make an impressive INT. He showed good hips and closing speed, his hands were solid as well. A great build for a corner at 5’10” and 175-pounds, he did play both ways. I see his future on the defensive side of the ball however and should develop into a very solid cover-corner. 2023 Linebacker Quinn Colbert, Immaculate Conception @QuinnColbert2 This young man, and I mean young has a lot of good football in front of him. He moves very well for his age, and has a frame that will fill out over time. Colbert already stands 6-feet tall, is 175-pounds but looks skinny. I like him as a ‘backer due to his age and frame. Colbert is one to watch over the next 2 years.