Stock-Risers from Pylon 7v7: Bambara, Spivey, Walker & More

The top prospects made themselves known fairly quickly, after all, they are top prospects for a reason. However, we scout these events to uncover talent that coaches from around the east coast may not be able to come across if not for exposure like this. The hidden gems who may not be active on social media, may have a bad situation on their actual team, or straight-up flying under the radar because of an under sight by scouts. I was lucky enough to find three prospects who I believe are worthy of being ranked on our next update this summer. Those being Solo Bambara out of Neumann & Goretti, Khavon "Duke" Walker out of Lincoln HS, and Evan Spivey out of Germantown Academy. It’s my job to find gems in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia specifically. I think these five fit that mold. Moore & Boyd are not from the Philadelphia area but deserve a chance to be ranked as well.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/02/IMG_4004-crop-2489x1635-1613650231.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-110263" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/02/IMG_4004-crop-2489x1635-1613650231-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>   Solo Bambara - WR/LB/DE 6’6", 205lbs, Neumann & Goretti HS, C/O 2022 Hudl Profile: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10549583/Solo-Bambara">https://www.hudl.com/profile/10549583/Solo-Bambara</a> We start off with Solo Bambara out of Neumann & Goretti high school. At the Pylon 7v7, Solo’s size and mobility at his linebacker spot stood out. Any scout in the nation could tell you about this kid’s great height-weight combination, the impressive part is how well he can slide his feet laterally and cover zones. He eats up space with his long limbs and good ball awareness. I saw really fluid hips and feet that rarely crossed. Bambara showed a good understanding of leverage and how to maintain it while keeping a steady stance and eyes on the quarterback. The ball awareness and concentration were on display as Bambara caught two timely interceptions off tipped balls for his squad. His 7v7 coaches played Bambara solely at linebacker due to the number of prospects they wanted to showcase but I would have loved to see the kid catch passes on offense. His Hudl profile shows just one game this past season as N&G’s season was limited due to COVID. Yet in just that one game, Bambara was able to score a 30+ yard touchdown catch from his tight-end spot, secure an interception, and multiple tackles for a loss while playing defensive end. To say Bambara is versatile is saying the least. Not to mention he’s a productive basketball player as well. I am looking forward to focusing on this prospect this coming season.   [caption id="attachment_110264" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-110264" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/02/bfXCx-Em.jpg-medium-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> Photo: @EvanSpivey_[/caption] Evan Spivey - DB/ATH 6’2", 185lbs, Germantown Academy, C/O 2023 Hudl Profile: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13088998/Evan-Spivey">https://www.hudl.com/profile/13088998/Evan-Spivey</a> I previewed Spivey before the event and spoke highly of his downhill and aggressive approach on defense. I spoke highly of his versatility which was a pleasure to watch as Spivey showed something different from what his Hudl tapes offered. Philly’s Finest coaches had Spivey running routes at wideout where he was highly productive, coming down with three touchdowns on the team’s way to the finals. I was not able to catch Spivey in person but through highlights, I saw a physically imposing player who was pretty much unguardable in the red zone. I saw contested-catch after contested-catch where he seemed unphased by defenders. He even threw in an impressive one-handed grab on the run. Shout out to Spivey’s coaches at this event for giving him reps at a spot his Hudl film doesn’t highlight, it can now be said that Spivey is a legit two-way player at Germantown. He continues to stay in the weight room and working, he’ll be sure to find a spot on our rankings this summer.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-110261" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/02/IMG_3993-225x300.png" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Khavon "Duke" Walker - WR/ATH 5’10", 165lbs, Lincoln HS, C/O 2022 Hudl Profile: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13128432/Khavon-Walker">https://www.hudl.com/profile/13128432/Khavon-Walker</a> Khavon "Duke" Walker and prospects like him are the reason attending 7v7 events and others like it can be so helpful for recruits to make a name for themselves if they can’t otherwise. These events are crucial to scouts as well, this is where we can find some of the best-kept secrets in an area and that’s exactly what happened Saturday night. Walker was an otherwise unknown prospect, with not much of a social media presence or quality Hudl tape to find. We will do our best to change that as Walker was flat-out sensational at all levels. He boasted the best release off the line of scrimmage that I was able to witness at the event and rivaled [player_tooltip player_id="93058" first="Jackson" last="Pons"] and [player_tooltip player_id="105589" first="D’Shaun" last="Seals"] as the best overall route runner in attendance. Walker displayed great change of direction ability, showing he has the balance and agility to cut in and out of breaks while maintaining his forward momentum. The maximum effort and attention to detail shown by Walker were impressive as he rarely took plays off and made the most of his opportunity. His game only got better as the night went along as he torched defenses with great pacing throughout his routes to manipulate safeties. Walker’s game isn’t based on athleticism but more on the intricacies of the wide receiver spot which is a valuable trait to have. We hope to continue hearing Duke’s name from here on out.   Malachi Moore - WR/DB 6’0", 180lbs, Gateway, C/O 2023 Hudl Profile: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13095543/Malachi-Moore">https://www.hudl.com/profile/13095543/Malachi-Moore</a> We are ashamed to say how little was known of Malachi Moore by Prep Redzone Pennsylvania. We are in this to uncover great players from around the state but it shouldn’t have taken this long! You see 6’0" and 180-pounds, which isn’t the scariest height-weight combo in the world. It’s the way he carries this build that's intriguing. At first glance, Moore looks like a back with a thick lower body and quick feet. He doesn’t exactly have track-star speed or acceleration, rather a quick short-area burst that lets him excel in the short passing game. However, one thing that led me to continue doubting this was his awesome hands. His footwork efficiency and pass-catching ability specifically in the short-intermediate passing game were what really stood out to me, He looked polished, again, for what I thought was a running back. This kid is officially on our radar.   <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-110260" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/02/IMG_3953-225x300.png" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Bobbie Boyd Jr. - DB/RB 5’9", 165lbs, McKeesport, C/O 2023 Hudl Profile: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15207889/Bobbie-Boyd-Jr">https://www.hudl.com/profile/15207889/Bobbie-Boyd-Jr</a> Boyd Jr. (seen on left) was as reliable as they come at his backend safety spot. His 7v7 coaches used him as a ballhawk and to keep things in check for his two stud corners, [player_tooltip player_id="97979" first="Amare" last="Gee"] and Khalil Taylor. His poise and overall awareness impressed me. I was a little shocked to see a different player when watching his sophomore season highlights. He’s an even better prospect with pads on! McKeesport likes to run a Cover 1/3 variation that allows Boyd Jr. to play as a box-safety where he can keep everything in front of him and make plays in the run game. He displays awesome read and react ability, sniffing holes out before backs do on a consistent basis. He’s a good open-field tackler and does a great job cleaning up tackles as well. The combination of event performance and Hudl tape, much like Evan Spivey, makes the case for an intriguing prospect who should and will be ranked in the future. He has really solid open-field vision as well, taking reps at running back and punt returner for McKeesport.