D-1 Bound Passing Tournament: Top Performances Part. I

<em><b>The first annual D1 Bound Passing Tournament put on by former NFL running back and current St. Vincent de Paul Running Backs Coach Kahlil Bell kicked off this weekend at St. Vincent de Paul High School in Petaluma. This tournament featured most teams across the North Bays surrounding counties with teams from Napa, Sonoma and Marin county along with San Francisco. The North Bay is an extremely under-recruited region of Northern California but year in and year out puts out a few Division 1 caliber kids and currently has some talented players across all classes. Below, we will dive into Part I of this II part series in which we will look at some of the top performers from the weekend’s event. Part II of this series will be released tomorrow.</b></em> <hr /> &nbsp; <em><strong>2021 ATH, [player_tooltip player_id="142017" first="Dante" last="Antonini"], St. Vincent de Paul High School</strong></em> Antonini recently picked up his first offer from Western Oregon and is a sure fire division 1 prospect. He exploded this past weekend with 10+ touchdowns and was constantly able to gain separation vertically and come down with 50/50 balls while using his length, strength and physicality to bully defenders. One of the top two-way athletes in Northern California, he was an All State selection this past Spring and will continue to see offers roll in as he continues to prove he is one of the best available athletes in the region. &nbsp; <em><strong>2023 DB/WR, [player_tooltip player_id="145259" first="Sailasa" last="Vadrawale"], Rancho Cotate HS</strong></em> Recently getting offered by Nevada, the 2023 prospect is one of the most sure handed athletes in the region and has big play abilities every time he touches the ball. A very fluid player with exceptional ball skills and change of direction abilities, he lead Rancho Cotate to the passing tournament title over the weekend. He continues to prove that he is a very explosive player on both sides of the ball that has strong hands and snatches the ball out of the air while most likely finding his home on defense at the next level. He will continue to collect FBS offers over the next two seasons. &nbsp; <em><strong>2021 RB/LB, Justin Guin, San Marin HS</strong></em> Guin is a well-put together back that has soft hands a great burst after the catch with an already well developed frame and a strong lower body. He was a constant presence for the Mustangs all weekend and will be one of the top running backs in the Bay Area this Fall. He plays with tremendous physicality and toughness while showing good vision in traffic and can run through arm/ankle tackles consistently while also a top defender in both the second and third level. &nbsp; <em><strong>2021 RB/LB, [player_tooltip player_id="25189" first="Dylan" last="Smith"], Vintage HS</strong></em> Smith is coming off one of the best Spring rushing performances in all of Northern California and is one of the hardest and most balanced runners the region has to offer. Over the weekend, he proved that he can catch the ball out of the backfield on both swing and vertical routes from all body positions while able to stick his toe in the ground and get downfield in a hurry. Having a very strong frame with a compact build, he is one of the best backs available in Northern California and it shouldn't be long before he collects his first offer. &nbsp; <em><strong>2023 QB, Liam Keaney, Rancho Cotate HS</strong></em> Keaney is expected to be the starter this Fall for the Cougars and did not disappoint on his way to leading Rancho Cotate to a championship game win. He is comfortable in the pocket while possessing a quick release and able to make off-platform throws into tight windows while putting good zip and velocity on the ball when needed. He is athletic enough to run when needed and will be one of the top passers in the North Bay this Fall. &nbsp; <em><strong>2023 RB/LB, [player_tooltip player_id="25387" first="Kai" last="Hall"], St. Vincent de Paul High School</strong></em> Hall is one of the most explosive players in Northern California and is coming off a 10 touchdown Spring season and previously received NCS Freshman of the Year accolades back in 2019. Poised for another huge 2021 season, he was a two-way standout over the weekend and showed he can make an impact on the defensive side of the ball as well. After the catch, he showed his elite speed and open field agility with the ability to force defenders to take bad angles while flashing elite lateral movement skills and short area quickness. &nbsp; <em><strong>2021 RB/LB, Diego Davis, Vintage HS</strong></em> Davis is a tough and physical second level defender that moves well for his size and breaks to ball carriers quickly while comfortable in coverage and able to flip his hips while showing impressive ball skills. He has a good frame with balanced strength and is a high IQ player for the Crushers. He will play on both sides of the ball this Fall, and be a bruising back while holding the defense together for what will be one of the best teams in the Bay Area.