FBU National Championship: Central Florida 7th Grade Standouts
Programs around the nation are gearing up for the FBU National Championship tournament and holding tryouts to find the best athletes in their area to compete. The FBU National Championship tournament celebrates and promotes youth football through uniting all-star athletes of…
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Continue ReadingPrograms around the nation are gearing up for the FBU National Championship tournament and holding tryouts to find the best athletes in their area to compete. The FBU National Championship tournament celebrates and promotes youth football through uniting all-star athletes of all backgrounds from across the United States in a true, one-of-a-kind national tournament. The only national football tournament of its kind, the annual FBU National Championship crowns a national champion from brackets in grades 6th, 7th, and 8th.
Last weekend, FBU National Championship mainstay Central Florida held their final tryout of the month of October and the competition did not disappoint. At the tryout several athletes came out to compete for a spot to represent the greater Orlando area. Last year’s 7th grade team (current 8th graders) re-set the standard by making it to championship week in Naples. This year’s group of 7th graders, current class of 2027 athletes, are hoping to do the same.
Landen Holley | 7th Grade – Class of 2027 | Quarterback
The undisputed MVP of the 2027 participants came out of Tarpon Springs and stud signal-caller Landen Holley. At nearly 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, he was the biggest as well as most athletic 7th grader at the tryout and possessed long arms and the frame to add a ton more weight and muscle. He won nearly every agility and speed drill the kids tested in and was a smooth athlete who could stick his foot in the ground and create force out of his cuts, and was competitive and hard working in each of his reps. Not only that, he also had some impressive arm talent for his age, and although his release point was a little sidearmed, he could generate velocity out of his hand and was accurate when throwing to all three phases of the field. Additionally, I watched him mess around after the tryout concluded and saw him launch the ball from the endzone to the opposite 45-yard line, something I haven’t seen a lot of middle schoolers do in my lifetime. He’s also a state tournament qualifying wrestler at the high school level.
Jordan Donahoo | 7th Grade – Class of 2027 | Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
With a long, lean frame that is going to benefit from a high school lifting program, Donahoo caught my attention during the 5-10-5 drill near the beginning of the tryout, where he showed a smooth stride and solid overall quickness. He showed good footwork in his route running as well as in his backpedal, and was dynamic for his age and size and knew how to use his length to his advantage.
Luis Ojeda | 7th Grade – Class of 2027 | Wide Receiver
Was an extremely quick, shifty, and elusive prospect who had the natural ability to cut and make people miss with the ball in his hands. Even from watching him workout and test it was obvious that he had a special ability to break down, drop his hips, and cut on a dime, and his body control and anticipation were also noteworthy and obvious when watching him move. He also translated these skills into the competitive portions of the event, as he was nearly impossible to get a hand on when releasing at the LOS and very hard for DBs to keep in front of them. He would be very fun to watch in pads with the ball in his hands.
Quinn Conrad | 7th Grade – Class of 2027 | Wide Receiver/Tight End
A bigger, thicker pass-catching prospect out of the class of 2027, Conrad could still move well for his size and ran some good routes during the 1-on-1 portion of the event. He also did a great job of using his bigger frame to box out smaller defenders and bring the ball into him without letting DBs make a play on the ball. I could see him playing a bunch of different positions on the football field.