Official Richmond 7th Grade FBU National Championship Preview

Alan Popadines November 22, 2021 @ 10:35 AM

Get Familiar: The Richmond program, from top to bottom, is on the rise and the region is starting to jump on board with the benefits of playing in the FBU National Championship tournament. Last year this team found success as 6^th graders in its tournament debut, and are looking to build upon that. Coaches have gone out scouting local areas in the hopes of finding more firepower at some key positions and feel they they’ve done that. How they’ll light it up: Expect the 7^th grade Richmond team to play a pretty balanced style of offense, with a little bit of an added emphasis on the power run game. Coaches said they feel they have a very skilled offensive line that will allow their offense to click in both the running game and passing game. Richmond purposely went out this year looking for some skilled receivers and feel this position group has really taken a step up from last year. There is ample excitement to see just how far this offense can take them with a 60/40 pass to run ratio expected. How they’ll shut it down: Speaking from a straight up athlete standpoint, Richmond thinks they have the dogs with versatility that can give them an edge in any situation. Coaches like the 4-4 defense because it allows them to mix and match pieces depending on what the offense shows. They are eagerly looking to see how well their linebackers do, as they have guys who can run and act more like DB’s on the outside in addition to some big thumpers to come downhill as inside backers. Mt. Rushmore Michael Gibbs | Defensive Line The unquestioned alpha male on this team is Michael Gibbs. At an estimated 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, he is going to be a problem for opposing offenses to deal with across the front. Attend FBU Top Gun this past July and from all accounts, put on a show that left people buzzing. A very disruptive player, expect him to cause double teams all tournament long. Colton Miller | Offensive Line Miller is a very promising offensive line prospect with an interesting story. The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder was actually a part of Team Indiana last year but moved to Virginia and is now headlining for Richmond. Miller has ideal size for an offensive lineman at this age group and will likely play guard. With that said, he could be bounced outside to play tackle if need be. Ethan Patrick | Quarterback A returner from last year’s team, Patrick is continuing to ascend in terms of both ability and production. Last spring it really started to click for Patrick and he followed it up with a monster fall season this year—throwing for over 1,000 yards. He’s a dual-threat kid who runs pretty well and can make 40-45 yards downfield while on the move. Rijah Avans | Running Back There is likely not another 7^th grader in the country I’m excited to see more than Avans. In short, he is the 12-year-old version of NFL Hall of Famer, Jerome Bettis. He’s a short, stout kid weighting over 200 pounds, with speed that most people never see coming. He has all the tools with jump cuts, speed and vision—he just punishes people when they try to tackle him. Defensive Ballers to Know