#Back2Ballin at Iowa 7v7: Middle School Standouts, Part I
CEDAR FALLS, IA– We took our scouting talents to the second annual #Back2Ballin 7v7 tournament put on by our great friends at Iowa 7v7. We start off our weekend evaluating middle school and high school prospects, diving into some of…
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Continue ReadingCEDAR FALLS, IA– We took our scouting talents to the second annual #Back2Ballin 7v7 tournament put on by our great friends at Iowa 7v7. We start off our weekend evaluating middle school and high school prospects, diving into some of the stellar middle schoolers we got to watch for the first time this weekend from the Class of 2028 to the incoming high schoolers, the Class of 2026. Here is our first crack at six of the standouts we were very intrigued with at Back 2 Ballin!
Josiah Smith | WR | Cedar Rapids, IA/Carroll Chargers | 2027
Josiah got on my radar very early on Saturday morning at the UNI Dome, and it’s easy to see why. He shows off a fantastic burst from the top of his routes and that speed stays consistent with his route-running ability. Josiah also showed off quite long extension for a WR his age, as I was quite intrigued after rating him as a 2026 later to find out he’s just a seventh grader. I also was impressed with his football IQ, as he showed great balance around the sidelines as well when the ball came his way. Josiah will be at our Prep Redzone NEXT showcase in Chicago, so I am excited to see what other scouts see in his potential that I saw this weekend in Cedar Falls.
Jaxson McIntire | QB/DB | Clear Lake, IA | 2027
Jackson was a certified playmaker on both ends of the football on Saturday at the UNI Dome. He showed excellent arm strength for his age, and added to it with his precision on intermediate and deeper routes. He logged multiple interceptions in the game I watched, and showed off a rangy defensive back that could cover a significant area with his high-level athleticism and football IQ. Jackson also has a well-developed frame as just an 8th grader and should be another Iowa prospect to watch out of the Class of 2026.
James Engle | WR | Maple Grove, MN/GameFace | 2026
Talk about a jack of all trades, that was what I saw from GameFace wide receiver James Engle on Saturday. His athleticism was superior no matter where he lined up on the field and he also exceled with his route running ability. This young man played with a swagger on Saturday, that just stuck with me when I was watching him on every play as he showed a go-getter attitude that craved getting the football in stride with his instinctive routes. James is a Minnesota WR prospect to watch that is going into a strong HS program next year that should develop his game nicely once he gets to roll with the Crimson.
Santonio Martin | DB | Hartland, WI/Wisconsin Chargers | 2026
Santonio gets my MVP from day one at the UNI Dome, for the best physicality level I saw in the building from start to finish in the 7th/8th grade division. He was stuck like glue to his wide receiver on the bulk of the reps I watched and his quick trigger with his ball tracking ability was in the zone in the UNI Dome all-day long. Santonio used his significant size to his full advantage, as he bullied the wide receivers he went up against with a man against boys mentality. I would love to see what this young man can do at our upcoming Prep Redzone NEXT Showcase in Chicago against some more advanced wide receivers.
Ethan Vice | WR | Tiffin, IA/Fire Dragons | 2026
Watching this young man extend his reach for the football was a great site to watch on Saturday afternoon. How so you might ask? Ethan showed a tremendous amount of athleticism when I witnessed his reach in full-action. I found a photo from the event from the lenses, and let me just say my view and the photo view lived up the hype! Ethan already has significant measurables, that I hope to see grow and develop even stronger as he enters the high school ranks.
Braxton Chvatal | DB/WR | North Bend, NE/Nebraska Elite | 2026
Braxton was another consistent athlete on both sides of ball this weekend in Iowa. This young man was a high physicality defensive back that showed consistently he was not one you wanted to target especially with how he approached that physicality skillset from the start off the snap. He also showed off some long arms in a video clip I caught form the weekend, showing instinctive balance around the sidelines. Braxton is a small town prospect to watch out for in the coming years!