KB3 7on7 Tournament Standouts
On Sunday, April 24th, the KB3 7 on 7 tournament took place at the British International School of Houston. There were several elite athletes in attendance along with under-the-radar recruits. The finale came down the KB3 Adidas versus the Texas…
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Continue ReadingOn Sunday, April 24th, the KB3 7 on 7 tournament took place at the British International School of Houston. There were several elite athletes in attendance along with under-the-radar recruits. The finale came down the KB3 Adidas versus the Texas Jackboyzz where KB3 Adidas came out victorious. Here in this article, I give you the athletes whose performances stood out the most at the KB3 7v7 tournament.
RB Caleb Blocker | 5’9″ 180lbs | 2024 | Katy Tompkins
Gaining second-team all-district wasn’t enough for Tompkins RB Caleb Blocker to go into the offseason with. Working on becoming the most versatile and best back he can be by working on his receiving ability with the C4K squad. Lining up in the slot, Blocker seemed very comfortable. He has a strong frame that he uses burst and quickness to accelerate to get open. Blocker showed off some very impressive hands by making a couple of catches with a defender draped all over him. Coming off a 1,000-yard season and 13TD on the ground, Blocker is continuing to grind to become a complete three-down back.
LB Deamarkus Griffin | 6’3″ | 2022 | Ft. Bend Austin
Playing on Team Pure, you couldn’t help but notice Deamarkus Griffin on defense. The first thing that pops out is his size. With a tall frame and long arms, it was hard to work the middle of the field for opposing QBs. Griffin has all the tools you want in a pass-covering linebacker. He gets his depth on drops, keeps his eyes active, and makes plays on the ball. As impressive and athletic as Griffin is, he’s a class of 2022 guy that’s still working for his first offer.
WR Christopher Barnes | 5’8″ 155lbs | 2024 | North Shore
This young man I’m beyond excited for. Christopher (CJ) Barnes is a twitchy and superb athlete. His special movement skills allow him to not only threaten defenses with the ball in his hands, but he creates a lot of separation on the deep ball. He tracks the ball well and hauls in passes regardless of ball placement. Barnes had one of the nastiest jukes I’ve seen in person, where he made a would-be tackler roll his ankle and another defender flew into the falling defender, then Barnes got straight up the sideline. Christoper Barnes currently doesn’t hold any offers, which if college coaches got their eyes on Barnes, I whole heartily think that would change.
WR Jaelen Smith | 6’0″ 185lbs | 2023 | Klein Cain
Working on the outside for the KB3 Adidas team is Jaelen Smith. It seems like defenses had a hard time sticking with Smith as he was consistently in the endzone. Throughout the tournament, he was winning by using speed and working well across the middle. Smith gets open, catches the football, and makes plays. His footwork gives him an advantage against corners of his size as he’s quicker off the line and gets into his routes without wasting steps. Smith holds one D1 offer from Furman University, but as he moves into his senior year, I can see him racking up more.
WR Russell Franklin | 5’8″ 145lbs | 2023 | George Ranch
One of the best route runners over the weekend had to be Russell Franklin from the Texas Jackboyzz. Regardless of what coverage or alignment Franklin was getting, he remained unphased. His understanding of how to get open by setting defenders up consistently gives the QB a window to throw. Another noteworthy attribute is his hands. Franklin hauled in several passes that looked to be uncatchable. For him not physically peaking yet, his arm length is a huge plus for him to scoop up passes. The young slot can get open and haul in passes regardless of what the situation is, a true “Y” slot guy.
WR Jaquaize Pettaway Jaquaize Pettaway 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Langham Creek | 2023 State TX | 5’11″ 170lbs | 2023 | Langham Creek
Langham Creek’s Jaquaize Pettaway Jaquaize Pettaway 5'11" | 170 lbs | WR Langham Creek | 2023 State TX is continuing to show by example why he is one of the top players in Texas. Pettaway has a next-level gear that he can implement in his routes that makes covering him a nightmare. Anytime he had the ball in his hands it looked like he would go for six. He has all the tools on his belt and knows when to utilize his moves. With great hands, route running, and after the catch ability, we see why Pettaway has offers from basically every major D1 program.