PRZ’s Ranked Standouts Who Showed Out During CCU’s 7-on-7

CONWAY | In total, nine South Carolina teams were in attendance for Coastal Carolina's first 7-on-7 tournament of the summer.   And while none of them could stop American (FL) from winning the championship on Wednesday, the Palmetto State squads were full of impression makers. Here's a run down of some of our ranked players who backed up the number next to their name with great play on the NCAA Division-I campus.   [player_tooltip player_id='285449' first='Kyle' last='Baldwin'] DB, Oceanside Collegiate   While most coaches - Oceanside's Chad Wilkes included - aren't exactly putting all a ton of stock into their 7-on-7s, Baldwin's nose for the football during the five-game pool play sessions were a nice sight for a team that lost a decent amount of defensive talent from 2022. Baldwin (pictured) is no longer the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder receiver he was when he first set foot on campus. He's found a home in the secondary and is running with the opportunity at one of the state's high-profile Class 2A programs.   [player_tooltip player_id='413888' first='Josh' last='Brown'] WR, Socastee   Some 10 months ago, Brown let us know that he was ready to become a real-time threat on the outside for Socastee. Some of those plans were shelved somewhat when the Braves' offense was sidetracked by an injury-based shift in philosophy and personnel. On Wednesday, though, with quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='139313' first='Rocco' last='Wojcik'] and receiver [player_tooltip player_id='771237' first='Quadir' last='Scott'] back in their normal spots, Brown was able to excel again, too. Against Conway in the tournament-opening loss, Brown showed excellent concentration but snagging a bobbled ball out of the air while two defenders were draped all over him and pulling him to the ground.   [player_tooltip player_id='367350' first='Jaden' last='Cummings'] QB, Summerville   In Cummings' first substantial action against outside competition since transferring to Summerville in January, he unveiled what the offseason conditioning program has meant to him. He appears to have put on some size even since he finished the 2022 season (at Hanahan) and was able to spread the ball around with ease to a slew of talented targets. If he continues down this path the next two months, the Lowcountry's undisputed best team come fall might be the Green Wave.   [player_tooltip player_id='208367' first='Ayden' last='Davis'] QB, York   York might have been the true surprise team on Wednesday, an odd thing to say considering they have five skill players ranked in our system. Still, Davis orchestrated a fifth-place finish in pool play for York by working each of the opposing defenses sideline to sideline. During the Cougars' tournament appearance against American, Davis threw a couple deep balls to the edge that kept York within striking distance. American eventually wore out the clock, but not before Davis made the out-of-staters sweat it out a bit.   [player_tooltip player_id='771040' first='Jamauri' last='Davis'] DB, Carolina Forest   Even against the likes of Summerville - a team with serious length at the skill positions - the 6-foot-1, 180-pound corner/safety/whatever else this staff needs him to be stuck with some of the best receivers at Brooks Stadium (and the adjacent practice fields). His 4.5 speed doesn't allow him to get burned deep, and he's as physical as they come in one-on-one situations. He moves around a good bit, but for our money, we love what he can do against any team in the state's No. 1 receiver.   [player_tooltip player_id='208332' first='Devin' last='Grainger'] QB, Conway   Every time we've seen Grainger with a football in his hands since the end of a fairly miserable 2022 season, we've seen just how much he's committed to improving himself. During Coastal's event, Grainger showed off a new trick - even more proficiency throwing while rolling to his right. Why is that important? The players we have already dubbed the No. 2 quarterback in the class, Grainger is already comfortable throwing on the run. Seeing that solidified his top-20 overall ranking.   [player_tooltip player_id='208334' first='Kelvin' last='Hunter'] ATH, West Florence   We have Hunter listed as a defensive back in our current Class of 2024 rankings. But after seeing him this week and talking with West Florence coach Jody Jenerette, we'll be changing that. Hunter, a University of South Carolina commitment, was everyone on defense. He lined up deep and pressed closer to the line (a product of West linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='443495' first='Franklin' last='Emerson'] having to miss the event). And after we saw Hunter catch a few passes, Jenerette let us know that was only the beginning. He's going to be getting his fair share of carries out of the backfield, too.   [player_tooltip player_id='589009' first='Javion' last='Martin'] QB, Crestwood   Martin may have been the singularly most impressive player on any of the 10 teams who participated. Yes, he had an advantage given how much 7-on-7 events feature the quarterback. But Martin didn't give us any reason to knock him from the top positional spot in the class of 2024. The 6-foot, 180-pounder was zipping his passes around just as much late as he was early. He was picked off a couple times on the day. However, his pure arm strength and overall accuracy was also the driving force for Crestwood's semifinalist appearance.   [player_tooltip player_id='272701' first='John' last='Simmons'] WR, Myrtle Beach   With Myrtle Beach essentially going into its second straight year of quarterback by committee, the Seahawks will have to rely on the rest of the offensive weapons. On the outside, that list begins with Simmons. Once again, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound made sure opposing teams didn't turn him into a one-trick pony. Simmons made some quick cuts to get open just off the line, worked the sidelines and even high-pointed a jump ball against a much-smaller defender on a deep throw. If Myrtle Beach locks down a quarterback, it will be because that player connects with Simmons.

CONWAY | In total, nine South Carolina teams were in attendance for Coastal Carolina's first 7-on-7 tournament of the summer.