Scouting Notes: Sequoyah vs Gainesville

Sequoyah hosted Gainesville this Friday in one of the more evenly matched games in the round-one slate. In a game that featured a few comebacks and plenty of drama, here are the players that stood out to me on both sides of the football.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sequoyah</h2>    I predicted Rajecki to get plenty of run in this game, and while I don't have official numbers yet, Rajecki punched it in 4 times for Sequoyah. Rajecki played with excellent patience and poise, following his blocks well, nickeling and diming his way to move the ball forward, a trait important when going against physical and fast defenders. The biggest play of the night was a long TD run late in the first half, tight roping the sideline while flashing some breakaway speed. Rajecki is thinner than I originally expected, which signals higher upside. Rajecki is a clear D1 caliber RB who will be leaned on in order for Sequoyah to make a deep playoff run.     Smith is a new name to me, and he made his mark early and often for Sequoyah. Two first-half interceptions stole some of the momentum for the Chiefs, and Smith was on the receiving end of both. He was in the right place at the right time, relying on his instincts and patience to react to a route, get in the right position, and execute when the ball came his way. Producing against the ball translates, and regardless of what happens the rest of the way for Sequoyah, Smith can use this performance as a momentum builder headed into his senior season.     Gainesville has twin towers at the two tackle spots, but it didn't stop Ean Marria from making an impact. His pursuit skills were impressive, and the same can be said for the entire Sequoyah defense. He did a good job of threatening both shoulders of blockers and proved bendy enough to get under blockers and keep his chest clean, regardless of being a stouter defender. To paint the picture, Marria has a baseball background and contributed as a rusher this year as well. He has a home on the defensive side of the ball thanks to his pursuit skills.     [player_tooltip player_id='283797' first='Brooks' last='Darling'] came away with two of the biggest plays of the game, one of each on offense and defense. Early in the game, he broke off a long reception to set up an eventual TD. He flashed some quick feet, scampering away from defenders and eating up grass. On defense, he iced the game late by stripping the ball away from a Gainesville receiver. Darling is a solid athlete, but he clearly has a knack for making big plays and has done exactly that all year for Sequoyah. He should pick up some small school recruiting buzz.     [player_tooltip player_id='1198240' first='Alex' last='Brewer'] was a name I knew coming into this game and was excited to watch him play in person. He is way bigger than I expected, looking to carry all of his listed 6'4 293. He checks the length boxes and uses his length paired with his power to displace defenders and create push off the snap. He can sometimes reach out over his toes, making him susceptible to rips, but regardless, he created push and displaced talented defenders. Brewer should garner FBS recruiting buzz. He will fit best on the interior and can flex out to RT thanks to his length.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gainesville</h2>    As far as creating yards early for Gainesville, it was steep sledding. However, Taz Smith was able to make a few plays to move the chains. It was called back, but he showed off some impressive speed while tight-roping the sidelines on a fake punt. He also showed some wiggle and finesse on a big return. Smith is a super nuanced route runner with access to all levels of the field, he worked in and out-breaking routes effectively, stepping on the toes of receivers to create space. Smith is capable of racking up receptions at the D1 level and will be a late steal for a program searching for a reliable receiver.     Ware picked up some steam late in the game and proved nearly impossible to handle one-on-one. He plays with impressive change of direction and is snappy at the top of his routes, leading to devastating moves at release points. He is very dangerous after the catch, exploding through running lanes and running with natural drive in his knees to eat up turf and build away from defenders. [player_tooltip player_id='1114781' first='Jeremiah' last='Ware'] is headed to Georgia Southern where his YAC expertise should translate pretty quickly.     Tony Mejia is a new name to me, but he caught my eye early and often against Sequoyah. He is a true nose tackle with his short, stout, and powerful build. Thanks to his mass alone, he is almost impossible to move off the ball and frees up opportunities for his teammates. He shed blocks well for a big guy, steering off blockers to move laterally and soak in ball carriers. Mejia is a major sleeper, but if any FCS programs are searching for an HS nose tackle, it's hard to find many available guys better than Mejia. He is hard to move and can shed blocks.

Sequoyah hosted Gainesville this Friday in one of the more evenly matched games in the round-one slate. In a game that featured a few comebacks and plenty of drama, here are the players that stood out to me on both sides of the football.