PRZGA 15U Southern Brawl: 2027 Eye-Catchers

With our inaugural 7v7 here in GA wrapped up, it's a perfect time to look back and highlight some of the top playmakers that caught my eye. Starting with the 2027's, here is exactly that.    It was a solid weekend for Deairus Smith, who claims an early offer from Eastern Kentucky. He certainly looks the part, coming in at 6'0 175 with a cut, athletic frame. He has quick, clean mechanics and dispensed the ball efficiently to the short areas, especially during tourney play. He didn't hesitate to take advantage of tight, but open windows over the middle of the field. He has enough juice to push the ball vertically and force safeties to center field. With further development and added finesse, he should continue to grow as a D1 QB prospect.     Anthony Custis improved as the tournament went on and seemingly got better as the stakes got higher. On offense, he flashes some impressive wiggle and change of direction, but his play as a DB is what caught my eye. Custis is extremely physical and isn't afraid to step up and press receivers at the line. He brings the fight throughout the route process and makes receivers work to free themselves. He flies to the football and diagnoses well when coming downhill. In the semi-final game, he jumped out-routes for 2 INTs, and would've had 3 if the offense didn't get bailed out with a delay of game penalty. Custis is long, physical, and made big plays against the ball, all traits that translate.     Acrobatic WR who made impressive grab after impressive grab all weekend. He caught my eye by going up through tight contact on back-to-back drives for impressive TD grabs. His body control is elite, contouring his body in the air to adjust to the ball. He gets out of his stance in a hurry and is smooth when working his routes. He doesn't shy away from competition and plays with recognizable confidence. Hughes is a player college coaches should learn about and keep track of going forward. He claims an early offer from Webber.     A new name to me coming out of this event which I will track closely going forward. He is listed at 6'5 175 with arms that extend down to his knees. He has plenty of room to add weight and makes the field look small with his long, fluid strides. He is a clear mismatch who leverages his towering height and length with decent bounce, enabling him to win over the top against most DBs. He is a puppy and is still learning how to use his body, but he has taken a major stride forward in the last year and is a breakout candidate this fall. He moves like a deer and is only getting better from here.     Elijah Malone was elite on both sides of the ball and made things look easy at times. He is listed at 5'10 165, but has disproportionately long arms, which will be beneficial for him at DB, where he projects to play as of today. He was arguably the most explosive player at the event. He matched footwork efficiently as a DB and was unguardable on offense. At release points, he was a blur, quickly breaking down defenders and slipping into the open field. Malone holds an offer from UAB, and it won't be his last. I look for P4 teams to get involved in the not-too-distant future.     Damauri Bailey caught a groove on day 2 of the tournament and made clutch plays for his squad. He is a wiry, yet athletic 5'10 150. His hands were solid all tournament long. He separated well at the top of his routes, especially when working back to the QB. He leans well and is whippy in his routes, allowing him to slingshot off his route path and find green grass. Bailey is a breakout candidate this fall and will garner plenty of recruiting buzz if everything can translate on Friday nights for Gainesville.     Johntay Beatty is a long-limbed WR prospect who made momentum-changing plays and consistently won over the top all tournament long. I have him listed at 6'0, but he might be taller. Regardless, he has room to easily add another 20+ pounds to his frame. He got down the field in a hurry with his long strides and leveraged that with enough bounce to go up and get it. He has a large catch radius and was a common target on "gotta have it" downs. He is just a puppy who will only get better. There are a lot of traits to be excited about here.     Caden Kimbrough improved all tournament and made plays when his team needed it the most. I can't find official measurements, but I'd estimate he is around 5'10 160. I wrote in my notes that he was "always around the ball". On defense, he was scrappy and did a good job fighting for positioning to make a play on the ball. On both sides of the ball, he proved to have soft hands.     Jaedon Hunt is a two-way player who stuck out athletically all weekend. He is explosive and moves well on both sides of the ball. What really impressed me were his hands. He made the routine catches but maximized his catch radius by making grabs far outside of his reach and reeling it back in. He is a stout athlete who looks the part of a tough player when pads are on. Hunt should play an even bigger role this fall for Collins Hill and is a strong breakout candidate here in GA.     McNeil is a scrappy two-way player who caught my eye early on and consistently played good all weekend. McNeil made some clutch plays on the ball as a defender when he was backed up against the goal line. For a smaller guy, he does an excellent job giving himself to make a play on the ball and working up through the hands at the point of attack. As a receiver, he was reliable and had enough wiggle to separate at the top of his routes. McNeil has a lot of room to grow and could be a breakout candidate this fall once he adds to his frame.       Rylan Hubbard was the most sure-handed pass catcher this weekend. Much to the dismay of opposing players and coaches, if the ball went his way, he almost always came down with it. He does an excellent job boxing out and protecting the catch pocket. He has spectacular spatial awareness, sneaking into soft spots in the middle of the field and showing QBs his chest. Hubbard is a natural plucker with a multi-sport background. It will be a big fall for him and I suspect he will garner more targets this fall.     It was my first time seeing Cash Watkins perform in person this weekend and he impressed me with his poise and command. Removing any final-second heaves, he didn't force a lot of throws and was consistently making the right decisions. He spins the ball pretty well. An underrated part of his game is his ability to make subtle, yet effective changes in his arm angle to make different kinds of throws. His processing ability will raise his floor as he continues to make strides athletically.

With our inaugural 7v7 here in GA wrapped up, it's a perfect time to look back and highlight some of the top playmakers that caught my eye. Starting with the 2027's, here is exactly that.