PRZGA 15U Southern Brawl: Gulf Coast Athletics Team Breakdown

Gulf Coast Athletics brought two teams to our 15U tournament. Both squads performed well all tournament, with the GCA Waves team coming out as tournament champions. Here is a breakdown of some of the more noteworthy performers who took the commute up to Gainesville from the Gulf Coast.    [player_tooltip player_id='222965' first='Davis' last='Barnett'] came out of this tournament well-covered, so I will just quote another eval from this past weekend. Again, his poise, decision-making, and ball placement were elite all weekend.   "[player_tooltip player_id='222965' first='Davis' last='Barnett'] takes home this award for consistently getting the ball to his elite playmakers and remaining consistent as he led his squad to a tournament championship. As I mentioned earlier in the week, Barnett was consistent with his ball placement and was pinpoint accurate to all levels of the field. He won't scare you off the bus, but he spun the ball well and still had plenty of life on the ball. Barnett's poise and decision-making will raise his floor as he enters formative years of his growth."     Same guys for Malone, I will quote another eval from this top weekend. He was one of the best all-around performers regardless of team and position.   "Malone picked up an offer from UAB a month ago, but he is presumably on P4 radars and is on offer watch as he continues to perform well on the camp and tournament circuit. He projects as a DB, using his proportionately long arms to disrupt routes and make plays at the catch point. However, he caught my eye on offense, where he proved to be a blur at the top of his routes and shook off to green grass. Malone's best ball is still ahead of him."     [player_tooltip player_id='1642544' first='Labralyn' last='Williams'] has already generated a bit of buzz out of Daphne with several offers under his belt, including one from Georgia Tech. Where he projects at long term is still up in the air, but his ability to stop on a dime and change direction without losing speed is extremely impressive. He had no issues running away from defenses as a freshman too. As of now, he projects as a dangerous slot threat who doubles as a kick returner. He is a big-time weapon with the ball in his hands, and he shows that on tape and proved it the past weekend.     Mason Edwards was the energizer bunny on both sides of the ball for GCA Waves, making physical plays all tournament and letting people hear about it. He is long and lanky, but also cut and explodes well out of his breaks. He has natural hands, catching the ball away from his body and keeping it away from defenders. To go along with his energy and ability to separate, Edwards was reliable and remained a consistent target at each level of the field all tournament long.     Walker Collins is one of the more underrated players on this squad, but he produced well all weekend long and consistently executed when the ball came his way. He is a solid athlete, but relies on his spatial awareness and feel to create opportunities for himself in the slot. His hands are impressive, snagging the ball away from his body when in uncomfortable spots. Collins is reliable and plays with quiet confidence. He was highly productive on JV last year, and that should start to translate to varsity this upcoming season.     English, listed at 5'9 160 (HUDL) plays bigger than listed thanks to his length and range. He is a cerebral football player who pointed out assignments pre-snap and made sure everyone was on the right page. He leverages his IQ and feel for the position with impressive range and ball skills at the point of attack. When you turn on his freshman tape, you will see that he is a willing tackler and not afraid to strike. English will get plenty of eyes on him at Oxford as he continues to develop.     Kobe Weaver picked up an Arkansas offer halfway through our tournament, and the SEC intrigue is certainly understandable. He is stout and well-developed for his age at 185. To be a bigger guy, he changed direction well and showed some impressive wiggle at the top of his routes. He frequently came downhill on defense and made plays on the football. His combination of size and fluid movement skills will develop nicely as he gets older and continues to learn.     I couldn't find official measurements on Jett Todd, but he was yet another fluid prospect who made moving look easy. Todd might not have had as many opportunities to directly make plays on the ball as some of his other teammates, but he clogged throwing windows and forced QBs to go deeper into their progression. Todd will get plenty of attention at Gulf Shores as he develops.     Qua McNeal was rock-solid all weekend, but he also got it done during the fall last year. He is developing nicely and still has room to add to his 5'11 180 frame. When you turn on his tape, you immediately get drawn in by his pursuit skills. He flashes impressive closing speed to the ball and is willing to pursue it across the field. McNeal has plenty of juice athletically and has solid measurables. Should he continue to produce and turn his traits into electric pursuit skills, he will tack on some recruiting attention pretty soon.     Jaylin Robinson is a smaller DB prospect who played well enough to where his size was a non-factor in his game. He has plenty of twitch and matches release points well, allowing him to mirror receivers and give himself a chance to make a play at the point of attack. On tape, Robinson shifts downhill aggressively and closes space between himself and the ball/ball carrier quickly, a trait that will prove important for him as he continues to develop and settle down to a specific spot at DB.     Braedyn Walton was one of the top playmakers for the GCA Waves squad. He consistently found himself open in the short areas due to his explosiveness. After the catch, he has some serious burst and is notably stouter than most prospects at the event. Walton is well-developed for his age, super explosive, and can make things happen after the catch. I would keep an eye on him as he continues to generate more exposure at events such as this one. He had several TD grabs all weekend.     Here is my evaluation from earlier this week on Christian McNeal, who exited as a top performer from the GCA Tropical squad.   "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."     Roman Woods is a big-bodied QB prospect with some developmental traits to keep an eye on. He is still developing as a passer, but it's hard to argue with the makings here. He stands tall in the pocket and has the juice in his arm to attack all levels of the field. As he grows into his big frame and becomes a more nuanced passer, he will begin to tie everything together and elevate his game. Woods is built a little different than your typical 2028 freshman QB and he has plenty of upside.

Gulf Coast Athletics brought two teams to our 15U tournament. Both squads performed well all tournament, with the GCA Waves team coming out as tournament champions. Here is a breakdown of some of the more noteworthy performers who took the commute up to Gainesville from the Gulf Coast.