Buckeye State Blitz 7v7: 18U’s Best Day 1 Gunslingers

The level of QB play on day 1 of Buckeye State Blitz was incredibly high. We had a mixture of pure arm talent, football IQ and leadership. After Pool Play Day, below are some of the top Q's of the day.    The New Jersey native was absolutely on the money all day long. It stuck out right away that he looked the part. His leadership and command of the offense was on display as he was able to get his guys lined up and make sure everyone understood their assignment.   Once the ball was snapped, Darji was dotting up every receiver on the roster. No part of the field was untouched. Short and intermediate routes were hit with great timing and accuracy, and deep balls had great touch and spin. His HARM team looked in control and put themselves in the drivers seat heading into Championship Monday, and Darji was a huge reason for that.     Reagan was one half of a 2 headed monster at the QB position for his squad. He was extremely aggressive, trusting what he saw and dropping the ball into buckets downfield.   His football IQ was off the chart, as he had a number of plays where he knew how the defense would react, and he knew exactly where he was going to go with it. His accuracy never dropped off, and his mechanics looked fluid throughout their games. Strong showing for the 2028, with plenty more to go.     Drew absolutely passes the eye test, both from a physical standpoint and with his play. Drew was the other half of the dynamic duo from the Skyhawks, and was a nice compliment to the pieces they have.   Drew has a really strong arm. No part of the field was untouchable for Drew, thanks to his great mechanics and velocity. I absolutely loved a couple of his throws, but the way he was able to throw the out routes was nearly unmatched. I am looking forward to seeing what Drew and his squad can do tomorrow!     Brady came on the field like he owned it, and backed it up with his play. He was absolutely frustrating defenses by throwing his guys open, even when the coverage was solid.   At 6'2, he scans the field and makes quick decisions before using his quick trigger to fire the ball into some tight windows. His confidence and leadership was an important part of their success on day 1, and I am very confident Brady will elevate his play on day 2 to help his team make a run.     The offers and visits are at an all time high for Hunter, and it's not hard to see why. The 6'3 gunslinger has the frame and ability to translate nicely to the next level. He was the vocal leader for his team, and absolutely did his thing on day 1.   His arm is live, especially pushing the ball downfield. He was able to make difficult deep shots and layered throws look routine. He scanned the field quickly, going through his reads until he found something to exploit, and then use torque to deliver absolute strikes, right on the money. Hunter is an absolute dude, and will give his team a great chance to make a run on Championship Sunday.     Next up at Harper Woods! Great showing by Patton today. It seemed like every time his team needed it, Danari was able to put the team on his back again.   I loved a couple of his throws to the end zone where he lead his receiver perfectly and essentially put it where only his guy could get to it. He also displayed confidence and accuracy on the short and intermediate throws, and had the timing just right with his wideouts. I came away extremely impressed with his arm talent and pure playmaking ability!

The level of QB play on day 1 of Buckeye State Blitz was incredibly high. We had a mixture of pure arm talent, football IQ and leadership. After Pool Play Day, below are some of the top Q's of the day.