Music City Mayhem: Saturday's Top 18U Standouts

It was an outstanding day of 7v7 football action in Murfreesboro as a long list of talented teams battled it out in Music City Mayhem on Saturday. After catching the 18U division at Oakland High School, it's time to break down some of the top performers from day one of the tournament. Without any further ado, here's my list of Saturday's top 18U standouts.    In the first place spot on my list is [player_tooltip player_id='378901' first='Andre' last='Adams'], a quarterback for Savages 18U that made his presence known on Saturday evening. In addition to his ability to scan the backfield and quickly release the ball, Adams did an excellent job of launching the deep ball in crucial moments. Adams was a gamechanger on Saturday and should continue to be a standout as his team competes for a championship tomorrow.     I was additionally impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='2136575' first='Kingston' last='Dillard'], a wide receiver for Indy Select South 18U that was unstoppable on Saturday morning. The highlight of Dillard's performance was when he caught a touchdown pass with just one hand. Dillard was also a huge difference maker after the catch, using his speed and versatile edge to beat the defense and pick up some extra yards.     Another playmaker to establish himself was [player_tooltip player_id='1260422' first='Brady' last='Lewis'], an athlete for Tennessee Brigade 18U that went off on both sides of the ball. On top of outstanding size, Lewis impressed me with his strength and ability to move quick in the backfield. Lewis made a number of significant plays, including a clutch interception and an impressive touchdown catch. Lewis did a great job of beating the defense to the ball and elevating off the ground to make the catch.     I also really liked what I saw from Andreas Reese, a wide receiver/defensive back for GC Motion Kentucky that made a strong impression on the offensive end. Reese did a great job of beating the defense to the house and getting wide open for the touchdown pass. Another aspect of Reese's playstyle that caught my attention was his ability to get physical in the backfield and elevate off the ground to make the grab.     Also establishing himself on day one of the tournament was [player_tooltip player_id='1597636' first='Terry' last='Jones'], a wide receiver for Next Generation Select 18U that made the most of his time on the field. I really liked how Jones played down the stretch against a tough defense, absorbing contact in the backfield to haul in the pass. Jones also contributed great size and speed, making him one of the more reliable scoring weapons on his team's roster.     Another prospect to make a huge difference on day one was [player_tooltip player_id='2066970' first='Zach' last='Thomas'], a wide receiver for GC Motion Kentucky that immediately caught my attention on Saturday morning. What impressed me the most about Thomas was his excellent size and wingspan as he was able to easily reach the pass. I also really liked how Thomas could be physical in the backfield and use his deceptive footwork to juke out the defense.     I was also impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='871923' first='Jayce' last='Duvall'], a wide receiver for Indy Select South 18U that made an immediate impact for his team on Saturday morning. Duvall stood out at receiver, showcasing excellent speed and footwork. I also really liked how Duvall could juke out the defense and get wide open for the touchdown pass. In addition to putting points on the board, I liked how Duvall could get open for the first-down conversion.     One of the more explosive playmakers to make an appearance was [player_tooltip player_id='820949' first='Brayden' last='Carroll'], a wide receiver for Tennessee Brigade 18U that made his presence known all throughout the afternoon. The Tennessee commit did a great job of reading the pass and getting wide open in the endzone for the catch. Carroll also impressed me with how he could juke out the defense and pick up extra yards after the catch.     Another prospect to impress me was [player_tooltip player_id='2136593' first='Cooper' last='Jones'], a defensive back for Quarterboys 18U that made his presence known defensively on Saturday morning. I really liked how Jones could read the offense like a book and lock down receivers on the short pass. Jones also excelled at shutting down the pass in crunch time, using his wingspan to swat the ball to the ground.     Also making a name for himself on Saturday was [player_tooltip player_id='2124181' first='Landon' last='Norwood'], a wide receiver for Quarterboys 18U that showcased excellent route-running throughout the morning's slate of games. I really liked how Norwood could go deep and elevate off the ground to haul in the touchdown pass. Norwood also did a great job of helping his team convert on third-down, getting wide open for the short pass.     Another highly explosive prospect to showcase his talent was [player_tooltip player_id='1732422' first='Tyland' last='Richmond'], a wide receiver for Dynamic Athlete Hub 18U that was on fire down the stretch. Richmond was always open for the deep pass as his great size and wingspan made it real easy for him to haul in the hail mary pass. Richmond also did a great job of getting open for the short pass, using his electric speed off the snap to his team's advantage.     Also making a difference was [player_tooltip player_id='2116510' first='Jake' last='Goodin'], a wide receiver/defensive back for Tennessee Brigade 18U that had an outstanding afternoon on the offensive end. Goodin impressed at several moments, hauling in several touchdown passes. On top of great speed off the snap, I liked how Goodin could beat the defense to the ball and get off the ground to make the clutch catch.     Also worth mentioning is [player_tooltip player_id='2150691' first='Jakobi' last='Miller'], a wide receiver/defensive back for Quarterboys 18U that played extremely well at receiver. Miller caught my attention with his ability to be quick off the snap, juke out the defense, and get open in the corner for the touchdown pass. Miller also did a great job of absorbing contact in the backfield and using his wingspan to reach the ball before his opponent.     One of the biggest playmakers of the afternoon was [player_tooltip player_id='2149267' first='Kris' last='Phillips'], an athlete for 731 Elite 18U that made a difference on both sides of the ball for his team. Phillips initially caught my attention defensively when he batted away the game-winning pass in overtime to lead his team to victory. Phillips would go on to heat up offensively, hauling in a number of impressive touchdown passes over the next few contests.     Also making a difference was Makhi Sanders, a defensive back for TMP OH Gold 18U that did a great job of shutting down receivers in the backfield. I really liked how Sanders could read pass and use his wingspan to lock down his man and shut down the pass. I also really liked how quick Sanders was, proving his ability to read the offense like a book and get in prime position to contest the ball in the air.     I also really liked what I saw from Endymion Tyus, a wide receiver for 256 Family 18U that did a great job on the offensive end. I really liked how Tyus played under pressure, proving his ability to elevate off the ground to make the clutch catch. Tyus also did a great job of beating the defense to the ball, using his strong footwork to juke out his opponent and get wide open for the touchdown pass.     Also worth mentioning is Jari Hardy, an athlete for Playmakers Elite 18U that stood out down the stretch, making a number of impressive grabs. Hardy was additionally productive in the endzone on Saturday afternoon, hauling in a number of clutch passes. On top of great size and electric speed off the snap, I liked how Hardy played against the defense, using his strength to overpower his opponent.

It was an outstanding day of 7v7 football action in Murfreesboro as a long list of talented teams battled it out in Music City Mayhem on Saturday. After catching the 18U division at Oakland High School, it's time to break down some of the top performers from day one of the tournament. Without any further ado, here's my list of Saturday's top 18U standouts.