True Buzz Invitational – Jake’s Top 18U Performers
In this article:
Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! Prep Redzone Oklahoma was once again on hand in Dallas for the True Buzz Invitational 7v7 tournament. We were there from start to finish and saw…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGet 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!
Prep Redzone Oklahoma was once again on hand in Dallas for the True Buzz Invitational 7v7 tournament. We were there from start to finish and saw some fantastic playmakers throughout the two days in DeSoto. We also pulled double duty in the DFW area and were also at the USNFT Combine. Stay tuned for breakdowns on that as well. Today I’ll continue our analysis on the 18U division and give my top performers from the weekend. These are the guys that were dominant every time I saw them and/or guys who stepped up and made some big-time plays in big moments. If you happened to miss Michael’s top performers from the tourney you can check it out RIGHT HERE. Stay tuned to our website for more True Buzz content coming in the next couple of days and as always, follow our twitter account @PrepRedzoneOK for all your Oklahoma high school football news and updates. Let’s jump into it!
Morgan Pearson Morgan Pearson 6'2" | 220 lbs | ATH Plainview | 2023 State OK – 2023 WR – Plainview – Played with C4 Texoma
Pearson is a player we’ve had our eyes on for a couple of years now as he has been one of the top WRs in his class since his first snaps of varsity action. C4 Texoma made a run to the second round of the tournament on Sunday after being set up nicely in the bracket thanks to a dominant performance by their defense in the pool play round on Saturday. However, their offense as a whole struggled to put up points consistently on Saturday and there weren’t a ton of targets that went Pearson’s way. That script seemed to flip on Sunday though as Pearson made some impressive plays on routes over the middle of the field and in the RedZone by using his size and athleticism to box out defenders and win at the catch point whether it was a jump ball or not.
Duncan Parham Duncan Parham 6'3" | LB Norman North | 2022 State OK – 2022 LB – Norman North – Played with Sooner7 Black
I was a fan of what Parham was able to do in 2020 based on what I’ve seen, but I had the feeling that he had not yet reached his ceiling as a prospect and it turns out there was some truth to that. Parham has excellent size for an LB at 6’3″ 220 Lbs, and has continuously improved in pass coverage as he becomes more comfortable in both zone and man drops. Sooner7 does not have any bad players so to say, and they rotate their guys very well to ensure everyone has a shot to compete and improve, but Parham has begun to separate himself from some of the other LBs on the team and he did not come off the field much over the weekend as a result. The athletic and rangy LB locked down the middle of the field for most of the weekend and had some clutch pass deflections and sacks during Sooner7’s run to the semifinals on Sunday.
Steele Wasel Steele Wasel 6'4" | 210 lbs | QB Choctaw | 2023 State OK – 2023 QB – Choctaw – Played with Sooner7 Black
Once again Steele was among the best QBs at the tourney, which is crazy considering that there were 51 All-Star caliber teams from all over the country in attendance this weekend. Steele played well on Saturday, there wasn’t much to complain about, however, he took it to another level on Sunday. He found the endzone on most of his drives, with many of his TDs coming in the form of 30-40+ yard bombs. Outside of his physical talents, what stood out to me most this weekend from him was his poise and demeanor when things did not go his way (which was not often). Even in the most intense moments this weekend, Steele showed that he can stay calm and collected even if he is not playing his best ball. Wasel came into this off-season as our top QB in the class of 2023 and he has improved consistently every time I’ve seen him in action at these tourneys, which has to be terrifying for all of 6A-2 since they have to try and stop him for the next 2 years.
Mason Ford Mason Ford 5'11" | DB Coweta | 2023 State OK – 2023 WR/DB – Coweta – Played with Sooner7 Black
Mason Ford Mason Ford 5'11" | DB Coweta | 2023 State OK was one of the best young WRs in class 5A in 2020, but he has taken nearly all of his snaps on the defensive side so far this off-season and has quickly become a fan favorite at these 7on7 tourneys due to his size and play style. Ford is a bit undersized to play outside corner at the next level but he plays with his hair on fire at all times and has shown that he can run with and cover some of the best WRs these tournaments have to offer. Ford is listed at 5’11″ but he plays like he’s well over 6’0″ with his physicality and ball skills. Sooner7 Black played some elite teams and stud WRs this weekend and I can’t recall a play where Mason was out of position or straight up burned by an opposing player. There’s no doubt that he is a great WR, but his best shot at the next level may be on the defensive side when it’s all said and done.
Glenny Jones – 2022 WR/DB – Jenks – Played with Sooner7 Black
My final player on this list is one that we do not have ranked yet, but that won’t be the case for long. Glenny Jones played most of his snaps this weekend in the slot on defense and was electric to watch from start to finish. He was simply all over the field and was near impossible to shake for opposing WRs all weekend. Similar to Ford, Glenny is a bit undersized to play outside CB in some coaches’ eyes, but he is dynamic as a slot corner with his overall quickness and hip fluidity. Jones may be slighted by some for his size, but I would heavily advise against that for those who are not familiar with him yet because he was one of the quickest and nastiest slot defenders I saw all weekend as he was constantly jumping short routes to get the ball back for his offense when they needed it most.