Unguardable 15u WRs at Garden State Gridiron

The spotlight at this weekend's Garden State Gridiron didn't just fall on the quarterbacks, the wide receivers made sure of that. In a 7v7 setting where timing, separation, and play making ability are everything, the 15u division was loaded with pass catchers who consistently found ways to get open and finish plays.   From crisp route runners who created instant separation to explosive athletes stretching the field and winning in contested situations, this group showed just how deep the talent pool is right now. This article highlights the receivers who stood out most and proved they can change the game every time the ball comes their way.   Follow me on X <a href="https://x.com/JonDavalosFB">@jondavalosFB</a> for news and updates from this past weekend's event.    Early Saturday morning a coach told me to keep an eye on [player_tooltip player_id='1521188' first='Josiah' last='Tuccille'] for their first game, and I am glad I listened to him. One of the most electric receivers of the entire 15u tournament, Josiah shined when it mattered most for 4th Quarter Elite. Josiah made route running and breaking away from defenders look easy this past weekend. Crisp in his movement and often making defenders go the other way when he sold on his fakes, Josiah was consistently able to create separation to make himself an easier target to throw to. He is explosive out of his break, and can change speeds fluidly to make it tough on the defender to anticipate his movement. Josiah caught numerous passes this weekend that caused a 'wow' response out of the scouts and coaches. Josiah is the real deal.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JonDavalosFB/status/2045575049034223679 </div></figure>    Andre Perkins is in a class on his own. Though he is the #1 running back coming out of New England, his performance as a wide receiver may have topped them all. First off, Andre is not built like the rest. Mature beyond his years, he was clearly the most built up and powerful player any time he stepped onto the field. Andre impressed with his aggressiveness off of the line and start-stop capabilities. He would come screaming out off of the line, quickly decelerate and change directions, and would be left all alone with no one to cover him. Andre lined up as safety as well and flourished there too, but I really thought his performance at wideout could be considered the best of the weekend.     Another explosive prospect lining up out wide, Quazire Hawkins made a name for himself after this weekend's Garden State Gridiron. My notes from this weekend say "consistently on of the best receivers and overall players at the event", and I think that still holds true. Extremely explosive off of the line, Quazire can turn on the jets and hit his top end speed quickly to stretch the field. He even excelled in the contested catches, with one example of him yanking it away to come down with the ball. Quazire is another player that thrived on defense too, showing off his receiver skills by high pointing a ball and coming up with the interception.     Lucas Kreider and Mohammad Dar Issa were a deadly duo this past weekend in Elizabeth, NJ. A player that you can tell is naturally gifted but has put in hours to continue to get better, Lucas showed why he one of the better WRs coming out of PA. Lucas was a consistent target due to his reliable hands and ability to shake loose from defenders. However, what stood out to me the most was Lucas' acrobatic catches. Time and time again Lucas would contort mid-flight for the all, often near the sideline or pylon, and find a way to finish the play and get his feet down. High spatial awareness, Lucas is a dangerous receiver to have to cover.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JonDavalosFB/status/2045842959992537329 </div></figure>    I don't know if I saw a receiver catch as many passes as [player_tooltip player_id='1600666' first='Ryan' last='Schmidt'] did Saturday at the Garden State Gridiron 7v7. Every time I looked it seemed like his QBs were dropping the ball down to Ryan for 5-10 yard gains. This has a lot to do with Ryan's foot work and speed between transitions. He often was able to lose defenders out of his break or sell them on a vertical route only to whip around for an easy curl. He also showed high football IQ as well, finding the soft spot in the coverage and sitting down to make it an easy pitch and catch.     Bryce Bryant is an absolute monster. A receiver with arguably the widest catch radius in the 15u tournament, Bryce can come down with nearly any ball thrown his direction. Bryce capped Saturday off with a seam down the sideline where he outsized his man, got vertical, tracked the ball, and pulled the ball in without ever giving the defender a chance to compete for it. That right there was enough for me to know that this kid is special and a talent to look out for.

The spotlight at this weekend's Garden State Gridiron didn't just fall on the quarterbacks, the wide receivers made sure of that. In a 7v7 setting where timing, separation, and play making ability are everything, the 15u division was loaded with pass catchers who consistently found ways to get open and finish plays.