Elijah Preston was all over the field defensively and offensively using his IQ and leadership, he was telling his teammates where to move, where to cover, calling defensive plays, talking throughout the entire game and making sure guys were where they needed to be. He was a pure playmaker, all over the ball on defense, and getting open on offense. His route running ability is crisp and his ability to be impactful with or without the ball is special. He was one of the outstanding top performers of the weekend for me at our Prep Redzone 7v7 National Championship at Lakepoint in Georgia!

Preston was one of the most complete and mentally advanced players in the tournament. What separated him was how he controlled the field with communication, awareness, and competitive urgency. He consistently functioned like a coach on the field, calling out switches, identifying route concepts, and keeping teammates aligned pre-snap.

Offensively, Preston brought strong tracking skills, elite adjustment ability, and the toughness to finish through contact. Defensively, he paired physical press reps with a high-level feel for zone depth, spacing, and route leverage. His ability to process quickly and lead gave his team stability and a competitive advantage. Preston wasn’t just making plays — he was elevating the operation around him.

Preston is a good piece with talent and upside on both sides of the ball. He’s got strong hands down the field and can make some hard catches along the sideline. He’s got good balance and had one of the better TD catches during the entire tournament. He made plays on defense when he rotated in as well. He’s smooth, accelerates quickly, and has good instincts on the field that help him succeed.

It’s typically not a good sign when the three leading tacklers on a team are all players from the defensive secondary, but don’t tell Tennessee 7th Grade Future Stars Defensive MVP Elijah Preston Elijah Preston 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH Memphis University | 2030 TN that. The starting Strong Safety had one of the best individual defensive efforts I’ve seen in this annual game, in some time. Preston was in on at least one tackle on every defensive series he was in. The MUS prospect (unofficially) led the Big Orange with seven tackles and a timely interception late in the first half.