Over the weekend, Battle held their first annual 7v7 tournament in Miami, a two-day event that drew some of the top teams and athletes from around the nation. With 18 teams from various states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, and California competing, Day 1 consisted of round-robin style matchups to determine seeding, while Day 2 was a single-elimination, bracket style tournament. After all was said and done, California team Ground Zero took home the title over the South Florida Express, 17-16.
With the 2020 class nearly wrapped up and in the books, of course the focus of the event was the rising seniors of 2021, but others in the 2022 class made a name for themselves as well.
Keep in mind, there is always a lot going on at once, so it is impossible to see everybody compete at all times. But for my money, here are my top performers from Battle 7v7, plus additional recruiting notes.
Top Performers
Class of 2021
Kaidon Salter, QB, Cedar Hill (TX)
Overall, QB play was hit-or-miss, par for the course at these events, and most teams rotated heavily. With that being said, Salter was easily the best gunslinger at the event and certainly generated the most buzz. Salter mixed plus arm strength with pinpoint accuracy at times, demonstrating a ton of confidence to fit the ball into tight windows deep downfield. Quite simply, he was in the zone, and the rhythm and timing with his receivers was impressive to watch. Considered a 3-star prospect at present, his profile is going to continue to rise in the coming months.
Yulkeith Brown, ATH, Miami Central (FL)
This weekend, Brown again proved why he is one of the most electric players in the country. I’ve now seen him multiple times at these type of events, and his quick, effortless movements in the slot make him a perfect fit for 7-on-7 play. Although his team was eliminated after losing their first game, it certainly couldn’t be blamed on Brown. He started the game with 3 straight catches to end up in the endzone for 6, and, on one play late in the game, Brown went full extension and laid out for a nasty, diving 39-yard catch that excited the crowd to keep the Miami Immortals alive. He may need to work on his hands after dropping two easy passes, but I only see his profile continuing to rise.
Kahlil Brantley, TE, Miami Northwestern (FL)
The Miami commit was quiet early on and wasn’t targeted much, but he came on late on in the Miami Immortals’ game on Sunday. With his frame and catch radius, Brantley is difficult to handle in redzone and goal line situations, and the Immortals loved to look to him in two-point conversion scenarios. He’s been adding more mass to his body and looks more like a tight end prospect, but still has the movement skills of a wide receiver.
Jacolby George, WR, Plantation (FL)
George made tons of clutch plays for Team DEFCON on Day 2 to lead them to the semifinals, including a 4th down touchdown followed by a game-winning 2-point conversion in overtime of the quarterfinal round. George is not a burner by any means, but there are subtleties in his game that allow him to be successful. His ability to win battles for contested passes stood out, as well as his pinpoint route running to create separation. In particular on the overtime winner, George jumped into a crowd on an underthrown ball from behind the action and was still able to come up with the catch, showing strong hands and body control.
Bralon Brown, WR, Chaminade-Madonna (FL)
At times, it seemed like Brown was single-handily willing his South Florida Express team to the finals, and he had a huge Sunday when it counted in the knockout phase of the tournament. Brown had at least 4 TD’s on Sunday, and I was most impressed with his ability to use his body to create just enough space for him to make a play when the ball is in the air. He is a smooth glider that gets behind a defense just as easily as he can beat you underneath.
Troy Stellato, WR, Cardinal Gibbons (FL)
Stellato had a huge Day 1 before mostly taking a backseat to Bralon Brown on SFE during Day 2 after a shoulder injury. On Saturday, Stellato showed off his 4.4 speed, getting deep multiple times, and he also had an impressive short crossing route that he was able to house. He is also bigger than his listed 6-0 170 and his physicality really stands out in person.
Jalil Farooq, WR, Dr. Henry Wise (MD)
Although his team had an early exit on Sunday, Farooq dominated on Saturday, especially against the stacked Miami Immortals roster. In particular, he was giving Miami CB commit Tim Burns tons of trouble, as Burns was simply overmatched by Farooq’s sheer size and length.
Tyson Russell, CB, St. Thomas (FL)
As Miami Palmetto’s Corey Collier didn’t play for SFE on Sunday, that opened the door for someone like Russell to shine, and he certainly did. The son of former Hurricanes and Dolphins linebacker Twan Russell, Tyson’s athleticism jumped off the page at times, including when he skied for an insane one-handed interception that looked like it was going for a touchdown behind him. He’s also developed his body beyond his 5-10 160 pound listed weight and looks much more stout and put together. With multiple P5 offers already, he’s going to be an interesting prospect to follow this cycle and I wouldn’t be surprised if Miami gave him a look down the line.
Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami Northwestern (FL)
Kinchens showed that he is more than just a hard-hitting safety during the Saturday portion of the event. He showed off his range and ball skills multiple times and looks like one of the most complete safety prospects in South Florida right now.
Class of 2022
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Servite (CA)
For those on the west coast, McMillan was already a familiar name, but the tall and lanky receiver prospect made himself known to an entirely new audience this weekend. McMillan probably had the most jaw-dropping plays of the weekend, at one point seemingly just toying with at least 2 defenders as he went up and over them to make the catch and then running the rest of the way to endzone. He knows exactly how to use his listed 6-3 (and likely larger) frame to high-point a football, but he still has top end speed as well. Everybody was asking around to figure out his name, and McMillan easily has 5-star potential.
Jacoby Matthews, S, Ponchatoula (LA)
Matthews was one of the more impressive underclassmen defenders I saw, and he was hard to get off of in coverage. Even if there was separation, Matthews demonstrated elite closing speed to close the gap and make a play on the ball. He erased half the field for The Bootleggers.
Notes
**Miami junior QB N’Kosi Perry showed up on Saturday and was seen hanging out with some of the SFE players.
**2021 Miami OL commit Laurence Seymore didn’t play as an offensive lineman, but showed up to watch the event on Sunday later in the afternoon in a Canes shirt following his Junior Day visit at UM.
**2021 Miami Palmetto CB Corey Collier ended up visiting Miami for Junior Day yesterday and has future plans to visit Florida, Clemson, LSU, and Georgia. He is not an early enrollee and won’t be deciding until after his senior season.
**2021 Dr. Henry Wise (MD) 4-star WR Jalil Farooq visited UM on Saturday and also landed an offer. He had a good time on the visit. He’s big on program tradition, something that stands out to him about Miami, and he named Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, and Ray Lewis as his favorite Hurricanes. Another big factor he mentioned was area/weather, and he’s loved the Miami environment and vibe this weekend. LSU, UGA, and Maryland are some other schools standing out for him right now. He says he’s looking at a summer decision.
**2021 Cardinal Gibbons WR Troy Stellato was hoping to visit Miami’s Junior Day on Sunday, but was unable to as his team ended up going all the way into the finals. New OC Rhett Lashlee has picked up where Dan Enos left off here, as Lashlee stopped by Gibbons to see Stellato last week.
**2021 Miami Northwestern TE Kahlil Brantley is still a solid Miami commit and has no visits elsewhere set up. He thinks the Canes have a good shot with the other Northwestern guys, including S Kamren Kinchens and WR Romello Brinson, and he still talks to 2021 La Habra (CA) 5-star QB Jake Garcia about Miami.
**2021 Miami Central ATH Yulkeith Brown visited UM on Sunday after the event ended. He has been talking with coach Lashlee and is being treated like a priority right now. Lashlee wants to line him up all over the field and feature him in the UM offense. He is visiting Alabama next week and says LSU is still one of his top schools. He wore an LSU backpack both days. Expect a decision coming during the season or just afterwards.
**2021 Plantation WR Jacolby George recently landed an offer from WVU. He says he decommitted from Miami in November because of the inconsistency on offense and the spotty QB play. George has yet to hear from coach Lashlee, but will still consider UM if they continue to pursue him.
**2021 Chaminade-Madonna WR Bralon Brown has not yet heard from coach Lashlee yet, but he is hoping to set up a visit if Miami continues to pursue him. He mentioned the location as something that attracts him to UM. He lists Penn State, Auburn, and WVU as those he is in contact the most. Family environment and education are two big factors for him.
**2021 St. Thomas WR Quincy Skinner visited UM earlier for the Junior Day, and rocked a Miami hoodie after Team DEFCON was eliminated. Skinner earned a UM offer a few days ago and said it’s been a lifelong dream to play for Miami. He has an interesting tie to the UM program, as his uncle was Tyrone Moss. He met coach Lashlee on the visit and took a liking to the way he broke down film in easy-to-understand terms. Skinner was also told he will know who the new WR coach is in a few days. He says his recruitment has really taken off lately, and that LSU and UGA have recently begun talking with him. He expects to drop a top list on March 9th.
**As I reported on Saturday, 2021 Bluefield (WV) 5-star CB Isaiah Johnson ended up visiting Miami on Saturday with his mom, which lasted about an hour and a half. Apparently things went well enough that he was telling people he wants to come back for a full visit over a couple days span. I was told Johnson really took a liking to Mike Rumph and was impressed with the new facilities and campus upgrades, including the dorms. He said they were the best he's seen yet, and he's visited Clemson, UGA, Penn State, and Tennessee already. After the Miami Immortals’ loss in the first round on Sunday, Johnson did not want to talk and left the field quickly, but we were able to set up an interview with him this week, so we’ll see what comes of that.
**2021 Vanguard DE Bryce Langston hasn’t been in touch with Miami in awhile, and as of now, they aren’t in his top 5. Interestingly, though, Langston played goal line TE for SFE and scored a TD on Saturday. He sat out on Sunday with a sore knee.
With the 2020 class nearly wrapped up and in the books, of course the focus of the event was the rising seniors of 2021, but others in the 2022 class made a name for themselves as well.
Keep in mind, there is always a lot going on at once, so it is impossible to see everybody compete at all times. But for my money, here are my top performers from Battle 7v7, plus additional recruiting notes.
Top Performers
Class of 2021
Kaidon Salter, QB, Cedar Hill (TX)
Overall, QB play was hit-or-miss, par for the course at these events, and most teams rotated heavily. With that being said, Salter was easily the best gunslinger at the event and certainly generated the most buzz. Salter mixed plus arm strength with pinpoint accuracy at times, demonstrating a ton of confidence to fit the ball into tight windows deep downfield. Quite simply, he was in the zone, and the rhythm and timing with his receivers was impressive to watch. Considered a 3-star prospect at present, his profile is going to continue to rise in the coming months.
Yulkeith Brown, ATH, Miami Central (FL)
This weekend, Brown again proved why he is one of the most electric players in the country. I’ve now seen him multiple times at these type of events, and his quick, effortless movements in the slot make him a perfect fit for 7-on-7 play. Although his team was eliminated after losing their first game, it certainly couldn’t be blamed on Brown. He started the game with 3 straight catches to end up in the endzone for 6, and, on one play late in the game, Brown went full extension and laid out for a nasty, diving 39-yard catch that excited the crowd to keep the Miami Immortals alive. He may need to work on his hands after dropping two easy passes, but I only see his profile continuing to rise.
Kahlil Brantley, TE, Miami Northwestern (FL)
The Miami commit was quiet early on and wasn’t targeted much, but he came on late on in the Miami Immortals’ game on Sunday. With his frame and catch radius, Brantley is difficult to handle in redzone and goal line situations, and the Immortals loved to look to him in two-point conversion scenarios. He’s been adding more mass to his body and looks more like a tight end prospect, but still has the movement skills of a wide receiver.
Jacolby George, WR, Plantation (FL)
George made tons of clutch plays for Team DEFCON on Day 2 to lead them to the semifinals, including a 4th down touchdown followed by a game-winning 2-point conversion in overtime of the quarterfinal round. George is not a burner by any means, but there are subtleties in his game that allow him to be successful. His ability to win battles for contested passes stood out, as well as his pinpoint route running to create separation. In particular on the overtime winner, George jumped into a crowd on an underthrown ball from behind the action and was still able to come up with the catch, showing strong hands and body control.
Bralon Brown, WR, Chaminade-Madonna (FL)
At times, it seemed like Brown was single-handily willing his South Florida Express team to the finals, and he had a huge Sunday when it counted in the knockout phase of the tournament. Brown had at least 4 TD’s on Sunday, and I was most impressed with his ability to use his body to create just enough space for him to make a play when the ball is in the air. He is a smooth glider that gets behind a defense just as easily as he can beat you underneath.
Troy Stellato, WR, Cardinal Gibbons (FL)
Stellato had a huge Day 1 before mostly taking a backseat to Bralon Brown on SFE during Day 2 after a shoulder injury. On Saturday, Stellato showed off his 4.4 speed, getting deep multiple times, and he also had an impressive short crossing route that he was able to house. He is also bigger than his listed 6-0 170 and his physicality really stands out in person.
Jalil Farooq, WR, Dr. Henry Wise (MD)
Although his team had an early exit on Sunday, Farooq dominated on Saturday, especially against the stacked Miami Immortals roster. In particular, he was giving Miami CB commit Tim Burns tons of trouble, as Burns was simply overmatched by Farooq’s sheer size and length.
Tyson Russell, CB, St. Thomas (FL)
As Miami Palmetto’s Corey Collier didn’t play for SFE on Sunday, that opened the door for someone like Russell to shine, and he certainly did. The son of former Hurricanes and Dolphins linebacker Twan Russell, Tyson’s athleticism jumped off the page at times, including when he skied for an insane one-handed interception that looked like it was going for a touchdown behind him. He’s also developed his body beyond his 5-10 160 pound listed weight and looks much more stout and put together. With multiple P5 offers already, he’s going to be an interesting prospect to follow this cycle and I wouldn’t be surprised if Miami gave him a look down the line.
Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami Northwestern (FL)
Kinchens showed that he is more than just a hard-hitting safety during the Saturday portion of the event. He showed off his range and ball skills multiple times and looks like one of the most complete safety prospects in South Florida right now.
Class of 2022
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Servite (CA)
For those on the west coast, McMillan was already a familiar name, but the tall and lanky receiver prospect made himself known to an entirely new audience this weekend. McMillan probably had the most jaw-dropping plays of the weekend, at one point seemingly just toying with at least 2 defenders as he went up and over them to make the catch and then running the rest of the way to endzone. He knows exactly how to use his listed 6-3 (and likely larger) frame to high-point a football, but he still has top end speed as well. Everybody was asking around to figure out his name, and McMillan easily has 5-star potential.
Jacoby Matthews, S, Ponchatoula (LA)
Matthews was one of the more impressive underclassmen defenders I saw, and he was hard to get off of in coverage. Even if there was separation, Matthews demonstrated elite closing speed to close the gap and make a play on the ball. He erased half the field for The Bootleggers.
Notes
**Miami junior QB N’Kosi Perry showed up on Saturday and was seen hanging out with some of the SFE players.
**2021 Miami OL commit Laurence Seymore didn’t play as an offensive lineman, but showed up to watch the event on Sunday later in the afternoon in a Canes shirt following his Junior Day visit at UM.
**2021 Miami Palmetto CB Corey Collier ended up visiting Miami for Junior Day yesterday and has future plans to visit Florida, Clemson, LSU, and Georgia. He is not an early enrollee and won’t be deciding until after his senior season.
**2021 Dr. Henry Wise (MD) 4-star WR Jalil Farooq visited UM on Saturday and also landed an offer. He had a good time on the visit. He’s big on program tradition, something that stands out to him about Miami, and he named Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, and Ray Lewis as his favorite Hurricanes. Another big factor he mentioned was area/weather, and he’s loved the Miami environment and vibe this weekend. LSU, UGA, and Maryland are some other schools standing out for him right now. He says he’s looking at a summer decision.
**2021 Cardinal Gibbons WR Troy Stellato was hoping to visit Miami’s Junior Day on Sunday, but was unable to as his team ended up going all the way into the finals. New OC Rhett Lashlee has picked up where Dan Enos left off here, as Lashlee stopped by Gibbons to see Stellato last week.
**2021 Miami Northwestern TE Kahlil Brantley is still a solid Miami commit and has no visits elsewhere set up. He thinks the Canes have a good shot with the other Northwestern guys, including S Kamren Kinchens and WR Romello Brinson, and he still talks to 2021 La Habra (CA) 5-star QB Jake Garcia about Miami.
**2021 Miami Central ATH Yulkeith Brown visited UM on Sunday after the event ended. He has been talking with coach Lashlee and is being treated like a priority right now. Lashlee wants to line him up all over the field and feature him in the UM offense. He is visiting Alabama next week and says LSU is still one of his top schools. He wore an LSU backpack both days. Expect a decision coming during the season or just afterwards.
**2021 Plantation WR Jacolby George recently landed an offer from WVU. He says he decommitted from Miami in November because of the inconsistency on offense and the spotty QB play. George has yet to hear from coach Lashlee, but will still consider UM if they continue to pursue him.
**2021 Chaminade-Madonna WR Bralon Brown has not yet heard from coach Lashlee yet, but he is hoping to set up a visit if Miami continues to pursue him. He mentioned the location as something that attracts him to UM. He lists Penn State, Auburn, and WVU as those he is in contact the most. Family environment and education are two big factors for him.
**2021 St. Thomas WR Quincy Skinner visited UM earlier for the Junior Day, and rocked a Miami hoodie after Team DEFCON was eliminated. Skinner earned a UM offer a few days ago and said it’s been a lifelong dream to play for Miami. He has an interesting tie to the UM program, as his uncle was Tyrone Moss. He met coach Lashlee on the visit and took a liking to the way he broke down film in easy-to-understand terms. Skinner was also told he will know who the new WR coach is in a few days. He says his recruitment has really taken off lately, and that LSU and UGA have recently begun talking with him. He expects to drop a top list on March 9th.
**As I reported on Saturday, 2021 Bluefield (WV) 5-star CB Isaiah Johnson ended up visiting Miami on Saturday with his mom, which lasted about an hour and a half. Apparently things went well enough that he was telling people he wants to come back for a full visit over a couple days span. I was told Johnson really took a liking to Mike Rumph and was impressed with the new facilities and campus upgrades, including the dorms. He said they were the best he's seen yet, and he's visited Clemson, UGA, Penn State, and Tennessee already. After the Miami Immortals’ loss in the first round on Sunday, Johnson did not want to talk and left the field quickly, but we were able to set up an interview with him this week, so we’ll see what comes of that.
**2021 Vanguard DE Bryce Langston hasn’t been in touch with Miami in awhile, and as of now, they aren’t in his top 5. Interestingly, though, Langston played goal line TE for SFE and scored a TD on Saturday. He sat out on Sunday with a sore knee.
