LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.- The 2011 version of Gridiron Kings is in the books. Here’s a look at the best of the event, which featured many of the top skill position prospects from across the country.
While the Midwest didn’t win the championship and went 0-3 in pool play, we believe Morris, a Class of 2013 Michigan commit, was the top quarterback prospect at the event. He was penalized at times because his supporting cast was not quite as fast as some of the other teams, which featured a higher number of more gifted and explosive players. Over the course of two days, Morris fit the ball in tight, closing windows as good or better than any quarterback we’ve seen in this setting this spring or summer.
Matt Davis (Klein, Texas/Forest)
Davis, a Texas A&M commit, had a big day leading the Southwest squad to the championship of the event. He was much improved and appeared to be much more comfortable in Day 2, showing the ability to make all the throws necessary to be an excellent quarterback at the next level. Considering he’s a true dual-threat and rushed for more than 1,400 yards as a sophomore, his passing performance Sunday is even more impressive and raises his stock even higher.
The Miami (Fla.) commit is electric with the ball in his hands. He made plays not only in the passing game, but on simple draws (runs from scrimmage). There are very few backs that can make an impact in 7-on-7 doing that, but Johnson is one of them. He did not have as high of of a number of big plays Sunday compared to Saturday, but still was a handful for defenses to stop. He’s set up to have a big year in pads this season and could see his stock rise even higher.
Trey Williams (Spring, Texas/DeKaney)
There was little doubt that Williams was the quickest prospect in the 2012 class heading into the weekend and he did nothing to change that opinion during the course of two days. The Texas A&M commit was not only a big-time threat in the passing game, but like Johnson could take a simple handoff and make a big play. There were several instances where defenders were left grasping grass as Williams darted by.
Agholor was likely the top overall 2012 prospect at the event and he did not disappoint. He showed excellent explosiveness and speed, to go along with great size. In Sunday action, Agholor made a series of leaping receptions over the middle with his arms fully extended. On one particular play, he caught the ball while two defenders collided around him. Both defenders were down on the play. USC, Florida, Florida State, Texas and others are in the running for the nation’s highest-rated four-star prospect, who would be equally scary at safety at the next level.
Thomas Johnson (Dallas, Texas/Skyline)
Simply put, Johnson is electric. The Texas commit was seemingly open on every play because of his acceleration off the line of scrimmage and elite quickness in and out of breaks. We counted only one drop during the course of two days, which is saying something considering he caught 20-plus passes. Johnson made the short catches look routine and the over-the-middle catches in traffic look anything but difficult. While we feel that Johnson is best-suited for the slot at the next level, his ability to play on the outside impressed this weekend.
Bryce Treggs (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco)
Treggs, who is committed to Cal, continues to build on previous strong performances in this setting. There’s no doubt he’s an advanced route runner and he’s gained strength and confidence since the end of the 2010 season. Treggs is catching everything thrown at him right now and playing through contact like receivers that are bigger in stature. There is little doubt that he will make a jump in our next rankings update, which should come in August.
Thompson’s size, athleticism and ability to catch the ball stood out during the two-day event. While he’s not quick or explosive off the line of scrimmage, he did show the ability to get down the field into the intermediate passing game at time. If there was an award for best set of hands at the event, Thompson would be our pick. He caught laser after laser from Morris during the course of the two-day event.
Sean Price (Citra, Fla./North Marion)
While Price had more of an impact on Saturday, he still had some impressive moments Sunday and was one of the top performers at his position at the event. Price made tough catch after tough catch during the games and will be a walking mismatch at the next level when a linebacker or even some safeties attempt to cover. The South Florida commit will develop into a weapon in the coming years for the Bulls.
Taylor McNamara (San Diego, Calif./Westview)
McNamara was impressive after the catch in the open field considering his size. We felt like he was somewhat surprising in this department as we were not expecting the Arizona commit to be as advanced in the passing game and to show the body quickness and reaction to sudden movement against athletic defensive backs. We talked with former Colorado and Boise State head coach Dan Hawkins about McNamara and he is very high on his abilities.
The Virginia commit is a star. At first glance, he appears to have the best inside linebacker body in the 2012 class. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder is not just big, though. He showed uber-impressive speed after both of his Sunday interceptions, one of which went back 80 yards for a touchdown. Earlier this month at “The Opening”, he returned a pick 100 yards for a touchdown. It’s tough to evaluate linebackers in this setting, but when they make special plays athletically compared to their size like Moore did, it says something. He is another prospect that is likely to make a big jump when our next set of rankings are released.
Keith Brown (Miami, Fla./Norland)
Brown showed surprisingly quick hands and good instincts during both days of the event, particularly on Saturday. The Miami commit moves well laterally and did a nice job of dropping into coverage and stopping short passes. Again, it’s tough to evaluate linebackers in this setting, but Brown did some nice things that back up his four-star rating, which was primarily based on his performance in pads.
The Notre Dame commit had a much better day on Sunday than Saturday, but was solid to very good for most of the event. His pure speed showed up every time he was challenged over the top on Sunday. While there were quicker players at the event, there is no questioning Darby’s straight-line speed. He had a big pass break-up for the Midwest team during a win against the Southeast to get his team into the championship game.
Joshua Holsey (Fairburn, Ga./Creekside)
Holsey, an Auburn commit from the same high school that produced Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs, battles every play, has a short memory (a must for a corner) and plays tougher the closer an opposing team gets to the end zone. We watched him break up three passes in a row when the opposing squad had the ball inside the 5-yard line. Good ball skills and hips and does enough to compensate for not being the tallest corner in the world (he’s not short, mind you, just not tall). He has a very big future.
We could have put Greenberry as one of the top performers at wide receiver for sure, but in this event, the Notre Dame commit was more rare making clutch interceptions on defense at safety. We think that Greenberry may even project a little higher at safety, though if he can match his showing out of pads this summer with a big year in pads, his stock will rise significantly.
DeVante Harris (Mesquite, Texas/Horn)
Harris, an Oklahoma commit, easily had the best day of any defensive back on Sunday. In a morning game, he had two interceptions and got his hands on two or three more passes during that particular game. In the semifinal and championship game, he made big plays as well- one big-time interception in the semifinals and multiple pass break-ups and in the finals- a trio of pass break-ups.
Neal may be the most versatile player at the event in that he made big plays both at receiver and cornerback on a consistent basis. As a corner, Neal has excellent hips and very good reaction when the ball is in the air. He had multiple pass break-ups, including one in particular near the end zone where his hand quickness and closing speed showed up. As a receiver, it’s all about his hands and speed and elusiveness after the catch. We’ve seen Neal a lot this summer and his stock is definitely on the rise. Whatever school lands him is getting a good one.
Cyrus Jones (Baltimore, Md./Gilman)
Jones is quick, quick, quick and fast, fast, fast. He’s versatile and can play both sides of the ball, but he shined the most on offense during this event, catching pass after pass and making big plays for a Midwest team that reached the finals. Jones isn’t the tallest player in the country, but that doesn’t matter. He backed up what we consider to be excellent film during this event and he will likely rise in our next rankings release. On the recruiting front- Alabama, Auburn, Maryland, Penn State, Virginia and others all are in the mix.
Corey Coleman (Richardson, Texas/Pearce)
Coleman backed up his studley showing at The Opening with another big showing. He got over the top on a number of occasions and scored a trio of long touchdowns on Sunday as his team captured the championship. He also took a few reps at nickel on Sunday and showed tremendous change-of-direction and closing speed. We feel like Coleman could be a cornerback or receiver on the next level with equal success. We also feel like he is another prospect in this class that will see his ranking shoot up in August. Coleman is currently committed to Baylor.
National Recruiting Analyst JC Shurburtt contributed to this report
Quarterback Matt Davis was named the MVP of the tournament by the event organizers, ESPNRise.
Quarterback
Shane Morris (Warren, Mich./De La Salle Collegiate)While the Midwest didn’t win the championship and went 0-3 in pool play, we believe Morris, a Class of 2013 Michigan commit, was the top quarterback prospect at the event. He was penalized at times because his supporting cast was not quite as fast as some of the other teams, which featured a higher number of more gifted and explosive players. Over the course of two days, Morris fit the ball in tight, closing windows as good or better than any quarterback we’ve seen in this setting this spring or summer.
Matt Davis (Klein, Texas/Forest)
Davis, a Texas A&M commit, had a big day leading the Southwest squad to the championship of the event. He was much improved and appeared to be much more comfortable in Day 2, showing the ability to make all the throws necessary to be an excellent quarterback at the next level. Considering he’s a true dual-threat and rushed for more than 1,400 yards as a sophomore, his passing performance Sunday is even more impressive and raises his stock even higher.
Running back
Duke Johnson (Miami, Fla./Norland)The Miami (Fla.) commit is electric with the ball in his hands. He made plays not only in the passing game, but on simple draws (runs from scrimmage). There are very few backs that can make an impact in 7-on-7 doing that, but Johnson is one of them. He did not have as high of of a number of big plays Sunday compared to Saturday, but still was a handful for defenses to stop. He’s set up to have a big year in pads this season and could see his stock rise even higher.
Nelson Agholor was perhaps the top overall prospect at the event. He's the highest-rated four-star prospect in America by 247Sports.
There was little doubt that Williams was the quickest prospect in the 2012 class heading into the weekend and he did nothing to change that opinion during the course of two days. The Texas A&M commit was not only a big-time threat in the passing game, but like Johnson could take a simple handoff and make a big play. There were several instances where defenders were left grasping grass as Williams darted by.
Wide receiver
Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fla./Berkely Prep)Agholor was likely the top overall 2012 prospect at the event and he did not disappoint. He showed excellent explosiveness and speed, to go along with great size. In Sunday action, Agholor made a series of leaping receptions over the middle with his arms fully extended. On one particular play, he caught the ball while two defenders collided around him. Both defenders were down on the play. USC, Florida, Florida State, Texas and others are in the running for the nation’s highest-rated four-star prospect, who would be equally scary at safety at the next level.
Thomas Johnson (Dallas, Texas/Skyline)
Simply put, Johnson is electric. The Texas commit was seemingly open on every play because of his acceleration off the line of scrimmage and elite quickness in and out of breaks. We counted only one drop during the course of two days, which is saying something considering he caught 20-plus passes. Johnson made the short catches look routine and the over-the-middle catches in traffic look anything but difficult. While we feel that Johnson is best-suited for the slot at the next level, his ability to play on the outside impressed this weekend.
Bryce Treggs (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco)
Virginia linebacker commit Kwontie Moore was impressive and has been all summer at events like Gridiron Kings.
Tight end
Ronald Thompson (Southfield, Mich.)Thompson’s size, athleticism and ability to catch the ball stood out during the two-day event. While he’s not quick or explosive off the line of scrimmage, he did show the ability to get down the field into the intermediate passing game at time. If there was an award for best set of hands at the event, Thompson would be our pick. He caught laser after laser from Morris during the course of the two-day event.
Sean Price (Citra, Fla./North Marion)
While Price had more of an impact on Saturday, he still had some impressive moments Sunday and was one of the top performers at his position at the event. Price made tough catch after tough catch during the games and will be a walking mismatch at the next level when a linebacker or even some safeties attempt to cover. The South Florida commit will develop into a weapon in the coming years for the Bulls.
Taylor McNamara (San Diego, Calif./Westview)
McNamara was impressive after the catch in the open field considering his size. We felt like he was somewhat surprising in this department as we were not expecting the Arizona commit to be as advanced in the passing game and to show the body quickness and reaction to sudden movement against athletic defensive backs. We talked with former Colorado and Boise State head coach Dan Hawkins about McNamara and he is very high on his abilities.
Notre Dame commit Deontay Greenberry continued to impress on both sides of the ball. We named him a top safety because his performance there was a bit more rare.
Linebacker
Kwontie Moore (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Christian)The Virginia commit is a star. At first glance, he appears to have the best inside linebacker body in the 2012 class. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder is not just big, though. He showed uber-impressive speed after both of his Sunday interceptions, one of which went back 80 yards for a touchdown. Earlier this month at “The Opening”, he returned a pick 100 yards for a touchdown. It’s tough to evaluate linebackers in this setting, but when they make special plays athletically compared to their size like Moore did, it says something. He is another prospect that is likely to make a big jump when our next set of rankings are released.
Keith Brown (Miami, Fla./Norland)
Brown showed surprisingly quick hands and good instincts during both days of the event, particularly on Saturday. The Miami commit moves well laterally and did a nice job of dropping into coverage and stopping short passes. Again, it’s tough to evaluate linebackers in this setting, but Brown did some nice things that back up his four-star rating, which was primarily based on his performance in pads.
Cornerback
Ronald Darby (Oxon Hill, Md./Potomac)The Notre Dame commit had a much better day on Sunday than Saturday, but was solid to very good for most of the event. His pure speed showed up every time he was challenged over the top on Sunday. While there were quicker players at the event, there is no questioning Darby’s straight-line speed. He had a big pass break-up for the Midwest team during a win against the Southeast to get his team into the championship game.
Oklahoma commit Devante Harris had multiple interceptions on Sunday and helped his Southwest team win the championship. It was the first time a non-Southeast team has won the Gridiron Kings title.
Holsey, an Auburn commit from the same high school that produced Eric Berry of the Kansas City Chiefs, battles every play, has a short memory (a must for a corner) and plays tougher the closer an opposing team gets to the end zone. We watched him break up three passes in a row when the opposing squad had the ball inside the 5-yard line. Good ball skills and hips and does enough to compensate for not being the tallest corner in the world (he’s not short, mind you, just not tall). He has a very big future.
Safety
Deontay Greenberry (Fresno, Calif./Washington Union)We could have put Greenberry as one of the top performers at wide receiver for sure, but in this event, the Notre Dame commit was more rare making clutch interceptions on defense at safety. We think that Greenberry may even project a little higher at safety, though if he can match his showing out of pads this summer with a big year in pads, his stock will rise significantly.
DeVante Harris (Mesquite, Texas/Horn)
Harris, an Oklahoma commit, easily had the best day of any defensive back on Sunday. In a morning game, he had two interceptions and got his hands on two or three more passes during that particular game. In the semifinal and championship game, he made big plays as well- one big-time interception in the semifinals and multiple pass break-ups and in the finals- a trio of pass break-ups.
Athlete
Devonta Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral)Neal may be the most versatile player at the event in that he made big plays both at receiver and cornerback on a consistent basis. As a corner, Neal has excellent hips and very good reaction when the ball is in the air. He had multiple pass break-ups, including one in particular near the end zone where his hand quickness and closing speed showed up. As a receiver, it’s all about his hands and speed and elusiveness after the catch. We’ve seen Neal a lot this summer and his stock is definitely on the rise. Whatever school lands him is getting a good one.
Cyrus Jones (Baltimore, Md./Gilman)
Jones is quick, quick, quick and fast, fast, fast. He’s versatile and can play both sides of the ball, but he shined the most on offense during this event, catching pass after pass and making big plays for a Midwest team that reached the finals. Jones isn’t the tallest player in the country, but that doesn’t matter. He backed up what we consider to be excellent film during this event and he will likely rise in our next rankings release. On the recruiting front- Alabama, Auburn, Maryland, Penn State, Virginia and others all are in the mix.
Corey Coleman (Richardson, Texas/Pearce)
Coleman backed up his studley showing at The Opening with another big showing. He got over the top on a number of occasions and scored a trio of long touchdowns on Sunday as his team captured the championship. He also took a few reps at nickel on Sunday and showed tremendous change-of-direction and closing speed. We feel like Coleman could be a cornerback or receiver on the next level with equal success. We also feel like he is another prospect in this class that will see his ranking shoot up in August. Coleman is currently committed to Baylor.
National Recruiting Analyst JC Shurburtt contributed to this report
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