USA Football 7on7 National Championship live blog, top performers

By Stephen Spiewak | Posted 7/16/2016

The USA Football 7on7 National Championship concludes today in Hoover, Ala, where a pool of 48 teams will be whittled down to one title-winning team.

The field of teams includes four reigning state champions in some of the country's toughest playoff classification, such as Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.), McGill-Toolen (Ala.) and Fayetteville (Ark.) Top recruits, like No. 1-ranked quarterback Hunter Johnson (Brownsburg, Ind.) and Scout No. 1-ranked athlete Deangelo Gibbs are among the blue-chip recruits also in attendance.

 

 

Here's a breakdown of top performers thus far. Follow the tournament bracket here, and watch live here, via the NFHS Network.

  • Deangelo Gibbs It's no surprise that Gibbs cracks any list of top performers. The 6-foot-3 cornerback showed why he's such a coveted recruit, displaying superb athleticism throughout pool play.
  • Malique Cunningham Cunningham is among the more dynamic players at the tournament. He threw for 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns last year, and rushed for an additional 560 yards and 11 scores. The Louisville-bound signal-caller led Park Crossing to an undefeated record in pool play.
  • Taylor Powell Another of the top quarterbacks in attendance, the 6-1, 200 pounder from Fayetteville (Ark.) led an explosive offense that posted more points in pool play than all but two teams.
  • Matt Dohse, Christian Harris, Cam Moore Wheaton-Warrenville South entered the tournament with much to prove, as the only Illinois team and coming off a 2-7 record. Ron Muhitch's squad performed well in a loaded pool, and Dohse, Moore and Harris were the main reason why. Dohse, the team's quarterback, was able to connect often with Moore and Harris. Moore had to sit all of 2015 after transferring from Wheaton North. He'll be a big weapon for Wheaton-Warrenville South this fall.
  • Chase Brice Grayson has a panoply of weapons on offense, and Brice is tasked with distributing the ball to them. The future Clemson quarterback lived up to the billing, helping Grayson to a 4-2 record.
  • Nico Collins Collins entered the USA Football 7on7 National Championship as the top-ranked receiver in the the event, and he did not disappoint. At 6-5, he was a difficult matchup. He shined despite Clay-Chalkville's overall team struggles.
  • Reed Tyler The rising junior tight end from Brandon (Miss.) showed flashes of excellence as a sophomore, and if his performance this weekend is any indication, he appears poised for a breakout junior campaign.
  • Hunter Johnson Johnson entered the event as the top-ranked quarterback in the country, and he looked the part in Hoover. Johnson led Brownsburg to a 4-2 record in pool play.
  • Will Ignont Alabama high school football received a big boost when Ignont transferred back to Buckhorn (New Market, Ala.) from IMG Academy. The 6-2 linebacker, who both Alabama and Auburn covet, will be among the state's top players this fall.
  • Markail Benton Like Ignont, Benton is one of the top players in the state of Alabama. He helped Phenix City Central to a 4-2 record in pool play. Benton is committed to Alabama.
  • Barrett Bannister The recipient of many of Taylor Powell's passes, Bannister was another key contributor for Fayetteville. He appears on the cusp of earning Division I scholarship offers.
  • Jalen McMillian He might be small (5-10, 145), but McMillian is fast and explosive. The rising junior should be a key player for Spain Park, which was runner up in Alabama's Class 7A in 2015.
  • Trajan Brandy Brandy was limited in the second half of the day, but he showed impressive glimpses early on. The Oklahoma commit from Columbus (Miami, Fla.) was one of the top defensive backs in attendance.
  • Connor Adair It's not surprising that Adair performed well; he's got a great teacher. The quarterback for Hewitt Trussville (Ala.) is coached by Josh Floyd, himself a former standout signal-caller at Shiloh Christian (Ark.) under then head-coach Gus Malzahn.
  • Zion Webb Webb looked very good running the offense for Phenix City Central. It's not surprising, given that he's been behind center since his freshman season. However, Webb is coming off an ACL tear in September. His health will be a key factor for Jamey Dubose's squad in 2016.
  • Lance Legendre The precocious quarterback for Warren Easton may have only just finished his freshman season, but he's competed in a big way this weekend. He could emerge as a top quarterback recruit in the class of 2019.
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