College Football Recruiting: ESPN's Gridiron Kings 7 On 7

I watched Gridiron Kings 7-on-7 on ESPN last night. While the announcers babbled about Florida speed in the Southeast’s route of the Southwest team, the biggest difference in the game was at quarterback and the Southeast’s tight end Nick O’Leary.

Some of the recruiting service types get way too hyped up on 7-on-7s, but they are useful for assessing some basic things: how a quarterback throws and handles throwing at upgraded speed, how defensive backs and wide receivers run, in addition to their ball skills and hands.

The fault of the format is revealed by this question: if you took all of the teams in college football last year and played them in a 7 on 7 tournament, how would Alabama finish?

Around 50.

Where would you draft Earl Campbell in a 7 on 7 game? Lawrence Taylor? Reggie White?

You get my point.

Let’s be clear, it’s not football. It’s an athletic display mimicking aspects of football.

The Southeast rolled in large part because they brought their A squad. The Southwest brought some good players and a few players who were a very poor fit for the format. I don’t know how the team was constructed, but it was foolish. The Southeast seemingly dominated the Southwest 36-0, but in watching the game, the biggest difference between the two teams was actually only at two positions, tight end and quarterback. More on that later.

Let’s talk about Texas.

A lot has been written about how the Longhorns wish they could have taken Texas Tech’s Michael Brewer. If you’re a Lake Travis booster Mom or your feelings are easily hurt, don’t read on.

Disclaimer: Brewer is, by all accounts, a phenomenal high school player in the LT system. His Dad is one of my favorite players in Texas history, and he’s a first class kid.

That said…

He’s 5-11 in two pairs of socks.

Weak arm. He couldn’t handle the wind or increased team speed at all. He had to sling simple intermediate throws (usually too high) and he cost the Southwest two long gains with under-throws. He threw three interceptions – all of them terrible, not ricochets or miscommunications – including two pick-sixes when the Southwest team was in the Southeast red zone about to score. He was singlehandedly responsible for a 28-point swing with those two throws. Mind you, this is with no pass rush, lots of time to throw, and wide open throwing lanes. It was a really bad display.

In fairness, the format didn’t allow Brewer to use his mobility or running ability, which are his strengths.

Jaxon Shipley is really good. Nothing we didn’t already know. He caught around eight balls. He’s not as fast as Jordan but his wingspan is longer and he has better ball skills and he’s about as evolved as you’ll see at that level.

Liked Herschel Sims. I have loved him from the beginning. He’s small, but he’s quick and can make things happen in space. Good hands. Great Brian Westbrook/Ray Rice clone. OSU is recruiting well.

Miles Onyegbule is big and he has great hands. Not explosive at all. Kennedy is so in love with this type of receiver and it amuses me. In terms of ability, he’s either Dan Buckner or Ian Harris.

It was harder to evaluate the defensive guys, but I think Quandre Diggs is a stud and can absolutely play CB for us.

I didn’t leave with any meaningful impression of Josh Turner.

SW played Franklin Shannon and Lyndell Johnson at safety. Shannon is too slow for that format. I particularly like Johnson, but he’s best at coming up and punishing. Not a 7 on 7 format.

By the way, Southeast TE Nick O’Leary is the truth. He’s basically David Thomas with more size. He will massacre linebackers in college and bully safeties. He caught everything with flypaper hands, scored in the red zone at will, and absolutely dominated everyone they lined up on him. By contrast, the Southwest had some random kid who played high school offensive tackle. Perhaps Jace Amaro was unavailable? The SE also had a safety, whose name escapes me, who went 6-1 215 and could cover in space. Really good player. I’d play him at LB and have me a Derrick Brooks.

From the FanTake blog: Recruitocosm

Follow on Twitter: @Recruitocosm