Elite quarterbacks were the talk of OT7 Orlando

John Garcia, Jr.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A quick glance at the team rosters for OT7's first tournament in Orlando this year pushed the conversation towards one star-studded position: quarterback.

From the outset, the big arms were the names to know and quickly dominated the conversation as the competition wore on from Saturday into championship Sunday.

Rivals looks at some of the best in show at the game's most important position.

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The prospect who came in with the most eyeballs on him as well as the one with the most pressure to back up that five-star status, Underwood did more than deliver. He of course wowed with his easy velocity and downfield ability, which was somewhat expected, but the LSU commitment also showcased more of the pocket details that help make him an elite passer. From dropping his arm angle to moving defenders with his eyes and feet, the intricacies of the position were shown off despite it being a 7-on-7 setting. The frame and deep game capture attention for most, but Underwood working through his progressions at a consistent rate was what stood out most relative to his lofty projection.

One play in particular, all done under the four-second 'sack' clock timer, Underwood worked the front side of the field to his left and came back to the middle for the second read before moving all the way back to the back-side route by the sticks all in one motion. The ensuing dart was just on time to avoid the sack and move the chains. That maturity couples with an immense physical prowess that will continue to help him push for the No. 1 spot in the 2025 Rivals250. Underwood showed it all, from the third-level game, to taking what the defense gives him and plenty of precision in between.

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Another dream-framed passer who drew a crowd when he was at work, Knight flashed the physical gifts that continue to make him among the most coveted passers in the class despite having been committed to Notre Dame since last fall. When he was on, he showcased arguably the most live arm of the field, especially when it came time to push the ball to the third level. Knight can sling it down the field without much balance or foundation, both emphasizing his immense talent and how much more he can grow from a mechanical standpoint.

Knight has some boom-or-bust to his game from a decision-making standpoint, which sometimes got him in trouble in trying to fit passes into very small windows, but he always found a way to bounce back and put his team back into position to make a run. As he continues to add polish in the short to intermediate game, the ceiling for Knight's Saturday and maybe Sunday career grows to a higher point. A humble prospect, the future Irish passer admitted he is a bit behind the rest of the class from a teaching standpoint, too, but he now has a connection with a personal quarterback coach, so the progression should continue to become evident heading into his senior season and beyond.

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The future Ohio State passer was working in his first-ever club 7-on-7 event thanks to an archaic rule getting overturned in his native state of Ohio. It led to some expected troubles at times, as Fast Houston went 0-4 in the tournament, something St. Clair admits has to do with the lack of experience in the setting. It did not take away from the elite passer showing off the goods at different points, from possessing arguably the cleanest motion and release to that natural arm talent on display even when his feet were not quite set. There's a smoothness to St. Clair that makes it easy to see why he has ascended and became so coveted before picking the Buckeyes last summer.

The best elements we saw over the weekend came when he was balanced and on time. St. Clair also showed the ability to take something off of the ball and layer it in between levels, working the middle of the field like a mature passer. Of course, the deep shots were on display, too, with easy velocity to push it wherever he wanted. St. Clair also grew more comfortable as the event wore on, snapping through reads faster and delivering with great timing to all three levels. The strong mechanics and easy-to-see physical traits are to the level that his lack of experience and small-school background aren't cutting off his shot at pushing for a top spot in the class.

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Iamaleava had no issue working to the third level, as expected, protecting the football and working it accurately in the process. The undeclared talent looks bigger in his build and certainly looked comfortable working through his reads. Iamaleava took good chances at the second level and also showed off his modern traits in finding targets at the apex of 50-50 balls as well as playing accurate with hot reads and back-shoulder balls.

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Steady as he goes, Jones just gets the job done. The Florida State commitment isn't built like the passers listed above, so he doesn't quite draw the same crowd from an anticipation standpoint, yet he again was best in show when it came to ball distribution and placement. A true point guard on grass, Jones was the only passer we recorded without an interception in meaningful snaps (the only one came via and end-of-game Hail Mary) and that consistency helped propel his team to wins in all but one game over the weekend. Jones' elite accuracy and timing always looks easy, even against elite competition, part of the reason he remains coveted by several programs despite being firm to Mike Norvell and company.

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The TCU pledge again found ways to win in hitting targets all over the field in this setting. Well-proportioned within his stout frame, Hawkins worked well inside the pocket and out, finding ways to move defenders in the process. A condensed motion results in a quick release, too, allowing that much less time for the secondary to make a play on the football more times than not. Hawkins was among the best at the event with his accuracy to all three levels, including a walk-off winner in the tournament semifinals that found its way to the front pylon and away from great coverage to get into the title game.

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One of the hottest passers in the class of 2026, Hart has a lot to like in his game and he again showed why over the weekend. He was among the best third-level passers from both a timing and accuracy standpoint, and he also geared down and fired strong at the second level. Hart is a risk-taker, unafraid to trust his teammates in small windows, which also may be the part of his game that can be enhanced to an even higher level as he matures and fills out a wiry 6-foot-5 frame. The reigning state champion at Cocoa (Fla.) is far from his ceiling at this time, but the flashes are still head-turning at this stage of his development.

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MORE QUARTERBACK NOTES

Maika Eugenio - The engineer of yet another Lo-Pro 7-on-7 championship run, Eugenio's symmetry and chemistry with his teammates literally frustrates defenses full of Power Four prospects at every turn. He takes what the defense gives him, plays accurate football and doesn't turn it over. Eugenio is the very best of the game manager label in this setting and that decision-making typically translates to Friday nights and potentially beyond.

Sebastian Circo - Now in South Florida at Davie (Fla.) Western High School, Circo doesn't have the frame of some of the other competitors, but his accuracy was hard to miss as he led Defcon1 to a semi-final run. The rising-senior was among the best layered passers in the field and he was especially strong near the end zone, making clutch late attempts along the way.

Grant Conner - Usually more of a rotational player for his club team, Conner was the guy in this tournament and he showed some juice on a legitimate 6-foot-4 frame. The Central Florida native was good in the pocket and showed some mobility to make plays off of his mark, too, enough to begin to build some buzz. Conner drew some 'who is that!?' from onlookers less familiar with his game for good reason.