Football recruiting: Standouts from the FHS7v7A state championship
THE VILLAGES — Wekiva kept Vanguard from taking home all of the gold Saturday.
The Mustangs held off the Knights 20-19 in the championship game of the Florida High School 7v7 Association State Championship Tournament at the Villages Polo Grounds. Vanguard’s linemen took top honors in the Battlelines State Championship Lineman Challenge earlier Saturday.
The two-day tournament featured more than 40 teams, including perennial playoff teams such as West Orange, Florida High, Plant, Columbia, St. Augustine, Palmetto and Trinity Catholic.
Here were some of the top recruits who stood out during the tournament. (Players are listed in alphabetical order.)
Barron Collier 2025 QB Niko Boyce
Boyce, who holds an Oregon offer, easily had one of the strongest arms of any quarterback at the tournament and showed the ability to make throws into tight windows. Barron Collier also tried to take advantage of Boyce’s ability to throw on the run several times – something very few teams did with their quarterbacks.
Columbia 2024 S Jerome Carter III
At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Carter is a long and rangy safety. In addition to his strong coverage skills, Carter showed his ability to quickly come downhill on passes thrown underneath. Carter said he plans to take official visits to Indiana, Iowa State and West Virginia during the season.
Plant 2025 RB Waltez Clark
Clark, one of the nation’s top junior running backs, is the total package – size (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), speed, vision, hands, etc. Whether lining up at running back, slot receiver or linebacker, it’s easy to see why Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC and others have offered.
Vanguard 2024 LB Markell Davis
The Knights had several standout defenders during the tournament, but Davis ability to cover, knock down balls in passing lanes and be a consistent playmaker was impressive. Davis’ offers include Liberty, Memphis, Temple and USF.
Wekiva 2024 QB Ty’Ray Davis
Davis was outstanding during the tournament, showing off his strong arm at times but understanding when to take something off to drop a pass between defenders. Davis (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) recently committed to North Carolina A&T.
Vanguard 2024 DB Fred Gaskin III
No surprise here as Gaskin has been an annual standout at this tournament since the summer after his freshman year. He to go back and forth between quarterback and safety and produced several highlights on both sides of the ball. Gaskin previously announced a top eight that included Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee.
St. Augustine 2025 WR Carl Jenkins Jr.
Jenkins has his recruiting take off earlier this year when Texas A&M, UCF, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others offers. He’s a tough matchup because of his size (6-foot-3, 165 pounds), speed, athleticism and hands.
Palmetto 2025 WR Adonis Moise
Moise picked up several Power 5 offers during the spring and reminded everyone why during the afternoon games on Friday. Moise consistently got open – even when opponents tried to double-team him with a safety – and has strong hands.
Harmony 2024 CB Alex Nash
Nash, who verbally committed to Central Michigan on Thursday, was dominant at times with his aggressive press coverage. Nash made it difficult for receivers to even get off the line and seemed to relish whatever physicality he could use in the 7-on-7 format.
Trinity Catholic 2025 DB Courtney Patterson
Patterson was outstanding in coverage, primarily as a safety, during the tournament. He’s quick, moves well, has good coverage skills. Patterson has been offered by UCF< USF< West Virginia and others.
Wekiva 2025 DB Jabari Smith
Smith, who recently was offered by USF after a 10-interception tournament in Tampa, had another strong two days in The Villages. He covers well and just finds a way to get to the ball wherever it’s thrown.
Plant 2026 DB Darryon Williams
Williams was a solid outside cornerback during the tournament and helped Plant’s gold squad reach the semifinals. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder more than held his own, broke up several passes and almost had a game-sealing interception (he landed out of bounds) on the final play in the knockout stages.
St. Augustine 2026 WR Somourian Wingo
St. Augustine already has a talented wide receiver room with Jenkins, Trenton Jones and others, but Wingo certainly belongs in that conversation. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder is long, was able to get separation and made a couple highlight reel catches Friday.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Football recruiting: Standouts from the FHS7v7A state championship
