By: Drew Johnson (@RealNews102)
The DR7 Road to the Crown seven-on-seven tournament continued with another competitive turnout in Marietta, Georgia which featured some impressive athletes who deserve recognition. The mission and goal of The Platform is to Expose the Unexposed and provide adequate coverage of athletes participating in the DR7 7v7 circuit. National Scout Drew Johnson attended the tournament to give readers and coaches a glimpse of a few notable prospects. Here is a list of some of the top quarterback standouts from Day One of Pool Play.
Trey Townsend | Class of 2024 | 7v7: North Georgia Elite
The MVP standout from this past weekend simply dominated his competition on the way to the 18U championship game on Sunday while throwing dots and money balls all over the field. Townsend stands tall in the pocket and displayed his good ball placement on the entire route tree. He was smart and decisive with his decisions and showed off his developed arm strength. The Calhoun High product had a merely unstoppable connection with four-star teammate Emaree Winston who had himself an MVP weekend as well. Look out for the duo to continue impressing during the off-season.
Antwann Hill Jr. | Class of 2025 | 7v7: Huncho Elite Infinity
Hill stood out because of his incredible frame at 6’5, 215-pounds while displaying his poised composure in the pocket this weekend in Marietta, GA. The four-star Houston County High product has offers from the top Power 5 schools around the country and rightfully so. He’s just a sophomore with plenty of upside and time to add even more to his bag of skills. Hill delivered laser throws while moving around in the pocket or standing stationary to throw a deep ball shot. Expect Hill to continue to progress with his recruitment being national around his senior season.
Cole Bergeron | Class of 2026 | 7v7: 4th Quarter Mentality
Bergeron was the first quarterback that I got to lay eyes on this weekend and he didn’t let up on his impressive showing through both days. He has an incredible frame for a freshman quarterback at 6’4, 190-pound, and had one of the best ball placements throughout the tournament. What was more impressive was how smart he was with his decision-making skills. Combining those attributes with the upside Bergeron has made him an interesting prospect for college coaches to keep eyes on at St. Thomas More.
Jeremy Hecklinski | Class of 2024 | 7v7: Hustle Inc. White
Hecklinksi showed off some of the best footwork mechanics and smooth releases from this weekend in Marietta. He was completing dots on championship Sunday that included back shoulder throws, deep-ball head tops, and was on the money with the short and intermediate routes. Hecklinski led his team to an 18U championship trophy with the opportunity to compete in the National Championship in Round Rock, TX on April 15. The junior Wake Forest commit has the ball on a string and spinning it well on both days to finish as one the top quarterback standouts.
Trever Jackson | Class of 2024 | 7v7: Certified Dawgs
The West Orange High three-star product made the long trip to Marietta and performed well in the cold this weekend. Jackson has a good frame at 6’2, 180-pounds but impressed because of his outstanding leadership qualities and his ability to keep his team under control. Trever has really good arm strength with a quick release and zips the ball out on short or deep ball routes. Excited to watch Jackson develop his game even more heading into his senior season and should have a productive year for West Orange.
Stephen Cannon | Class of 2026 | 7v7: Team Dimes
Cannon stood out as one of the top quarterbacks in the 15U bracket this weekend in Marietta. Cannon will be next up at Benedictine Military School in Savannah, GA once FSU commit Luke Kromenhoek makes his way to Tallahassee. Cannon displayed advanced footwork mechanics in the pocket with a smooth release that gave defenders problems. Look out for the freshman to continue developing his game during the off-season circuit.
Andrew Alford | Class of 2025 | 7v7: TME
Alford looked really good in the couple games I watched him perform. He was a good decision-maker with the ball in his hands but showed off his decent arm strength and timing with his receivers.
Mitch Seaman | Class of 2026 | 7v7: Rare ** Baller
*Other Notable Standouts:
Jaiden Jenkins | Class of 2024 | 7v7: Huncho Elite Infinity
Jaden Callaway | Class of 2027 | 7v7: The Grind Factory
Preston Ratliff | Class of 2024 | TEAM GSP