By Platform Lead Scout Marc Henry: @marchen44
The second season of the DR7 Road To The Crown Tournament rolls into Round Rock this weekend for the National Championship, where teams will come together to decide on the gridiron, who is the best team in the country and which team will win The Crown. The mission of The Platform to provide exposure to players who play on the Dedication and Respect Sportz 7v7 Circuit, who are some the top players in the country, as well as Expose The UnExposed. The featured players were Playmakers for their teams on day one. Here is a look at ballers from 8U-18U who were stand outs on day one.
Jeramie Teel | Tight End | Class of 2026 | Keller Timbercreek (TX)| 7v7: True Buzz 15U
Teel is big body pass catcher, with soft, large hands, he understands how to find the softs spots in the defense and he is a weapon in the red zone. The 6’3 210 pounder, attacks the football in flight well, has an extended catch radius and he is a reliable target for his quarterback. Teel is physical at the point of attack, uses his strength and size to shrug off smaller defenders and he has the speed to work the middle of the field. Jeramie was a big reason that True Buzz finished pool play unblemished and look for him to continue be a Playmaker on Crown Sunday.
Jamarcea Plater | Athlete | Class of 2026 | Captain Shreve High School (LA) | 7v7 : 318 Hotboyz
Plater has a strong, stout build, with fluid hips, he has the ability to turn, plant, cut and run with receivers when he plays cornerback and he stays in their hip pocket with sticky coverage. He is physical at the point of attack, he takes pride in bullying wideouts and that was evident when Plater rode his opponent right of play to the sidelines and let him hear about it. Plater has the versatility to hop on the offensive of the football and be a Playmaker with the football in his hands. He has a quick get off, with an explosive first step, he has the quickness to stop and go with losing a step and he has the speed to stretch the defense. Plater is a hands catcher of the football, he attacks the football with a purpose and he has the body control to make contested catches in traffic. Jamarcea is one the top athletes in the Class of 2026 in Louisiana and has garnered interest from Grambling State University and Southern University.
Donovan King | Class of 2028 | Wide Receiver | 7v7: Iowa Flex 12U
King is a matchup nightmare, who runs crisp routes, he is a hands catcher of the football and he has an extended catch radius that enables him to make contested grabs consistently. At 6’1, Donovan is built like a power forward, he uses his frame to box out defenders and he gave defenses fits during pool play because of his ability to win routinely on the 50/50 jump ball. Throw it up and watch him go get it. He has large, strong mitts that engulf the football and he attacks the ball with a vengeance. King was a key cog in the Iowa Flex offense and look for him to continue to have defenses scratching their heads heading into Crown Sunday.
Jahlil Clay | Class of 2029 | Athlete | 7v7: Iowa Flex 12U
Clay has jitterbug quickness, he has an explosive burst off of the line of scrimmage and he has the speed to stretch the field. Jahlil has the skill set to line up at any position and be a dominant force. He runs smooth routes, he tracks the ball well in flight and he is a hands catcher of the football. Jahlil is a Playmaker on the defensive side of the ball as a defensive back and he uses his tools to make an impact. He transitions into his backpedal smoothly, he sees the field well with excellent vision and he stepped in front of pass for pick six during pool play. Clay has the makeup of a player who will be known in the state of Iowa in the near future.
Camryn Fulton | Class of 2029 | Wide Receiver | 7v7: Unity Select 12U
Fulton has a long lean build, with a large catch radius and he is a consistent hands catcher of the football. Camryn understands how to find weak spots in the defense, he has a quick first step and he has the burst to create separation from defenders. Fulton has the speed to get deep and he made defenses pay with several TD catches. Look for Camryn to continue to be a weapon in the Unity Select offense as they head into Crown Sunday.
Kendall Bodwell | Class of 2028 | Wide Receiver | 7v7: YPL Atlanta (GA)
Bodwell is a Playmaker who set the tone early during pool play with his ability to make the big splash play. Kendall has a quick burst off of the line of scrimmage, he finds weaknesses in the defense to exploit their coverage and his speed in the open field enabled him to make multiple house calls for six. Bodwell tracks the ball in flight well and he is hands catcher of the football, who attacks the ball with a purpose. His route running is sharp and deliberate and you can expect a heavy dose of Bodwell in the YPL offense on Crown Sunday.
Izaih Rodgers | Class of 2028 | Athlete | 7v7: SOS 12U
Rodgers has a long, stocky build, with a stout trunk and he uses his extended arm length to highpoint the football for the contested catch. He has large mitts that swallow the football and he tracks the football well in flight. Rodgers has the versatility to play on both sides of the football and plays the passing lanes well defensively, using his length on several occasions to deflect passes in his area. Offensively, Izaih uses his frame to box out defenders and his strength enables him to be a weapon in the passing game. Keep an eye on him heading into bracket play on Sunday.
Ji’Karson Taylor | Class of 3032 | Athlete | 7v7: Freeworld 8U
Taylor plays fast, he tracks and receives the football with soft hands and he has the speed to get north in hurry. Taylor caught the first touchdown of the game and darted to the end zone for six. Ji’Karson has a calmness to his game, he plays under control and his ability to get open early, enables him to get targets frequently. Freeworld was able to finish pool play undefeated and look for Taylor to continue to make defenses pay.
Antonio Gladney | Class of 2026 | Athlete | Parkway High School (LA) | 7v7: 318 Hotboyz
Gladney has a stout build, with good length, he has the speed to explode past defenders and his big play ability enabled him to exploit matchups. Antonio has suction cups for hands, he sees the ball in flight well and he has the body control to make contested grabs in traffic. He has fluid hips and his ability to change gears quickly allows him to get separation off of the line of scrimmage. The 5’10 175 pound multisport star, is one of the top athletes in his class in the state of Louisiana. When he lines up on defense, he has the skill set to stick like glue to wideouts and his ability to play the passing lanes allows him to get hands on the football. Gladney is generating college interest and his stock will continue to rise heading into his sophomore season.
Llyodson Nyenow Jr. | Class of 2026 | Athlete | Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School (IA) | 7v7: Level Up 15U
Nyenow Jr. has a lean, lengthy build and he uses his strong frame to wall off defenders when he makes catches in traffic. He runs sharps routes, he has the ability to change directions quickly and he has an extended catch radius that enables him to win on the 50/50 jump ball. Lloydson has an explosive get off at the line of scrimmage and he has the burst to create separation from defenders to get deep. He is a Playmaker on both sides of the football and he has the skill set to play defensive back at a high level. Look for Lloydson to make headlines of Friday nights in Iowa in the near future.
Nick Payne | Class of 2027 | Athlete | Bishop Lynch High School (TX) | 7v7: True Buzz 15U
Payne is cat quick, he uses his natural instincts defensively to play the passing lanes with controlled aggression and he has clean footwork, that allows him to be in position to make plays on the ball consistently. Nick has the skill set to line up at wide receiver and be a Playmaker. He works the short to intermediate routes well, showing the ability to stop on a dime and his shiftiness in space enables him to be an open target for his quarterback consistently. Payne will be a player to keep an eye on for Trues Buzz heading into Crown Sunday.
Trysten Shaw | Class of 2027 | Wide Receiver | Rockwall Heath High School (TX) |7v7: True Buzz 15U
Shaw is lighting in a bottle, he is phonebooth quick, he gets in and out of his breaks quickly and he has the ability to create separation early off of the line of scrimmage. Trysten has great instincts to find soft spots in the defense consistently, he works the short to intermediate routes like a veteran and he wins his matchups due to his ability to see the field well. Shaw can switch gears quickly, getting from 0 to 100 in two steps and his explosive burst was on full display during pool play when he shredded the defense for a deep ball to end the day. Shaw is a multi-sport athlete who excels on the track showing blazing speed and he will be a key cog in the True Buzz offense heading into Crown Sunday.
Eddrick Jordan | Class of 2025 | Defensive Back | South Oak Cliff High School (TX) | 7v7: True Buzz 15U
Jordan has clean footwork, he gets into his backpedal smoothly and he plays the pass with great instincts that put him position to make plays on the football consistently. He changes direction quickly, he has fluid hips and he can turn, run, and cut smoothly, which enables him to stay in the hip pocket of his opponent. Eddrick plays with great leverage, with controlled aggression, he is physical at the point of attack and he drives on the football thru the receiver without committing a foul. Jordan’s sticky play defensively, helped True Buzz go unblemished during pool play, holding opponents to 38 points on the day.
