By Platform Scout: Nate Shivers @NathanielShivers1
With the first day of the Road To The Crown Dallas Tournament coming to a close after day one, there no doubt that there was a lot of talent that we need to discuss. There is a group of players that balled out today that caught my attention and forced me to have to write about their individual talents! The mission and goal of The Platform is to #ExposeTheUnexposed and provide adequate coverage of athletes around the country giving them exposure. Let’s dive in.
Jacobe Hayes |CB/WR| |5’11″| |170lbs| Mansfield HS 2025
Hayes seems to be the best athlete on what ever field he stepped on today! On offense Hayes was running the most fluid routes I saw all day, while also bringing the hands to finish plays bringing in multiple catches. Now while he could easily be a productive wideout at the next level, Hayes brings the attitude and skill that you want at the cornerback position! He has probably the best jam you will see from a press man corner! On several occasions I saw Haynes jam receivers to a complete stand still, taking them completely out of the play. The sun wasn’t out today but any receiver he played had a shadow the whole game. Not to mention that he brought in 2 picks and 1 to the house!
Christian Lassiter | DB | 6’1 155lbs | Boswell HS 2025
Lassiter is a ball hawk in the secondary. I would have to give him interception of the day with his amazing turn around one handed grab! Lassiter is player that has natural football instincts, which also comes with good ball skills. That’s a great combination to have. I look forward to seeing more of Christian Lassiter this tournament.
Deon Jones | WR | Richland HS 2025
Deon Jones is twitchy, he is quick in and out of his breaks when running his routes and showed the speed to get behind the defense on multiple occasions! The thing that just kept amazing me today with Jones is how often he was bringing in catches deep down down field! I would say his average depth of target had to be at least 25 yards! Literally getting to a point that the team he was playing changed their scheme to cover four mid game and still allowed the deep ball to him, it was almost unreal. Hope to see more young fella!
Luke Duran | TE | 6’2″ 205lbs Rockwall 2027
Luke Duran is a big body possession tight end that can make the catches in traffic as a security blanket for his quarterback. He has good movement for his size and can work the middle of the field, even in a crowd. The skill set the brings to the field was noteworthy on day one.
Landon Gigliotta | QB | 6′ 170lbs | Class of 2026
Landon has one the best arms I saw today while watching the first day of the DR7 Road To The Crown tournament. He has a rare ability to complete a high percentage of his passes with pinpoint accuracy outside of the numbers and is equally sharp inside the numbers, showing consistency in multiple situations. Landon is a dangerous quarterback that can pick you apart marching down the field or he can hit the defense for points with one throw. My favorite part of his of his game, is his ability to lead his receivers with is throws to open spots, allowing them to maintain speed through the catch to pick up more yards. It shows the connection he has with his receivers and how much they practice together. Which shows great leadership as a QB!
