By: Nick Gradney (National Scout) @StatZ_G
Gridiron Elite 18U went 5-1 overall during the weekend in Orlando and secured the DR7 18U Championship. Led by quarterbacks Noah Grubbs and Grant Conner, this squad was impressively great throughout pool play but turned the fire up on Championship Sunday. It’s easy to point out the star players and signal callers but this team was loaded everywhere. Here’s a few names to know that stood out from Gridiron Elite this past weekend.
26′ ATH Trenton Gummer (@trentongummer)
Trenton gummer was great in coverage for the would-be 18U champs this past weekend in Orlando. Gummer isn’t huge in stature but his play on the field is massive. The 2026 standout has good speed, active hands and oily hips that allows him to make plays on perfectly thrown passes. There’s a ton to admire about this kid and luckily, he has a lot of football left to be played, being that he’s only a sophomore. Gummer is also a track star with a 4.0 GPA so there’s no reason universities shouldn’t be drooling over this young, budding star. Pay attention closely as Gummer continues to light up the 7v7 circuit.
25′ WR Atticus Van Dyke (@atticus_vandyke)
Van Dyke was one of the better wide receivers in the entire tournament. Catching everything that came his way, Atticus proved to be worthy of mentioning as one of the premiere players at the DR7 Orlando event. Atticus has a wide catch radius to go along with a pair of sticky hands. Van Dyke made several timely, big plays for his team. His number kept getting called and he delivered every time. I don’t recall a dropped pass, nor did defensive backs get the better of him. Atticus has the measurables to excel at wide receiver and he still has time to perfect his craft over the off-season. Expect a great senior season campaign from Van Dyke in the fall.
25′ WR Zion Wolf (@zionwo1f)
Zion Wolf is easily one of the most explosive receivers I’ve covered this year and I’m not just talking 7v7, but in pads as well. Wolf averaged over 20 yards per reception during his junior year at Winter Park High School in Florida. Don’t believe me, turn on the film and it speaks for itself. Once Zion gets in the secondary, you can pretty much strike up the band. Wolf has a really quick and twitchy burst off the line of scrimmage that creates separation for him to continuously get targeted. This kid has really good size as well and can stand to add a few more pounds but it’s definitely not a knock. His game is smooth and should warrant a lot of collegiate interest in the near future.
26′ ATH E’Shawn Sutton (@EShawnSutton)
Sutton is an elite, well put together athlete that has the skill set to play both wide receiver and cornerback. Just put this kid on the field and he’ll make a play. The lower extremity movement from E’Shawn was on another level. You can tell the work being put in behind closed doors has paid off. Offensively, Sutton is great at contested catches and high pointing the ball. He runs with explosive force and plays every play like it’s his last. Sutton has some of the best hands in the state of Florida. On the defensive side, his lateral quickness and reaction time is top tier. I can see him being a really good nickel corner as well. Recruiters, offer this kid NOW!
