By National Scout: Marc Henry (@marchen44)
The second season of the DR7 Road To The Crown Tournament is heading to Round Rock this weekend for the National Championship, where teams will battle settle the debate who is the best team in the country. The mission of The Platform to provide exposure to players who play on the Dedication and Respect 7v7 Circuit, who are some the top players in the country, as well as Expose The UnExposed. There have been players from each stop on the DR7 National Tournament circuit, that have been ShowStoppers, ballers have made an impact on their teams and who also had standout performances. Here is a look at first installment of several ShowStoppers articles on athletes from around the country who left a lasting impression.
Michael Hawkins Jr. | Class of 2024 | Quarterback | Frisco (TX) Emerson High School | 7v7: 940 Elite 18U
Hawkins had ShowStopper performance at the DR7 Road To The Crown Plano and left no doubt the he is one of the top players in the country in the Class of 2024. Hawkins has a big time arm, he can make all the throws on the route tree with surgical accuracy, he has a quick release, he sees the field well showing superb eye discipline and his ability to fit the football into small windows are what makes his game special. Michael has great anticipation, he has the ability to throw his receivers open and exploit the soft spots in the defense consistently and he has the skill set to make throws from multiple angles with laser like accuracy. He plays with a swagger, his leadership was on full display with his 940 Elite team, as he consistently directed traffic by controlling his huddle and his ability to raise the team’s level of play led them on a deep run during bracket on Sunday. Hawkins recently made his commitment to the University of Oklahoma.
Hauss Hejny | Class of 2024 | Quarterback | Aledo High School (TX) | 7v7: Showtime 18U
Hejny has the ability to make every throw on the route tree, he has great anticipation, which enables him to be on time with his receivers and his ability to make throws into tight coverage helped lead his team at the DR7 Road To The Crown Allen Tournament to several big wins. Hauss has the arm strength to push the football down field with great touch on his deep ball, he sees the field well, which allows him to find open receivers that he has the ability to throw open and his accuracy enables him to complete passes at a high percentage. Hejny is one of top dual-threat quarterbacks in the Class of 2024 and TCU commit put on a ShowStopper performance in the DR7 Allen 7v7 tournament, which left no doubt that his playmaking ability is next level.
Jamarion Ficklin | Class of 2025 | Quarterback | Muskogee High School (OK) | 7v7: Sooner 7 18U
The 6’2 185 pound lefty can flat out spin it. Ficklin has excellent pocket presence with clean footwork, he throws from a solid base, which enables him to engage hips to deliver strikes and he has the arm strength to throw any route on the route tree. Jamarion has a lean, athletic frame and he showed off the ability to make throws on the roll out to either side of the field with superb accuracy and he has the skill set to complete passes from multiple arms slots, as well as off platform throws. Ficklin was on point throughout the DR7 Tulsa Tournament, which allowed him to lead Sooner 7 to the Championship and they punched their ticket to Round Rock in large part due to his ShowStopper Performance.
Kayleb Barnett | Class of 2025 | Slot Receiver | Broken Arrow High School (OK) | 7v7: The Unit 918
Barnett is phonebooth quick, he is explosive of off the line of scrimmage, he is shifty in space and this allows him to win consistently at the point of attack. Kayleb runs sharp, crisp routes, his explosiveness enables him to get in and out of his breaks quickly and he gets from 0-100 real quick, with ability to accelerate past defenders in the open field. Barnett is matchup nightmare, he has the versatility to hit defenses from any angle and made plays out the backfield at running back as well, taking advantage of mismatches against linebackers. His ShowStopper performance at the DR7 Tulsa Tournament aided The Unit 918 in reaching the Championship game and put all on notice that he is one of the best skill position players in the state of Oklahoma in the Class of 2025.
Rashawd Davis | Class of 2025 | Athlete | Dowling Catholic High School (IA) | 7v7: Iowa Flex 15U
Put Davis anywhere, at any position and line it up and watch him go get it. Davis is a football player, who has the athletic ability to be a ShowStopper wherever he is needed, just put the ball in his hands and he will make plays. He is cat quick, he is explosive in space, he has the ability to get open consistently no matter the coverage the defense is in and he has the speed to run past defenders no matter what route he runs. Davis is an explosive leaper, which enables him to win on the back shoulder throws and the 50/50 jump ball no matter who is covering him. Davis was my MVP of the Tulsa DR7 Tournament and was the best player on the field no matter who was guarding him. He is one the top running backs in his class in the state of Iowa.
Danny King | Class of 2024 | Wide Receiver | Bloomington Thomas Jefferson High School (MN) | 7v7: Minnesota Grind 18U
King showed off his big play ability consistently at the DR7 Tulsa Tournament for his team the Minnesota Grind throughout the weekend and he put a ShowStopper performance that left no doubt that he has the skill set to play at the next level. At 6’4 230 pounds, he has the athletic frame to shrug off smaller defenders in coverage, he has quickness to get in and out of his breaks easily and he is an explosive leaper who has the body control to make the contested catches in traffic consistently. He uses his extended catch radius to his advantage in heavy traffic and he has strong hands that attack the ball. King has the frame that could add bulk and blossom into a versatile tight end at the next level, which makes him one the top pass catchers in the state of Minnesota.
