Day 1 of Atlanta Pylon 7-on-7 tournament: Top performers

ATLANTA – Atlanta, well Emerson, was the gathering spot for a slew of 7-on-7 teams from around the country on Saturday for the Pylon event of Atlanta. A lot of prospects were on visits on day 1. There were still a ton of talented players on the field on Saturday.

On3 was on hand for the entire day of pool play on Saturday. There were plenty of blue-chippers to choose from but the On3 MVP for day one makes his home in the secondary.

On3 MVP: CB Christian Gray (2023)

St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet four-star cornerback Christain Gray came halfway across the United States and looked like a lockdown cornerback on the first day of games. He wasn’t tested a lot early.

Gray snagged a diving interception in one of his three games. He also baited a wide receiver and quarterback duo into thinking he was beaten and then closed the gap to break up a pass that he nearly intercepted. The ball popped free as he hit the ground.

Gray came to Georgia on Saturday anticipating the speed and competition of the players in the south.

“There are some fast kids and they have a lot of technique too,” Gray told On3. “There’s a noticeable speed difference. Down in Saint Louis, there are kids that run 4.4s and 4.5s. Here, people are running 4.3s. That’s the kind of speed I want to get to.”

Gray is the No. 109 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings for the class of 2023.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine had Notre Dame as the program with the inside track to land Gray. The Fighting Irish have a 91 percent chance to land Gray according to RPM.

2. EDGE Caleb Herring

Yes, an edge played 7-on-7. Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Riverdale edge Caleb Herring got his hands on a few passes. He also ran with slots and running backs in space all evening. He ran like a big wide receiver chasing around smaller players. Herring possesses length that makes him a coveted prospect.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Herring projects as an edge in college. He has offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Michigan, Penn State among others. Herring is the No. 65 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings for the class of 2023.

3. ATH Malachi Coleman

Lincoln (Neb.) Lincoln East athlete Malachi Coleman stood up to his current position designation. Coleman’s got off the bus and turned heads.

At 6-foot-5, 210-pound Coleman played in the center of the defense and then split out and played wide receiver. He made multiple catches in traffic.

He also snagged an interception as a quarterback tried to fit the ball over his 6-foot-5 frame. Home town Nebraska is the RPM leader with a 99.9 percent chance of landing the No. 206 prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings.

4. QB Dante Moore (2023)

Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King quarterback Dante Moore looked like the No. 15 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings and the fourth overall quarterback.

Moore didn’t play much as he and another signal-caller shared reps during pool play, but he threw multiple touchdowns throughout the night.

Notre Dame is the leader in Moore’s RPM ratings with a 64.4 percent chance to land Moore at the moment.

5. QB Bryce Underwood (2025)

Belleville (Mich.) quarterback Bryce Underwood made the trip down from alongside Moore. He put on a display right off the bus on Saturday.

Underwood hit long touchdowns on his first three plays at quarterback. He has some developing still to do as he’s only 14-years-old.

Underwood has Notre Dame, Tennessee, Michigan and Michigan State all battling for his services early on.

6. Safety Caleb Downs

Hoschton (Ga.) Mill Creek safety Caleb Downs looked like a five-star. Downs is the No. 11 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus. He broke up a few passes and led the Hustle Inc. defense.

Downs has Georgia and Alabama at the top of his RPM rating.

7. QB Marcel Reed (2023)

Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy quarterback Marcel Reed threw touchdowns in every way you could on Saturday night.

He connected on deep balls. Reed took the underneath throws. He also knew when to live for another down. Reed has Tennessee, Georgia and Florida tied at the top of his RPM ratings.

8. QB Christopher Vizzina (2023)

Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christian quarterback Christopher Vizzina led a few touchdown drives in limited action on Saturday.

He threw an interception late in his third game on Saturday. Vizzina threw with conviction most of the day. He is the No. 40 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus.

Vizzina’s RPM leaders are Clemson at 54 percent and Notre Dame at 15.5 percent.

9. Safety Daakari Nelson

Selma (Ala.) safety Daakari Nelson was dominant on both sides of the ball on Saturday. He projects as a safety but Nelson has a few opportunities to play wide receiver at the next level.

He did both on Saturday. Nelson snagged two long touchdowns on offense early on. He then jumped and snagged a football over a defender in the first game of the day.

Nelson is a bigger athlete standing at around 6-foot-3 or taller. He’s long and athletic giving him an opportunity to be a versatile asset at the next level. Nelson’s RPM leaders are Tennessee and Auburn at 25.1 percent.

10. QB K.J. Jackson (2024)

Montgomery (Ala.) St. James School quarterback K.J. Jackson stands out physically at 6-foot-3. The lefty threw the ball in some tight spots for touchdowns all day on Saturday.

The rising junior already has Power Five offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Penn State and Ole Miss among other interests.