Stars heading to Las Vegas for inaugural OT7 tournament
Hundreds of FBS prospects and dozens of blue-chippers will make their way to Las Vegas this week to take part in OT7 – Overtime’s new 7-on-7 league. The event, which was announced in May, will run from Thursday to Sunday. Many of the nation’s top prospects from the 2023 and 2024 cycles are set to attend, making for what appears to be the most star-studded recruiting event of the summer.
Given the nature of 7-on-7, the skill players and defensive backs will account for the vast majority of prospects on hand. The four-day tournament should provide ample opportunities for On3 to get a close look at top prospects over the next several recruiting cycles.
Let’s take a look at some of the top names expected to attend among each position group.
Nelson, Iamaleava, Moore, Rashada headline QBs
Four On300 quarterbacks are set to compete at OT7, a few weeks before the Elite 11 Finals at the end of the month.
Five-Star Plus+ USC commit Malachi Nelson is set to play for the South Florida Express. The longtime No. 2 prospect in the On300 rankings will be throwing to the deepest group of pass catchers on hand. Nelson’s touch and accuracy tend to fare well in the 7-on-7 setting.
Five-star Tennessee commit Nico Iamaleava ranks as the No. 5 overall prospect in the On300 and is set to lead a Team Toa squad comprised mainly of local players from his area of Los Angeles. Iamaleava has played as much or more of travel 7-on-7 than the other quarterbacks on hand and should be in his element. The 6-foot-6, 190-pounder has a case for the strongest arm in the cycle and will look to show off his skill as a passer at OT7.
On300 quarterback Dante Moore will be the highest-ranked uncommitted quarterback on hand. The No. 45 overall prospect in the On300 is set to lead Cam Newton’s C1N team. Moore has had a nice off-season to date, showcasing his quick arm and overall passing skill in the camp and 7-on-7 circuit. Notre Dame, LSU, Oregon and Miami are fighting for Moore per his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Jaden Rashada is next up among 2023 On300. The Bay Area product is set to lead the Miami Immortals at OT7. Rashada should have one of the stronger arms in attendance, with the ability to drive the ball to any area of the field. Like Moore, Rahsada is uncommitted. He’s taken official visits to Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida and LSU.
Arizona State commit Israel Carter (Trillion Boys), North Carolina commit Tad Hudson (Carolina Stars) and Louisville commit Pierce Clarkson (Premium LA) are three more Power Five quarterback commits set to take part.
Top 2024 quarterbacks throwing at OT7
Several top 2024 quarterback prospects are set to be in Vegas, with two of the top nine signal callers in the 2024 On300 set to throw at OT7.
Air Noland (No. 52) will play alongside Dante Moore for Cam Newton’s C1N team. Noland was a recent riser in the On300. The lefty showed well on spring camp circuit after leading his team to a state title berth as a junior.
Jadyn Davis (No. 75) will work alongside Tad Hudson for the Charlotte-based Carolina Stars. The 6-foot-0.5, 185-pounder is one of the more polished passers in the 2024 cycle to this point.
Top wide receivers set to show out
Nearly two dozen On300 wide receivers over the 2023 and 2024 cycles are set to compete at OT7. The group includes five of the top seven wide receivers in the 2023 rankings.
The deepest receiver group on paper appears to belong to South Florida Express. Malachi Nelson should have an embarrassment of riches to target with five top 100 wide receivers on the same team.
Carnell Tate (No. 17) is one of the more coordinated pass-catchers in the cycle and has a penchant for coming down with contested grabs. He’s joined by two of the more competitive receivers in the cycle in Brandon Inniss (No. 72) and USC commit Makai Lemon (No. 89). Both make plays all over the field. Joshisa Trader (No. 10) ranks as the No. 1 receiver in the 2024 On300 and has shown a well-rounded skill set with separation and a large catch radius to this point. Jeremiah Smith (No. 57) is the biggest target of the bunch and has the size and length to body defensive backs in the red zone. The group also features shifty Clemson commit Nathaniel Joseph (No. 225) out of the slot.
Jaden Rashada is also going to have a bevy of targets at his disposal for the Miami Immortals, headlined by two top 35 receivers in Jalen Brown (No. 22) and Oregon commit Jurrion Dickey (No. 35). Brown is one of the top deep threats in the cycle. Dickey is a big, physical wide receiver at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds with a complete skill set, highlighted by his ability to separate within the route. The group also includes South Florida standouts Andy Jean (No. 109) and Miami athlete commit Robby Washington (No. 156).
Johntay Cook II (No. 36) is on two rosters, but appears set to attend, either way. Cook is one of the more skilled receivers in the 2023 cycle, pairing bouncy athleticism with fluid movement skills as a route-runner. Should Cook play for Trillion Boys, he’ll be joined by UCLA commit Grant Gray, Texas running back commit, Tre Wisner and jump-ball specialist Ja’Kobi Lane.
Noah Rogers (No. 42) headlines the group of top skill players from North Carolina for the Carolina Stars. An Ohio State lean per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Rogers has one of the stronger combinations of size, speed and production profiles among the 2023 wide receiver group. Rogers is joined by On300 running back Daylan Smothers (No. 194), four-star receiver Christian Hamilton along with receivers Zack Myers and Nathan Leacock.
Georgia commit Raymond Cottrell (No. 143), Stanford commit Ahmari Borden and 2024 On300 receiver DayDay Farmer (No. 163) are set to team up on 24K, based out of north Florida and south Georgia.
Touted 2024 wide receiver Ryan Wingo (No. 14) is set to play for Fast Houston, as is 2024 athlete Dre’lon Miller (No. 212).
2024 On300 athlete Mike Matthews (No. 73) is expected to be catching passes for Hustle Inc. out of the Atlanta area. Don’t be surprised to see touted two-way 2024 athlete KJ Bolden (No. 20) playing both ways. The same could be said for fellow 2024 blue-chipper Mario Craver (No. 194)
Oregon 2022 wide receiver commit Kyler Kasper is on the roster Tucson Turf.
Adam Hopkins (No. 242), Kyle Parker, Kevin Concepcion, USC commit Jason Robinson and Stanford commit Tiger Bachmeier are also set to attend.
Additional 2024 receivers of note include Jordan Ross (No. 134), Bredell Richardson (No. 142), Braylon Burnside (No. 177), Nick Marsh (No. 183) andI’Marion Stewart (No. 286).
Big Tight Ends heading to Vegas
A handful of top tight ends are set to be on hand for OT7, including three who rank in the 2023 On300.
Tennessee commit Ethan Davis (No. 99) is one of several Vol pledges heading to Vegas and will play for the Trillion Boys. Davis is a fluid, basketball athlete and has the look of a natural pass catcher.
Georgia commit Pearce Spurlin (No. 111) will add to the deep group of targets on the South Florida Express. Spurlin is a tall target who has continued to grow into his frame over the past year.
This setting may be well suited for Jelani Thurman (No. 178), who should be a top target for Huncho Elite. Thurman has one of the bigger catch radiuses among tight ends in the 2023 cycle. It would not be surprising to see him emerge as a consistent red zone threat in Las Vegas.
OT7 to feature blue-chip cornerbacks
A loaded group of top cornerbacks are slated to be at OT7. That group includes three of the top six cornerbacks in the 2023 On300 ranking and five of the top eight in the 2024 ranking.
2023 Five-Star Plus+ Cormani McClain (No. 4) is among the headliners of the gaudy group. McClain is set to lead the South Florida Express group. The nation’s top corner in the 2023 cycle should be manned up on top receivers each game. McClain is joined by two more top 100 corners in Malik Muhammad (No. 26) and Ohio State commit Dijon Johnson (No. 59). Sharif Denson and Nebraska commit Dwight Bootle II are also on SFE’s roster.
Top 10
- 1
CFP contenders
31 teams remain in contention
- 2
Hunter Heisman
Colorado star becomes betting favorite
- 3New
Klatt predicts CFP
FOX analyst has a new 12-team field
- 4Hot
Michigan loses QB
Carter Smith decommits from Wolverines
- 5
Kurtis Rourke returns
Indiana QB set to play vs. Michigan State
IMG Academy boasts the top two cornerback prospects in the 2024 cycle in Desmond Ricks (No. 2) and Ellis Robinson IV (No. 6). The pair is teaming up at OT7 for the Miami Immortals. Opposing teams should have a bunch of trouble getting much done against that pairing. Ricks is one of three early five-stars for On3 in the 2024 cycle and is among the highest-rated prospects set to attend. Robinson is in that group as well, as a top ten prospect.
The top-ranked 2024 cornerbacks in Texas are also teaming up at OT7. Kobe Black (No. 28) and Mario Buford (No. 30) are set to play for Trillion Boys. Both Black and Buford impressed on the camp circuit during the spring and look to be among the best at the position in the 2024 cycle.
Top 100 corner Kayin Lee (No. 76) and 2024 On300 corner Zion Ferguson (No. 174) will play for Hustle Inc. out of the Atlanta area.
Premium LA features LSU On300 corner commit Daylen Austin (No. 222) along with Maliki Crawford and Stanford commit Jshawn Frausto-Ramos.
24K has a deep secondary which touts 2023 On300 riser Ja’Keem Jackson (No. 247) along with 2024 On300 corner Charles Lester III (No. 64)and fellow rising junior Tavoy Feagin.
C1N features Clemson commit Avieon Terrell and Antonio Robinson at corner. 2023 speedster Rodrick Pleasant (No. 181) is set to play for Team Toa, while 2024 USC commit Aaron Butler is on the roster for Fast Houston.
Top safeties patrolling at OT7
The top 2023 safety set to attend is IMG Academy standout Joenel Aguero (No. 41). The hard-hitting Massachusetts native is set to play for Fast Houston along side 2024 On300 safety Maurice Williams (No. 155).
Makari Vickers (No. 148) is coming off a strong track season and will be patrolling the secondary for Trillion Boys.
Ohio State commit Cedrick Hawkins (No. 161) and fellow On300 safety Daemon Fagan (No. 224) round out the loaded South Florida Express secondary.
The aforementioned 2024 standout KJ Bolden (No. 20) joins 2023 four-star Bryce Thornton and LSU commit Michael Daugherty to give Hustle Inc. one of the stronger safety groups on hand.
2023 On300 Louisville commit Jayden Davis (No. 300) is on the roster for Sound Mind Sound Body alongside 2024 safety Jacob Oden (No. 171)
2024 safeties Zaquan Patterson (No. 93), Jordan Pride -24K/Florida State commit (No. 120) are two more On300 safeties set to attend.
Jumbo athletes getting in on the fun
A few EDGE top EDGE prospects are set to get in on the fun in Las Vegas.
2023 On300 EDGE Samuel M’Pemba (No. 103) has extensive experience playing as a wide receiver and tight end. He’s set to play for the Miami Immortals. It would not be surprising to see him primarily stick to offense over the course of the weekend.
Fellow On300 EDGE Tausili Akana (No. 129) is set to play linebacker for Team Toa. Akana has some positional versatility and has worked as an off-ball linebacker at some camps during the spring.