TAMPA, Fla. – The first day of Overtime’s OT7 Nationals is in the books as some of the nation’s top recruits got together Friday for the start of the three-day 7-on-7 at the Tournament SportsPlex of Tampa Bay. The event has served as a showcase in the past for budding college football stars like Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and provides a vital exposure point for 247Sports during the evaluation process as it’s one of the few weekends during the offseason where we get best on best. Below, we have some top performers and more notes after taking in all of the action.
ALPHA DOG: CB DEVIN SANCHEZ (OHIO STATE COMMIT)
The No. 1-ranked cornerback in the Top247 simply looked the part and had what we would consider the interception of the day when he climbed an imaginary ladder for a takeaway at the front corner of the end zone. Sanchez, who posted a 35-inch effort in the vertical jump during Thursday’s skills competition, is all of his 6-foot-2 listing and was extremely fluid in reverse as he was able to match and mirror pass catcher of all different sizes and skills on the outside. The Houston North Shore product might not have been asked to press all that much, but he wasn’t afraid to use his hands when his assignments worked their way up the field, which is extremely encouraging at this stage. Sanchez will eventually need to add some mass to a rather slender frame, but he’s got the ideal blend of length and speed to patrol the perimeter at the game’s highest levels, and that’s why he holds five-star status entering his 12th grade year.
NEXT TEN
–Jaime Ffrench, WR: Ffrench proved to be a tough matchup for any defensive back that drew his number. He scored on three straight drives for the South Florida Express by simply posting up in the corner of the end zone on short fade routes. Ffrench also broke free on a deep post for a 40-yard score. The five-star recruit out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin might not have a true turbo under the hood, but he’s a polished route runner with plus body control that can win in a variety of different ways. Texas, LSU, Tennessee, Miami, Ohio State are all courting the former Alabama commit.
–Dallas Wilson, WR, Oregon commit: This was one of the most vindicating performances to date for Wilson as he flashed big-time burst for someone with a near college-ready build. Wilson ran all different numbers of the route tree and it didn’t take long to find his top gear. He is the type of wideout that constantly makes his presence felt with his size. Wilson currently holds what we call a “Day 2” projection, but he’s starting to make the case that he’s got first-round traits. That could eventually slide him up the board. Miami is pushing hard to flip the Tampa Bay Tech standout.
–Vernell Brown III, WR: No one was more electric Friday in catch-and-run situations than Brown as he zigged and zagged his way through traffic to move the chains. What also stood out about Brown is how he was able to go up and come down with a jump ball over a much larger defender. Brown’s explosive tendencies were a big reason why he rose in last month’s Top247 update and he continues to show that he’s got more juice than others. Ohio State hosted the Orlando (Fla.) Jones playmaker for an official visit last week. Trips to Miami and FSU are on deck.
–Donovan Olugbode, WR: Olugbode has some of the largest hand measurements in the 2025 cycle and those massive mitts were on full display as he plucked an off-target pass with one hand and turned up field with ease. The Illinois native might not have stuffed the stat sheet as a junior at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, but we think he’s in store for a big senior campaign after watching break off defender after defender the past few months. Olugbode flew out to USC last weekend for an official visit and was rocking some cardinal and gold gloves in support of the Trojans.
–Talyn Taylor, WR: Taylor was a top performer at one of the Overtime OT7 tournaments in Orlando a few weeks ago. He once again turned for the Midwest Boom with his dynamic cuts while getting vertical. The play of the day for him came when he twisted his body while diving towards the front pylon and secured a low pass for six points. Plenty of schools have taken a swing at the soon-to-be-senior at Geneva (Ill.) Community, but Georgia is trending on the 247Sports’ Crystal Ball after he spent time in Athens last week on an official visit and a decision could be coming soon.
–Deuce Knight, QB, Notre Dame commit: Knight’s squad was one of the few that played just two games Friday (they will get three on Saturday). He wasn’t as sharp against Level 82 as he was in game one against the Midwest Boom for the Coastline Stars, but his opener showed what he can be as he made a series of advanced throws. Knight completed 12 of 18 passes for 180 yards and four touchdowns in the win. That included a dart at the buzzer. The dual-threat talent out of Lucedale (Miss.) George County isn’t exactly built for this setting, but it’s easy to see the potential.
–Rukeem Stroud, CB, Wisconsin commit: Opinions might be split on Stroud given his slender build, but he proved to be one of the best in coverage on Friday as he was hardly out of position and registered multiple pass break ups for a deep RAW secondary. Stroud is going to need to add some mass to hold up in the Big Ten, but he’s got some length and isn’t scared to play through hands. More notably, Stroud is fast. He has a 10.75-second effort in the 100-meter dash on the ledger and was a part of two state-qualifying relay teams for Tampa Bay Tech this spring.
–J’Vari Flowers, CB, class of 2026: Flowers is another decorated sprinter that came up big for RAW as he had a key interception late in a game when he broke in front of a deep shot and raced down the sidelines to flip the field. The rising junior at Miami Northwestern, who ranks as the No. 11 corner in the Top247 for the next cycle after winning a gold medal in the 100-meter dash at Florida’s 3A championship, isn’t the tallest underclassmen, but he’s thick through the core and has the makeup of a potential shutdown nickel given his acceleration and instincts.
–Denairius Gray, WR, Auburn commit, class of 2026: Gray spent this past fall playing in a deep wide receiver rotation at Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna that featured two of the nation’s top seniors in Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader. He might be flying a bit under the radar from a national perspective, but he looked like someone that could get the job done in the SEC on Friday. The strong-handed Gray got open time and time again on out-breaking routes and turned himself into a large target for DEFCON when they got close to the goal line.
–Christian Neptune, ATH: Neptune is a relative unknown that caught our eye as an inside receiver for Coastline Stars with his agility and frame. He had 134 yards and two touchdowns in his spring game last month at Cantonment (Fla.) Tate and recently picked up an offer from Washington after taking an official visit to Stanford. Neptune, who was born in Hawaii, could offer plenty of value on special teams at the next level.
AROUND THE FIELD…
–In our eyes, Knight had the best overall single-game performance when it came to the quarterbacks, but it really wasn’t the most consistent day for the group as there was no shortage of interceptions. FSU commit Tramell Jones Jr. and TCU commit Ty Hawkins both had their moments and weren’t afraid to challenge the deeper third. Those two are set to join Knight at the Elite 11 Finals later this month.
–A pair of 2026 wide receivers out of California got hot in the evening hours as Vance Spafford and Madden Williams both saw a high volume of targets come their way. Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. also flashed in the morning session. Tristen Keys out of Mississippi is another youngster that had an overall solid showing. The same goes for Blaise LaVista, who resides outside of Chicago.
–USC commit Hylton Stubbs came over the top from his safety posting and had an interception late in the day. Dijon Lee, Indiana commit Byron Baldwin, Texas A&M commit Adonyss Currie and Amari Wallace were some other 2025 defensive backs that made plays.
–Keisean Henderson only played in one game Friday and it was hard to scout as his team’s roster was full of linemen, but he deserves some recognition for his play on Thursday in the exhibition between the juniors and seniors as he threw a touchdown pass and also caught a 30-yard pass while doubling as a cornerback. The Houston commit and top-ranked athlete in the class of 2026 is the type of player you take now and figure out his position later.
Bud Elliott, Tom Loy and Mike Roach of 247Sports all contributed to this report.
