Overall Top Performers at OT7
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Overtime’s OT7 7-on-7 league concluded with bracket play on Sunday and saw a loaded South Florida Express team take down Cam Newton’s C1N squad. The star-studded event spanned four days and featured hundreds of Power Five prospects and dozens of bona fide blue-chip prospects.
On3 was on location from start to finish. We got a great look at the majority of prospects in attendance, with several turning in top performances. The loaded roster adds to the difficulty in whittling down the Top Performers list to just 10 prospects. It’s also worth noting, we seek to add important context and not simply pick the prospects who may have been the most productive over the weekend. Some plays in 7-on-7 translate more to a padded, 11-on-11 football setting than others. Since our goal here is to assess football prospects in the most honest and pure way possible, we tend to value high-difficulty plays more than those of the dink-and-dunk variety.
Here’s On3’s Top Performers from the weekend, headlined by a five-star quarterback prospect headed to the SEC.
Day One Top Performers | Day Two Top Performers | Day Three Top Performers
On3 MVP: QB Nico Iamaleava – Tennessee
Nico Iamaleava looked like the clear top quarterback – and perhaps overall prospect – over the course of the weekend at OT7. The Tennessee commit missed the action on Thursday, but was a standout performer over the tournament’s final three days. Iamaleava looked like a natural in the 7-on-7 setting. His physical gifts are well-documented, but were still palpable when placed on the same field with other blue-chip prospects.
The 6-foot-5.5, 190 pounder has one of the stronger arms in the 2023 cycle with the ability to throw with ease to all levels of the field. We saw him stick the football into tight windows on several occasions. The Volunteer commit’s throws didn’t have issues cutting through the 20-plus mile per hour winds on Sunday. Iamaleava also impressed with his field vision, zipping through his reads to find open receivers, sometimes scanning the entire width of the field. He was poised in pressure situations and was 4 for 4 on a game-winning drive during knockout play on Sunday. Iamaleava nearly carried his team to an upset win over Cam Newton’s C1N team as well. We also got to see a glimpse of his athletic ability, which isn’t always the case in the 7-on-7 setting. Teams are allowed very limited opportunities to blitz in this format. Nearly all of the other quarterbacks weren’t able to get away from the unabated blitzers and were forced to eat sacks. That was not the case with Iamaleava. He escaped on more than one occasion and was able to hit completions on the run.
Seeing Nico Iamaleava play in this setting also shined a light on his demeanor and leadership skills. He elevated his teammates more than any other quarterback on hand and played with a mature, but loose vibe. While his Team Toa squad has some FBS-quality prospects at receiver, he was not playing with a loaded roster like most of the other touted quarterbacks. Still, Iamaleava defeated or put a major scare into more talented teams. Overall, it was performance fitting of a five-star quarterback and top five overall prospect.
2. WR Jurrion Dickey – Oregon
Jurrion Dickey showed the most complete and translatable skill set of any wide receiver in Las Vegas. The Oregon commit was at the mercy of targets and the ball coming his way, but did more on his opportunities than any pass catcher we saw.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was the most physically-developed wide receiver on hand. He has outstanding play strength despite still being just 16-years-old. Dickey separated himself from other big receivers with his advanced movement skills. Simply put, he has considerable juice both in the route and after catch phases. Nobody ran routes harder than Dickey – and it showed. He was open all weekend, whether the ball was coming his way or not. We saw the Bay Area product win at all levels – deep, intermediate, short and after the catch. His best play on Sunday came on a long touchdown catch, where he beat the corner on a seam for a full-field touchdown. Sometimes wide receivers can take advantage of the 7-on-7 format by making non-translatable plays, particularly underneath. That was not the case here – you didn’t have to squint to see the plays that Jurrion Dickey made translating to 11-on-11 padded football. Dickey ranks as the No. 35 overall prospect in the On300.
3. ATH Mike Matthews, 2024
Mike Matthews had a breakout showing on Saturday, earning On3 MVP honors on the third day of action. Similar to Jurrion Dickey, we came away thinking Matthews showed a very promising skill set at receiver, highlighted by some downright dominant moments. Matthews may have had the best ball skills on hand, which is saying something considering the number of top pass catchers in Las Vegas bordered on ridiculous. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has noticeably long arms to go with vertical leaping ability and coordination. He’s also quick in confined spaces and has some upside as a route-runner. The Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview standout is actually being recruited as a safety by some programs and says he doesn’t currently prefer one side of the ball. With that said, it’s hard to see Matthews make the plays he did at receiver and not be tantalized by his upside on offense.
Matthews ranks as the No. 72 overall prospect in the 2024 On300. Clemson, Georgia and Notre Dame are in the mix for Matthews per his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
4. QB Dante Moore
Dante Moore was the clear No. 2 quarterback on the weekend after Nico Iamaleava. Moore lead his Cam Newton C1N team to within a drive of the tournament title. His quick release and ball location stood out over the course of the weekend. Moore didn’t take many downfield shots in his team’s offense, but constantly kept the chains moving with well-placed short and intermediate passes. Even though he typically threw within 15 yards downfield, we did see Moore push the ball vertically a few times on Sunday, with a deep ball touchdown to to Cayden Lee standing out. The Detroit Martin Luther King standout could’ve pushed higher on this list, but had a few throws he’ll want back over the course of the day, including three interceptions on conversion attempts. Still, Moore certainly turned in a positive showing at OT7.
Notre Dame, LSU, Oregon, Michigan and Miami are among those fighting for Moore per his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
5. CB Malik Muhammad
Malik Muhammad gets the nod as the top cornerback on the week after turning in a great day of play on Sunday. The Dallas South Oak Cliff cover corner was the top defensive back for the OT7 champion South Florida Express. He got his hands on the football quite often, closing quickly for pass breakups and jumping a quick pass for an interception on a conversion attempt. Muhammad has good length and showed some encouraging technique off the line of scrimmage. We saw him lock horns with fellow metro Dallas prospect, Johntay Cook, with each having their moments. Muhammad also stuck with fellow Top Performer Jordan Ross over the middle of the field. Texas A&M is the leader in Muhammad’s On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. He ranks as the No. 26 overall prospect in the 2023 On300.
6. CB Jahlil Hurley – Alabama
Jahlil Hurley was rock solid all weekend at OT7. He didn’t have as many opportunities as Malik Muhammad on Sunday, given his team was eliminated in the first round, but we still saw the Alabama commit flash while covering top receivers. Hurley surrendered very few completions that we saw. He looks to be a legitimate 6-foot-2 and has added some weight. The Florence (Ala.) High product mirrors receivers well and looks to have good instincts in coverage. He was very good in confided spaces, where he could use his size and length to his advantage. We saw some of the skills on display on Sunday, when Hurley was guarding Carnell Tate. The touted wide receiver went for a double move, but Hurley was not fooled and stayed in-phase. Hurley ranks as the No. 32 overall prospect in the On300 and committed to Alabama on February 22.
7. WR Jordan Ross, 2024
Jordan Ross was the top pass-catcher for a Sound Mind Sound Body team that made a deep run in bracket play. The Garden Grove (Calif.) Pacifica standout had a number of highlight grabs over the weekend and showed some explosive ability as deep threat and after the catch. We also saw Ross track the ball over his shoulder and make plays on the ball in contested situations. He showed some alpha qualities and was highly competitive facing 2023 defensive backs. The 6-foot, 175-pound On300 prospect holds Power Five offers from Notre Dame, Washington and Washington State and is sure to see that number multiply.
8. WR Cayden Lee
Cayden Lee was Dante Moore‘s top target over the course of the weekend and brought his A-game during bracket play on Sunday. Lee was a go-to receiver in critical situations, showing route quickness, long speed and solid hands at the catch point. The highlight of Lee’s weekend came in the championship game, when he beat Five-Star Plus+ cornerback Cormani McClain deep for a touchdown. South Carolina, Ole Miss and Oklahoma are in the mix for the Powder Springs (Ga.) Hillgrove pass catcher according to his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
9. RB Rueben Owens
Rueben Owens makes this list due to the skills he showed as a pass-catching threat over the weekend in Las Vegas. As we noted in the prior Top Performer pieces, Owens flashed a receiving skill set that would be considered elite for a running back prospect. The El Campo (Texas) High standout lined up at receiver for Premium LA and made sound outstanding highlight catches over several days at OT7. His quarterback play was probably not as consistent as some other skill players, but Owens still made plays. We saw him make a one-handed catch on a back shoulder route, extend for a toe-tapping touchdown in the end zone and make a nice catch over his outside shoulder. Owens will bring some real versatility to the table at the next level as a receiving threat out of the backfield. His On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine is split between in-state programs Texas A&M and Texas.
10. WR Brandon Inniss
Brandon Inniss nabs the final spot over some other strong contenders on the heels of his play on Sunday for the champion South Florida Express squad. For one, Inniss wins the award as the most competitive player on the field at OT7. Nobody took this event more seriously and it showed on the field. The 5-foot-11.5, 190-pounder probably had the most receptions of any receiver. He did most of his damage on underneath routes and showed a good awareness for finding open space in the defenses, often sitting down against zone coverage. With that said, we did see Inniss make a few downfield plays, including a touchdown on a double move against On300 Texas A&M cornerback commit Jayvon Thomas.
Additional notes
+ Safety Daemon Fagan would be next up among Top Performers. We saw Fagan come down with at least three interceptions throughout the weekend at OT7, with two coming at critical moments. He jumped a route and picked off Dante Moore during the championship game on Sunday. The 6-foot-3 safety’s On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine is split between Ohio State and NC State.
+ Ohio State commit Bryson Rodgers was among the better receivers on hand at OT7, showcasing his technciality as a route-runner in addition to picking up yards after the catch. Rodgers was the top receiver for a 24K team that was one of the better squads throughout the weekend. The Florida native got open deep for a game-winning touchdown on Sunday and showed a refined skill set over the course of the weekend, manifesting in several touchdowns.
+ Ja’Kobi Lane showed some of the strongest hands at OT7, making a number of plays on the ball for Tucson Turf. The Mesa (Ariz.) Red Mountain product was one of the taller pass catchers on hand at around 6-foot-5. He won in contested situations, but also showed encouraging movement skills.
+ Top 50 wide receiver Noah Rogers probably scored the most full-field touchdowns at OT7. Rogers was primarily used as a deep threat for the Carolina Stars and got vertical on defensive backs on numerous occasions. We didn’t see much of a varied route tree from the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, but the play speed was readily apparent. Ohio State is the leader in Rogers’ On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
+ Top 30 receiver Jalen Brown flashed on several instances for the Miami Immortals, including on a deep touchdown on Sunday. The Miami Gulliver Prep speedster is one of the top deep threats in the 2023 cycle, but also showed the ability to make some plays on the ball in confined spaces. At 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, he’ll need to continue adding strength to finish through contact. LSU, Georgia and Miami lead in Brown’s On3 Recruiting Prediction machine.
+ Touted pass catcher Carnell Tate had an up and down weekend at OT7 but showed talent and upside in making some high-level plays, particularly on Sunday. Tate’s consistency was not quite to the level of some of his other highly-ranked peers, but the ability to make tough grabs was apparent at times. His On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine is split between Ohio State and Tennessee.
+ Not many receivers made more highlight catches on Saturday and Sunday at OT7 than Malik Elzy. The Chicago Simeon pass-catcher made a number of impressive grabs and flashed high-point ability. Elzy is a bigger wide receiver, who looks like he could potentially grow into a tight end down the line. Illinois, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Cincinnati are in the mix per his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
+ Tennessee commit Ethan Davis looked like the top tight end at OT7 and created a mismatch with his size and ball skills.
+ Penn State commit Conrad Hussey was the top defensive back for a Defcon team that made a deep run in bracket play. Hussey worked at corner for Defcon and manned up on some of the top receivers in the tournament, flashing encouraging cover skills. He made several plays on the ball on Saturday.
+ Touted quarterbacks USC commit Malachi Nelson and On300 passer Jaden Rashada were up and down over the course of the weekend. Nelson had a fairly strong first few days, but saw his play dip a bit on Saturday and Sunday. The Five-Star Plus+ signal caller rotated in for South Florida Express and wasn’t always able to establish a rhythm throwing to his talented wide receiver corps. Still, he stuck with it and helped South Florida Express win the title. Rashada flashed his considerable arm talent at times, showing the ability to flick the ball downfield with ease. His consistency and accuracy wavered a bit on a throw-by-throw basis.
+ The number of top receivers did not make for an easy environment for cornerbacks, even Five-Star Plus+ prospects like Cormani McClain and 2024 prospect Desmond Ricks (2024). Each had their wins and losses. McClain was beat deep in the title game, but showed some resiliency in responding for two nice plays in coverage.
+ 2025 wide receiver prospect Winston Watkins showed well playing with 2023 and 2024 prospects and made a number of big catches on Sunday. The 5-foot-8.5, 170-pound Texas A&M commit was targeted by Dante Moore often, including on a nice touchdown grab.