First Look at the Top Talent for 24K Seven-on-Seven

Here’s a run down of the top players that were in uniform for 24K seven-on-seven at the first tournament of the year.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Jan 16, 2022 8:54 AM EST

HAINES CITY, Fla. - It usually takes three or more seasons to get a seven-on-seven organization rolling, even in the Sunshine State where there’s a plethora of talent. As for 24K seven-on-seven, that’s not the case at all. Even at the end of year one, 24K was competing with some of the best teams down South.

Moving into year No. 2, the 24K seven-on-seven organization has a lot of elite Power Five talent, some of which is currently flying under the radar but not for long. During the Elite 7v7/Championship 7v7 Tournament collaboration on Saturday, the following observations were observed about some of the players from the roster, as well as some recruiting nuggets mixed in as well.

Daquayvious Sorey - 2023

Daquayvious Sorey Wide Receiver Linebacker Chipley (Fla.) High School - 2023 — Daquayvious Sorey
Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Size: 6’2”, 195-pounds

Position: Linebacker/Wide Receiver

High School: Graceville (Fla.) Chipley

Recruitment: Technically committed to Georgia, but he’s planning to take several visits. Penn State could receive a visit later this month or at least at some point soon, and Miami will receive a visit when Sorey travels with 24K down to the Miami area for next weekend’s Battle seven-on-seven tournament with teams from across the country participating. Since he will be close, Sorey will check out the Hurricanes. He’s the cousin of current Georgia Bulldog linebacker Xavian Sorey, Jr.

Performance: While most expect Sorey to play wide receiver, he showed off his middle-of-the-field coverage skills on Saturday. Sorey redirected crossing routes, showed excellent use of his hands within the first five yards of the line of scrimmage, and ran with players smaller than himself.

He certainly played well at wide receiver as well, but the way Sorey showed a natural penchant for playing defense, that could be the route he eventually goes. One thing is for certain, few athletes are as rocked up physically as Sorey. He’s as lean and muscular as any player in the class of 2023 and that’s why he’s a national recruit. He could push 50 offers before all of his recruitment is over. It does not hurt that he’s a very humble and generous young man either.

Blake Boda - 2023

Size: 6’4”, 185-pounds

Position: Quarterback

High School: Daytona Beach (Fla.) Seabreeze

Recruitment: Just starting to come on the radar, Boda is a player that will be able to impress during the seven-on-seven circuit and college camp circuit to earn offers.

Performance: Showed much better arm strength than last season. Also a better command of where and when to throw the football. Boda has a different presence about him this season, and he was one of the best players at the tournament on day one.

This is a player that could elevate his status quickly with continued play like he showed yesterday, and that’s why seven-on-seven football can help young players achieve their college dreams.

Zack Drawdy - 2023

Size: 6’2.5”, 180-pounds

Position: Wide Receiver

High School: Yulee (Fla.) High School

Recruitment: Playing at school in the very northeast tip of Florida just above Jacksonville, Drawdy has not yet received the attention he deserves. He still has offers from UNC-Charlotte, Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, and Southeast Missouri State. That list of offers is going to change relatively soon.

Performance: The long and lean wide receiver showed excellent quickness to find holes in the zone defenses, and his length made him a difficult matchup for cornerbacks. He’s adept at making plays in the middle of the field as he finds the holes in the zone and still keeps running after making the snag. While not finished physically, that’s okay. Drawdy has plenty of upside. This is a Power Five player, and he will get his offers as spring and summer seven-on-seven and college camp opportunities happen.

Interview: “54 catches for 647 yards and six touchdowns,” Drawdy stated as his 2021 statistics. As for what he needs to work on, Drawdy said, “Probably getting out of my breaks quicker. As for his strengths, “I think I am very good at that, “Drawdy said of getting off of bump coverage. Then, when asked about his best attribute, Drawdy did not hesitate by saying, “I can go up and get the ball.” With Drawdy’s wing span being so impressive, that last answer is certainly not a surprise at all.

Jordan Castell - 2023

Size: 6’2”, 205-pounds

Position: Safety/Linebacker

High School: Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange

Recruitment: After having a slow start to his recruitment heading into his junior season, Castell is now a household name. He just recently received an offer from Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. He’s also entertaining offers from programs like local schools UCF, Florida, Florida State, Florida Atlantic, and Florida International, as well as programs like Boston College, Cincinnati, Penn State, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Mississippi State.

Performance: When first seeing Castell for the first time since the Florida playoffs, he literally looked bigger than just over a month ago. In fact, when someone mentioned that Castell was No. 0, it took a few moments to realize that it was actually him.

He’s added a lot of strength and mass in the last year. In fact, Castell is a totally different player than he was. Once a player that might have ended up at cornerback, now Castell’s skills are better suited to closer to the line of scrimmage. He’s destined for the overhang linebacker position, i.e. hybrid safety-linebacker, or playing weak side linebacker.

Castell can still stop very quickly, then adjust his next movement in any direction that he desires. He’s really good at driving on the football as a slot defender, and that’s a huge need in college football right now. Castell is now a national recruit and he’s earned it.

David Ramos - 2023

Size: 6’4”, 175-pounds

Position: Wide Receiver

High School: Lake Minneola (Fla.) High School

Recruitment: No offers to date. Ramos has incredibly long arms and good feet, so his recruitment will be changing soon as he plays in the greater Orlando area where plenty of eyes will be on him.

Performance: He’s the traditional boundary wide receiver. Very long arms, good height, and the ability to battle with cornerbacks for contested passes. Need to see more of Ramos moving forward, and he will be a focal point during the Battle tournament down in Miami next weekend. This is a player to watch for college coaches.

Colin Hurley - 2025

Size: 6’1”, 210-pounds

Position: Quarterback

High School: Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian

Recruitment: Already a national recruit despite having three years of high school remaining, Hurley has Miami, UCF, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Louisville, Ole Miss and many others on the way. In short, this is a player that will likely eclipse the 50 offer mark before playing a down of his senior year of high school.

Performance: The zip on Hurley’s passes were definitely better than what they were just this past October during a high school game against Lake City (Fla.) Columbia. Hurley was excellent in that high school game, and his talents have grown since then.

He is very calm in the pocket. Hurley does not waste motion while waiting for an opportunity to throw the football. He’s in a loose and proper throwing position prior to beginning his throwing motion. His short throwing style generages a lot of power. Even during warm ups, he was routinely throwing 30-plus yard passes on a line. His best attribute is the one that many signal callers struggle with.

He does not panic when his first and even second option is not open. Hurley will keep scanning the gridiron until he finds what he wants. His patience is a great sign for a player that has not even turned 15 years old. This is a special player and one that will likely be Florida’s Mr. Football down the line.

Bredell Richardson - 2024

Size: 6’2”, 185-pounds

Position: Wide Receiver/Safety

High School: Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day

Recruitment: Over 20 offers already, with UCF, Georgia, Indiana, Florida, Florida State, USF, Auburn, Maryland, Arkansas, Louisville, Mississippi State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Utah among them.

Performance: Improved his speed, especially his speed out of breaks, since the summer of 2021. Richardson is also noticeably bigger physically. He’s put in the work in the weight room. He had one of the best plays of the day on a deflected pass that he intercepted in the end zone, being quick to nab the deflection and help seal the victory against an extremely talented Certified Dawgs team.

As a receiver, Richardson was his usual smooth route-running self. He’s always been a player that makes plays that look effortless, and yesterday was no exception as he made really good cuts to get open and make plays. Richardson also went over the top of the defense for a long catch. He’s one of the best players in the country for the class of 2024.

To see more videos from 24K players go to @fbscout_florida and @UCF_FanNation.

Next weekend at Battle Miami, there will be a closer look at some of the other 24K players as well as gaining even more perspective about the players mentioned above.

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