Talking Top Talent: King of Da Boot Tournament

Elite talent has gathered in Louisiana for the King of ‘Da Boot’ Tournament in the state of Louisiana, and the first day action did not disappoint.

Brian Smith | Apr 10, 2022

LAFAYETTE, La. - From younger players to the 18U age group, this tournament has talent galore from states across the South like Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi. Regardless of where players and seven-on-seven teams called home, there was a plethora of talent within each age group.

While the following is only a sampling of the talent that's on hand, do note that every team here probably has FBS talent on its roster. With that in mind, it's fun to watch all of the talent first-hand and simply enjoy it.

As football evolves, the players are becoming better and better at any earlier stage of life. Maybe that would be why the following 14 year old player is one that’s going to be an elite recruit. Mark it down.

Age Is Only A Number

After seeing the New Orleans Dolphins play in Houston at the DR Sportz Tournament earlier this year, the name Tahmaj Jackson was already on the radar. Making defenders miss in space, creating separation with speed for his quarterbacks to pass him the football, and using his hands to defeat defensive backs like an older player show his capabilities. He was at it again during Saturday’s action for the Dolphins.

Walking up to their game, there’s Jackson, so why not hit record and see what happens? First play the video is recorded producing this…

He’s just 14 y’all… ⁦@Dolphins7v7⁩ ⁦@DRSportz_⁩ ⁦@4thQtMentality⁩ ⁦@JohnGarcia_Jr⁩ pic.twitter.com/wCuQpBn85n
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) April 9, 2022

Scouting high school football for over 25 years, trust this scout when it’s said that Jackson is going to be a star for a long time to come. He takes his craft of wide receiver seriously and the results follow.

Best Player, Day One

There’s a reason numerous programs offered St. Martinville (La.) High School and 4th Quarter Mentality 7v7 wide receiver Harvey Broussard. He’s at least 6’3”, has excellent burst at the line of scrimmage and another gear in open space, knows how to use his body to create space with defensive backs, and makes contested catches look easy. The number of 50-50 balls that went Broussard’s way on Saturday led him to this distinction of being the “Top Dawg” for Saturday. That alone was ridiculous.

Few seven-on-seven teams can place a cornerback or safety with Broussard that makes plays on the ball with his long arms and hand-eye coordination being the competition and expect a good result.

Going up top‼️ Harvey Broussard for 6. ⁦@THABEAST_3⁩ ⁦@4thQtMentality⁩ ⁦@DRSportz_⁩ ⁦@JohnGarcia_Jr⁩ pic.twitter.com/BE1F1Zhgem
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) April 9, 2022

Harvey’s been offered by several programs including Penn State, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Maryland, Louisville, UCF, Purdue, Colorado, Louisiana Tech, and Houston among others.

Off The Radar No Longer

Playing in Northeast Louisiana along the Mississippi River, Aubrey Nash, Jr. is a player few know about. The Lake Providence (La.) General Trass wide receiver is one people do need to know about though. Playing for Interstate 318 Boys 7v7, he is much like Jackson above, a playmaker, but this time at the 18U level.

Aubrey Nash, Jr. is a player to watch‼️ seeing him at the King of Da Boot Tournament solidified his talents and being a Nona fife FBS prospect. ⁦@AubreyNashJr⁩ ⁦@DRSportz_⁩ ⁦@4thQtMentality⁩ @Marchen44 ⁦@Coast2Coasttc⁩ pic.twitter.com/k0TJUP5w8g
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) April 10, 2022

Nash has speed, height, length and tremendous ball skills. The second play he was running a route while being filmed saw Nash stack the defensive back and then turn to adjust to the football and make a toe-tap touchdown reception. It was a good pass but one that needed precision from Nash to complete the play. Seeing him run routes and make smaller defensive backs fall behind in coverage is a sign that this young man is a sleeper recruit that the state of Louisiana is famous for producing. Look for more about Nash coming across your screen soon. He’s a ball player and one that will play college football.

Smooth Lefty

The quarterback position had many intriguing players including Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville Magnet talent Zae Teasett. He’s an Elite 11 talent that’s been on the recruiting scene for quite some time. He’s playing with Louisiana Elite based out of Baton Rouge.

Zae Teasett Quarterback Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville Magent / Louisiana Elite 7v7 - 2023 — Quarterback Zae Teasett's Natural Throwing Motion Is Fun To Watch / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Watching Teasett throw receivers open and use good footwork and arm motion when he passes the football demonstrates his upside for the college level. He’s well known but there is still good reason to mention his efforts on Saturday. His over-the-top left handed delivery is as natural as any quarterback in the country.

Plenty of Mississippi Talent

One of the most difficult states for college coaches to recruit would be Mississippi. It’s a massive state with prospects spread out across its landscape. That might be true, but college coaches need to see the state of Mississippi talent first hand. Driving or flying, there’s a lot of talent in the Magnolia State for college football programs to recruit.

Selecting just one program would not do it justice. From the lower divisions of seven-on-seven to 18U, Mississippi programs had a plethora of athletes. Case in point, 15 year old quarterback KaMario Taylor. He plays for Mississippi Dawgs United, but there’s a catch. Despite his age and playing for a team that’s loaded with talent, this young man tosses the pigskin for the 15U and the 18U teams.

KaMario Taylor Quarterback Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County / Mississippi Dawgs United - 2025 — KaMario Taylor Is A 2025 Quarterback To Watch From Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County / Mississippi Dawgs United / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

He’s talented enough to throw the deep ball with accuracy and smart enough to take the check down when needed. That’s the sign of maturity that’s not often seen for Taylor’s age group. At 6’3”, 180-pounds, his size is beneficial, too. Watch out for the Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County prospect.

Taylor is a microcosm of the talent that was witnessed from Mississippi. It’s incredible how many players were worthy of mention. With that in mind, do note that college coaches possess many options within this state. Here’s a photo reel of some of the players from Mississippi Dawgs.

North Louisiana

Whether it would be The U Elite 7v7, Academy Elite 7v7, Interstate 318 Boyz, or any other team that pulls from cities like Shreveport, Monroe, Ruston, Winnfield, or similar, the size and speed of players in the northern section of Louisiana was fantastic. The cover photograph of Academy Elite 7v7 was not by accident. There are numerous talented players on that roster.

Another TD for @UEliteAD 15U - @4thQtMentality @DRSportz_ pic.twitter.com/9VNl4Nr5Uq
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) April 9, 2022

Much like the mention of Mississippi talent, people need to be mindful of the talent in the northern section of “Da Boot” and recruit it accordingly.

Look for more photographs and videos from the King of Da Boot Tournament via Twitter: @fbscout_florida and also with another article Sunday evening. To that end, there will also be a closer look at F3 7v7, a Baton Rouge area program that’s really talented and one that has several top young prospects will be featured soon.