Fast-Rising SW Florida Prospect Ben Bouzi
Checking out the first 7v7 Elite Championship Series event at Merritt Island High School helped open up the door to several 2024 prospects.
Perhaps the most intriguing performance came from Naples (Fla.) High School cornerback Ebenezer “Ben” Bouzi. The 6-foot-1 and 180-pound cornerback and wide receiver had a fantastic performance.
From watching his second and third games for DNA 7v7, the most important aspect of Bouzi’s performance stemmed from his ability to hunch down in his cornerback stance, effortlessly backpedal, and then suddenly spring forward to attack the football in the air.
He’s been blessed with the quick-twitch athleticism necessary to play cornerback at an elite level.
His ability to bend, change direction, and mirror wide receivers was replicated play after play. Bouzi’s open-field speed was also on display during crossing routes and the few times his counterpart at receiver attempted to run past him, of which none were successful. That made it difficult for opposing teams.
Bouzi’s penchant for sticking with wide receivers kept most opposing quarterbacks from throwing his direction because there was literally room to complete a pass. When a quarterback did throw his way, he knocked away multiple passes and did not have a pass completed on him during the time he was evaluated.
Because he played down in Southwest Florida to date, Bouzi has not seen as much recruiting attention as some other top prospects around the state of Florida. His talents, especially with him playing for DNA 7v7, will have changed that fact soon enough.
Look for Bouzi to end up with numerous scholarship offers. When the final recruiting rankings for the class of 2024 came out in about a year from now, expect Bouzi to at least be considered one of Florida's top 50 prospects, and that's going to help him earn more offers.
To date, Bouzi admitted he had offers from the following programs:
“Maryland, Florida State, Louisville, and Alabama A&M.”
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