News And Notes From Battle New Orleans

There was a plethora of talent in New Orleans this past weekend. Here’s a look at a few of the top players.

Brian Smith | Mar 14, 2022

NEW ORLEANS - The Big Easy rarely disappoints when it comes to entertainment, and the 2022 Battle seven-on-seven event at Tad Gormley Stadium in the heart of the city was no exception.

The talent was fantastic, as usual, and here are some quick thoughts on some of the prospects, plus some photographs and videos as well.

Who’s This Guy?

If you have not heard of Tyrese Thomas, you are not alone. You will, however. He’s a top-notch cornerback from Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest. In short, he’s under the radar His ball skills, twitchy-movement skills, and knack for picking off passes is tremendous. From this event, there’s no question that the player representing the overall Mississippi Heat 7v7 brand was someone to be reckoned with.

Amazingly, he has no offers. There’s Power Five talent with this young man. Arkansas, Mississippi State, and a few others are in contact, but this is a kid that can play cornerback at a very high level. He needs some refinement like any other young defensive back, but the tools and instincts are there. It’s proven.

Who’s going to be the first to offer cornerback Tyrese Thomas from Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest? Great performance last Saturday w/2 interceptions in one game. @ty_thomas6 @Heat7v7 pic.twitter.com/sR08DfoQ4P
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) March 14, 2022

Several other players impressed from Mississippi Heat as well, as it's quite a talented roster. It will be curious to see how they develop throughout the rest of the spring seven-on-seven season.

Ayden Williams Wide Receiver Ridgeland (Miss.) High School 2023 — Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Ayden Williams Mississippi Heat

Bootleggers

This is one of the most iconic brands in all of seven-on-seven, and Battle New Orleans is almost like the Bootleggers brand hosting a tournament. Many of their players are actually from New Orleans.

On Saturday, several of the defensive backs shined. In short, there’s no way to single out any one player. That’s a good thing. To be clear, any Power Five program looking for defensive back help would be wise to check in with any member of the Bootleggers coaching staff. There’s someone for you. Here are a few of the 2023 prospects that shined on Saturday: safety Isaac Smith, plus cornerbacks Wallace Foster and Ryan Robinson, Jr.

Bootleggers ⁦@THABEAST_3⁩ ⁦@LABootleggers⁩ ⁦⁦@isaacdsmith⁩ ⁦@ryan1rob⁩ pic.twitter.com/c8arWtAdOw
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) March 13, 2022

Another really talented and young defensive back for the Bootleggers would be Asaad "BJ" Brown. He had one of the best plays of any defensive back on Saturday with a diving deflection. He's already one of the more heavily recruited defensive backs in the country for the 2024 class. He plays at Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith.

Asaad "BJ" Brown / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

Here’s a look at several other players, including the quarterback from the team that ended up winning the tournament, Colin Hurley from 24K 7v7.

The 6’1”, 213-pound signal caller from Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian absolutely tore up Battle New Orleans. Even with the gusty conditions, Hurley was consistently throwing against the wind and completing passes.

Colin Hurley to Izaiah Jean Baptiste for 6. @izaiahJB6 @ColinHurley @24k7v7 pic.twitter.com/Ip4hpzCRgD
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) March 12, 2022

Here are three other top players from the event from Fast Houston: