Takeaways from the Music City Showdown in Nashville

NASHVILLE | The Music City Showdown didn't let down. After a tournament last season that attracted around 15-20 of the area's best, the 2018 edition had nearly 30 teams, including some of the nation's best in Florida Fire and Cam Newton 7v7.

Before I get too far in-depth on some things that stood out, I can't say too much about how humbled I was by seeing what Cam Newton has done, both with his foundation and with his 7v7 team.

The top-level QB in the National Football League, Heisman Trophy winner, Rookie of the Year, and MVP who could be doing so many other things with his time, but he chooses to spend his time with those kids. Not to mention the fact that they are one of the nation's best.

Listening to their opponents and other coaches talk "noise" with Newton throughout the day was a sight to see, and I look forward to seeing them again as the 7v7 season goes on.

As was mentioned, there were nearly 30 teams in attendance at Goodpasture Christian School on Saturday, so I didn't get a chance to see every team in action. Of the teams I did see, they were loaded with class of 2021 recruits who weren't afraid to step in against the nation's best.

Somerset (Ky.) QB Kaiya Sheron might not have a profile yet, but after watching him in action, he's someone that could emerge, though of course in Kentucky it's not easy to emerge. His mechanics and upside were arguably the best of any QB in attendance not named Bo Nix.

A big part of the tournament win for Florida Fire came as a result of their secondary. Palmetto (Fla.) ATH Jason Marshall was a leading example of that, as he was lined up 1v1 against some of the nation's best, and never flinched. Marshall has offers from South Florida, Miami, and Syracuse among others already, and plans on visiting several schools this spring.

Pinson Valley (Ala.) WR/ATH Ga'Quincy McKinstry just last week was in Oxford visiting Ole Miss. When given the opprtunity on Saturday on Cam Newton's team, McKinstry made the most of his chances, and showed an advanced level of football IQ for a Freshman in high school.

J3MSelect brought one team to the tournament, and they might have found their best QB for the team going forward in 2022 QB Ty Simpson, who is the son of UT-Martin head coach Jason Simpson. He holds an early offer from Michigan. Who's coaching at Michigan in 2022, anyways?

The star of the day, regardless of class, team, or position, was Centennial WR Julian Nixon, who holds offers from both Georgia and Ohio State already. Nixon was a nightmare in 1v1 matchups, and ran some impressive routes as well. The opponents knew the ball was going to him nearly every play in multiple games, but were unable to stop him. 6-foot-4, and over 200 pounds for a HS freshman is nearly impossible to find, and it's going to be interesting to see how he progresses as he gets older.

Living outside of the state of Florida, one always hears the statement, "Florida athletes are different." On Saturday, that became the topic of discussion, especially following the trouble Fire had getting to Goodpasture. They had several buses break down, and missed all of pool play.

While one team was eliminated in their first game, the other took on Cam Newton's Black team (see video at the top) in a matchup big enough to have been for the championship.

Fire would come out on top there, and ended up in the championship against Cam's white team, which they would win.

Class of 2020 WR Marc Britt made some plays on jump balls that you couldn't help but drop your jaw at. He's committed to Miami, and is likely one of the best 2020 recruits in the country.

Not to be outdone, Glades Central WR James Davis had his moments as well. His ability to reach top-end speed was scary, especially for a 10th grader.

Palm Beach Lakes CB Eldridge Franklin may not have the offer list of a shutdown cornerback, but I am here to tell you that the impact he made, especially against bigger receivers. His offer list is set to grow.

Tiawan Mullen talks more noise than anyone I have seen all year. He also backs it up. He holds an Ole Miss offer, and talks to Wesley McGriff on a daily basis. He's planning to visit Oxford soon, and is close with WR signee Elijah Moore.

Watching Miami LB commit Diamante Howard roam the field as a safety was a scary sight. His versatility was on full display, as he could play either safety or linebacker at the next level.

In last year's class, the St. Louis area had names like Trevor Trout, Michael Thompson, Ronnie Perkins, and Cameron Brown among several others. This year's class is led by ATH Isaiah Williams, but also includes names like Shammond Cooper, Maurice Massey, and Marcus Washington among others. Williams throws a beautiful deep ball, and of his several offers he has on the table, I am curious how many of those schools are recruiting him at quarterback, and which ones are recruiting him as an ATH. He has the raw talent to play QB at the next level.

The city of St. Louis is in good hands.

Ole Miss is squarely in the picture with Cooper, who mentioned his growing relationship with Jon Sumrall as a factor in his recruitment.

Massey is a name to remember for Ole Miss fans, as he recently opened things up following an early commitment to Iowa State.

Washington released an impressive top ten this week, and that list did not include Ole Miss.

When I first got word that Moore (Ky.) DE J.J. Weaver was going to be in attendance on Saturday, I assumed he was either going to be playing LB, or was there to support a teammate.

Nope. He was playing WR, and playing it well. He played S as well.

Go Hard Elite had a pretty clear game-plan of getting him the ball in 1v1 situations, and he didn't disappoint when given an opportunity.

Caldwell County (Ky.) CB Trel Riley should also be on the radar of Power 5 schools. He's still awaiting his first official offer, and visited Purdue earlier this week.

Whitehaven (Tenn.) ATH Vincent Guy played quarterback, among other positions, last season for local-power Whitehaven High School in Memphis. While he may be forced to play again at the QB position in the fall, he showed flashes of being a top-level CB in the state of Tennessee on Saturday.

Guy has early interest from several schools, including both Memphis and Vanderbilt. He will visit Memphis next weekend.