A hot and sunny Saturday morning welcomed 32 different high school teams to Nikes Miramar 7-on-7 Tournament today. Some of the top talent in the nation took to the field for the passing-only formatted event, with a number of players with FAU offers and interest participating. One of those players was Everglades running back Cedric Thompson. Last time The Owl’s Nest caught up with Thompson, he was leaving FAU’s Development Camp, and had just received a scholarship offer to play for the Owls. This time, Thompson was competing with his team and working on his receiving game. The 6 foot 210 pound running back, who looks almost like a young Xavier Stinson, impressed throughout the tournament making nice grabs and moves all over the field. You can see one in the video below: Its a good environment out here, its very competitive. There are no games during the summer so this is the best thing besides a game, Thompson said in-between games Saturday morning. Previously, Thompson and his father joked that he wanted to stay in Florida and not have to play in the cold weather like his brother Courtney at Kansas State . Thompson reassured that Saturday by stating I want to stay in Florida, when asked about the recruitment process. The question is where in Florida will Thompson play? With a few offers to play football up north, the only other bid Thompson has to play football in the state currently is UCF. However, UCF appears to already have a running back locked up for the 2011 class. Thompson wasnt the only Everglades High School prospect on hand with interest from the Owls coaching staff. Gary Wooten, a linebacker FAU fans should be familiar with, anchored the talented Hialeah Senior high school team’s defense all day, and fared well throughout tournament. With an offer still in hand received after FAU’s development camp, Wooten recently picked up an offer from rival Florida International. Hopefully the coaching staff over at Hialeah can push Wooten our way, as he seems to be gaining attention fast. Coral Reef defensive back Sterling Wright, who also attended FAUs developmental camp, was out competing and mentioned that interest from the Owls’ coaches has picked up since his workout on campus two weeks ago. Dernard Turner, a defensive back out of Booker T. Washington, made numerous plays on the field, highlighted by an interception he returned for a touchdown. Turner has interest from FAU and offers from FIU and Bowling Green. Its a lot of fun, remarked Turner when asked about the tournament set up and the amount of games played. Due to NCAA guidelines, college coaches were not allowed to attend the tournament, but stakes were still high, as many of the players were trying to make names for themselves and showcase their skills. FAU is set to host it’s own 7-on-7 tournament July 17th in Boca Raton.
