Hawaii Battle at the Bay 7v7 and Deestroying Linemen 1on1s Recruiting Notebook

HONOLULU — While much of the week was spent in Hawaii to cover the 2024 Polynesian Bowl, the end of the week gave 247Sports a chance to see several of the top 2025, 2026 and 2027 prospects at the Battle at the Bay 7v7 Tournament and Deestroying Linemen 1on1’s at Waimanalo Beach Park.

Here are some of the latest recruiting news and notes from the two events in Southeast Oahu.

–Kahuku (Hawaii) 2025 athlete Kaimana Carvalho is holding seven offers, with Arizona, Cal and Utah the ones he hears from the most. His brother, Kainoa Carvalho, signed with the Utes in 2023 and is serving his LDS mission, but the two could reunite in Salt Lake City. Carvalho has a slew of visits on tap, with stops coming up to Miami, FAU, Texas, UCLA, USC, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Auburn.

Sound the horn. After much debate, the Top247 for college football’s recruiting class of 2024 has been finalized.

It includes seven new five-star prospects and plenty of player movement, all of which was fueled heavily by postseason evaluations at the All-American Bowl, Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl.

It’s our last shot at getting the 2024 rankings right. And to be frank, we’re feeling pretty good about the Top247 — especially at the top of the board.

We entered the all-star events more than open to the idea of crowning a new No. 1, but Ohio State-bound wide receiver Jeremiah Smith never really gave us a reason to look elsewhere following a dominant week at the All-American Bowl.

Smith, who has never shied away from competition, didn’t have to show up in San Antonio and go through practices (not in an era where so many are racing to get to college and trying to avoid injury). But we’re thankful that he did, because it was one final reminder that he’s a generational talent and true gamebreaker who demands double-teams.

Will Smith go on to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft? History says no, which is certainly notable, seeing as how the NFL Draft serves as the compass for our rankings.

But recent draft trends suggest that the wide receiver position is being valued at an all-time high by those who make decisions on Sundays.

Smith might not be the first pick in 2027 or 2028. But out of all the prospects in the class, we believe that he’s the safest bet to go in the top 10 one day.

Smith not only becomes the first wide receiver in the 14-year history of 247Sports to finish ranked No. 1, but he also becomes the first wide receiver to ever earn a grade of 101 from us, which signifies that he’s a potential “franchise player.”

One of the biggest challengers to Smith for the No. 1 spot was Florida quarterback signee DJ Lagway, who had as promising of a senior season as anyone in America.

Nebraska signee Dylan Raiola has long been our top-ranked quarterback, but we believe that Lagway has the highest ceiling out of all the signal-callers — hence, why he finished ranked No. 3 overall and four spots ahead of Raiola at No. 7 overall.

To be clear, we are still big fans of Raiola and his NFL-caliber arm. But Lagway represents a captivating dual-threat option with ready-to-play size that seems to just be scratching the surface of his potential.

Now, Lagway must keep progressing as a passer — even after improving in every key statistical category this past fall. But if he can put it all together in the coming years, we think he’s the type of quarterback whom NFL scouts will be drooling over one day — much like they were with Anthony Richardson.

In our eyes, Julian Sayin has the highest floor of the bunch with his pinpoint accuracy and advanced anticipation. The MVP of the Elite 11 Finals, who signed with Alabama in December before transferring to Ohio State on Sunday, finished ranked No. 20 overall and is the only other quarterback this cycle with a five-star grade.

Outside of the top 32, the biggest riser amongst the quarterbacks was Walker White, who shot up to No. 41 overall. Like Lagway, the Auburn signee owns an imposing, athletic frame. He had an impressive few days at the All-American Bowl, attacking the intermediate to deeper parts of the field like few others.

We have highlighted throughout the cycle that it’s a deep year for pass catchers and our final Top247 reflects that, with two new wide receivers earning five-star status. That gives us seven wideouts inside our de facto first round with the number rising to eight if top-ranked athlete Terry Bussey ends up playing offense in college.

– WR TJ Moore, Clemson signee (No. 21): Moore proved to be one of the top overall talents at the All-American Bowl. He not only measured better than expected (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) but produced big gain after big gain as he used his linear burst to create separation from blue-chip defensive backs before tracking the football like a seasoned vet. Moore reminds of all the dynamic wide receivers Clemson used to have on its roster.

– CB Zabien Brown, Alabama signee (No. 22): We’ve had a hunch that Brown was one of the nation’s top perimeter defenders but wanted to see how he would fare in a best-on-best type of setting. He passed the test with flying colors at the All-American Bowl. Brown, who is taller than 6-foot and blessed with some additional length in the arms, is technically advanced and able to operate out of both press- and off-man coverage.

– LB Chris Cole, Georgia signee (No. 23): A converted safety, Cole represents a new-age linebacker who can play all three downs. He was an instant eye-catcher at practices for the Under Armour All-America Game with his budding, high-cut frame. Cole will need to add strength and keep improving his feet, but he hustles to the football with rare track speed for the position and can also defend the pass at a very high level.

– DL Bryce Young, Notre Dame signee (No. 24): Young is the son of NFL Hall of Fame pass rusher Bryant Young. We love the bloodlines but also love the off-field profile, as he wrestled in high school and owns heading-turning track and field markers for a trench player who’s taller than 6-foot-5. He brought plenty of energy to practices for the All-American Bowl, flashing the ability to eat up the neutral zone and consistently flush out pockets.

– WR Gatlin Bair, unsigned (No. 27): We weren’t sure what to expect from the fastest high schooler in Idaho history at the All-American Bowl, but it didn’t take long for Bair to signal that he belonged in San Antonio. Bair changed directions with ease and was able to constantly break off defensive backs with sharp cuts. He will take part in an LDS mission before he joins the college of his choice but is well worth the wait for someone.

– EDGE Amaris Williams, Auburn signee (No. 30): A former running back, Williams has only been playing defense for a few years. While he might not be the most polished edge rusher, we’re buying stock after seeing him move around at the All-American Bowl. Williams, who has near-35-inch arms, is explosive in the lower half and quick to find leverage while turning the corner. He has a chance to emerge as a real pest up front.

– CB Zavier Mincey, Alabama signee (No. 31): We wanted to get more corners inside the top 32 and, after a deep audit of the defensive backs, Mincey was an easy addition. A height/weight/speed savant, Mincey can play multiple spots in the secondary, as he’s a physical defender who can turn his hips and go get the football. He came down with an acrobatic interception in the All-American Bowl and was sticky in 1-on-1 reps.

There was a point in the cycle when it was hard to find prospects with five-star grades for us. Things changed, however, in the eleventh hour.

We gave heavy consideration to a trio of front-seven players in Ohio State signee Eddrick Houston (No. 33), Miami signee Marquise Lightfoot (No. 34) and Oregon signee Aydin Breland (No. 36). We also vetted South Carolina offensive tackle signee Josiah Thompson (No. 37) and Tennessee wide receiver signee Mike Matthews (No. 40) extensively.

In previous years, those five prospects — and some others — might have finished with a fifth star next to their name, and each one of them holds a final grade of 97.

Houston could fit into a variety of different roles up front and has a rare top-end gear for someone of his stature. Lightfoot had arguably the quickest first step at the All-American Bowl and is one of the best speed rushers in the class.

Breland, on the other hand, has big-man twitch that should allow him to win in the middle on Saturdays.