Here are 25 Iowa football players who stood out at Back 2 Ballin' 7-on-7 tournament
Iowa 7v7 Football hosted its annual Back 2 Ball’ tournament this past weekend, and some of the top players in the Midwest were there to compete.
Among athletes from Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin, several players from the Hawkeye State stood out.
From eighth graders to soon-to-be seniors, here are 25 in-state players – 15 with breakdowns of their performances – who stood out at the Back 2 Ballin’ high school tournament.
Names are listed in alphabetical order with the player's graduation year and school listed as well.
Taylen Alford, 2028, Carroll (middle school)
Alford does not play like an eighth-grader. He played with a lot of patience and gave his receivers plenty of time to get open. He has a good arm and an accurate one, at that. He’ll be one to watch in the high school game.
Bobby Bacon, 2025, Iowa City High
Several quarterbacks stood out, but Bacon was among the best. He moved well when forced out of the pocket and he understands how to get himself out of pressure. Bacon coupled a cannon of an arm with perfect placement and made it look easy.
Chase Bradley, 2026, Linn-Mar
Bradley’s patience and awareness of his surroundings stood out. He excelled at creating space for himself in coverage and made some difficult catches look easy.
Jacob Breyfogle, 2026., Sioux City East
There were a lot of good things about Breyfogle’s play, but defense was his strong suit. For opponents, good luck getting a target with Breyfogle’s coverage.
Jaxx DeJean, 2027, OABCIG
The first thing that stands out about DeJean is his size, he's listed at 6-foot-4, with the rising sophomore towering over several of his opponents. He made catches look easy, brought solid speed to the field and took coaching well. DeJean is a well-rounded player with room to grow.
Andrew Greve, 2026, Regina
The Regina rising junior stood out thanks to his vision, speed and ability to separate himself from defenders. He’s the type of player who will do anything to make the play – on offense and defense.
Dallas Miller, 2025, Iowa City Liberty
Miller was a bit of a shifty player, finding ways to elude defenders and get open in the end zone. He uses his speed for two things: to get downfield fast and to separate himself from opponents. And that doesn't even include his standout instincts on defense.
Brody Pata, 2026, Linn-Mar
He has great speed and his length, standing at 6-foot-1, is an advantage against opponents. Pata’s coverage often made it difficult for opponents to make catches.
Isaiah Perry, 2028, Linn-Mar (middle school)
Based on his size and play alone, Perry doesn’t seem like an eighth-grader. He created plays in limited space against tight coverage and turned several almost incompletions into catches. On defense, he was quick to make adjustments.
Pryor Reiners, 2027, Iowa City Liberty
Reiners looked dominant on both sides of the ball. He consistently found a way to get open, made catches in coverage and put in 100% effort on every play. On defense, his awareness his second-to-none and he knocked away several would-be scoring opportunities.
Dante Sciorrotta, 2025, West Des Moines Valley
Sciorrotta made it difficult for opponents to get open on defense and when they did, he was quick to get the touch and stop the play.
Warren Sickels, 2027, Linn-Mar
Sickels made tough completions in coverage, but his defensive prowess is what stood out. He made great reads and anticipated his opponents’ moves well. Sickels is the type of player coaches are comfortable leaving as the last line of defense.
Jayden Stephens, 2028, Waverly-Shell Rock (middle school)
Stephens’ motor allowed him to get downfield and make big plays on defense. He has great hands and his size allows him to break up passes.
Kasen Thomas, 2026., Bishop Heelan
Both sides of Thomas’ game were good. He used his speed and athleticism well, and he made catches look easy. On defense, he was quick and disruptive.
Tate Wallace, 2027, Regina
College coaches should pay attention to Wallace, one of the most impressive rising sophomores from the tournament. He’s built well – especially for a freshman – and brings a lot of athleticism to the field. Great pressure on defense and didn’t quit on any play until the whistle.
Other standouts:
Gianni Gary, 2028, Carver (middle school)
Mekyael Hall, 2025, Dubuque Senior
Jarin Hoffman, 2027, Kuemper Catholic
Devin Holman, 2025, Des Moines East
Raif Jensen, 2027, Ridge View
Michael Moeller, 2026, Waterloo West
Wyatt Schweiger, 2025, ADM
Alyas Wall, 2026, Linn-Mar
Reece Wheeler, 2027, Iowa City Liberty
William Woodring, 2026, Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 25 Iowa football athletes who impressed at Back 2 Ballin' tournament
