Nineteen teams from 17 schools set to battle in the second annual Collins Hill (GA) 7-on-7 National Showcase on Friday

SUWANEE, GEORGIA – There was plenty of excitement around the Georgia high school football community, especially in Gwinnett County, for last year's inaugural Collins Hill National 7-on-7 Showcase.

The excitement will still be present for coaches and players alike when the 2022 edition of the one-day tournament commences Friday in Suwanee.

The atmosphere will likely be somewhat different, however.

For one thing, two teams from neighboring South Carolina – Greenville and Bluffton – as well as other newcomers like south Georgia powerhouses Colquitt County and Jefferson County join the party among this year's 19-team field representing 17 schools (Collins Hill and Archer will each have two different teams).

“We've got some new teams, so I think the competition is going to be maybe a little bit tougher this year,” Collins Hill head coach Lenny Gregory said. “So it'll be a really good tournament.”

And the approach will be a bit different for several of the teams, with host Collins Hill perhaps being the best example.

This time last year, the expectations were already sky high for the Eagles with a star-studded line-up that featured such standouts as the nation's No. 1 player in receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter, quarterback Sam Horn, and defensive lineman Asani Redwood.

And they lived up to that billing by rolling to the Class AAAAAAA state championship, posting a 15-1 record and a high final national ranking in several different polls.

However, while some big-time players from that team are back for 2022 – most notably, two-sport Tennessee commit Ethan Davis, junior receiver Cedric Nash and senior linebackers Richard Ransom and Deon Crawford – Gregory has a lot more evaluating to do this year.

That means treating this year's tournament quite differently than he did a year ago.

“This is our third 7-on-7 (tournament this summer),” Gregory said. “We've been to (the University of) Georgia. We took the kids to Alabama. It's just a completely different approach this year than it was last year. Last year, we were going in with a really talented, senior-heavy team. Really mature. Our thing going into tournaments last year was, while we wanted to rest our kids as much as we could, we knew we had a chance to win whatever tournament we went to, and we did. I think we were like 30-0 last summer in 7-on-7s. I've never seen anything like that.

“When you looking at where we are now, and we're more concerned about getting everybody reps and evaluating more than about winning a tournament. … We're not going to cut off our nose to spite our face. We really have to … play everybody and give everybody a look and have a true understanding of what guys are going to emerge as the next guys.”

The Eagles are hardly alone with that approach.

In addition to a brand new school – Gwinnett County's Seckinger, which is officially opening up in August, at least two new head coaches – Archer's Dante Williams and Meadowcreek's Todd Wofford – are still learning their squads even after taking part in spring practice a month ago.

Of course, both of those new coaches will also have an effect on Gregory's squad, since they were on his offensive staff last year – Williams as offensive coordinator and Wofford as assistant head coach and receivers coach.

In addition to Davis and the other returners from Collins Hill, there are several other high-profile individuals who will likely compete Friday, including Georgia-committed tight end Lawson Luckie and Georgia Tech-bound receiver Zion Taylor of Norcross, quarterback Neko Fann and four-star receiver Ny Carr of Colquitt County, Meadowcreek receiver Keshaun Singleton, four-star cornerback Ethan Nation of Roswell, Walton quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski of Walton and receiver Chris Nelson of South Forsyth.

SBLive Sports will be on hand to report on the action.

COLLINS HILL 2022 7v7 TOURNAMENT
(June 24, 2022)

POOL PLAY
Spalding County vs. Lithia Springs, 8:00 a.m., F1
Collins Hill vs. Bluffton (SC), 8:00 a.m., F2
Seckinger vs. Walton, 8:00 a.m., F3
Walnut Grove vs. Archer B, 8:00 a.m., F4
Roswell vs. Greenville (SC), 8:00 a.m., F5
Meadowcreek vs. South Forsyth, 8:30 a.m., F1
Norcross vs. Social Circle, 8:30 a.m., F2
Colquit County vs. Jefferson County, 8:30 a.m., F3
Archer vs. Dacula, 8:30 a.m., F4
Archer B vs. Seckinger, 9:00 a.m., F1
Walnut Grove vs. Roswell, 9:00 a.m., F2
Greenville (SC) vs. Colins Hill, 9:00 a.m., F3
Walton vs. Spalding County, 9:00 a.m., F4
Lithia Springs vs. Blufton (SC), 9:00 a.m., F5
Social Circle vs. Jefferson County, 9:30 a.m., F1
Dacula vs. Colquit County, 9:30 a.m., F2
Spalding County vs. Seckinger, 9:30 a.m., F3
Colins Hill B vs. Meadowcreek, 9:30 a.m., F4
South Forsyth vs. Norcross, 9:30 a.m., F5
Colquit County vs. Social Circle, 10:00 a.m., F1
Roswell vs. Archer B, 10:00 a.m., F2
Blufton (SC) vs. Walton, 10:00 a.m., F3
Lithia Springs vs. Greenville (SC), 10:00 a.m., F4
Collins Hill vs. Walnut Grove, 10:00 a.m. F5
Archer vs. Collins Hill B, 10:30 a.m., F1
Norcross vs. Meadowcreek, 10:30 a.m., F2
Jefferson County vs. South Forsyth, 10:30 a.m., F3
Social Circle vs. Dacula, 10:30 a.m., F4
Roswell vs. Collins Hill, 11:00 a.m., F1
Walton vs. Greenville (SC), 11:00 a.m., F2
Walnut Grove vs. Lithia Springs, 11:00 a.m., F3
Archer B vs. Spalding County, 11:00 a.m., F4
Seckinger vs. Blufton (SC), 11:00 a.m, F5
Meadow Creek vs. Jefferson County, 11:30 a.m., F1
Collins Hill B vs. Norcross, 11:30 a.m., F2
Greenville (SC) vs. Seckinger, 11:30 a.m., F3
South Forsyth vs. Dacula, 11:30 a.m., F4
Archer vs. Colquit County, 11:30 a.m., F5
Blufton (SC) vs. Spalding County, 12:00 p.m., F1
Lithia Springs vs. Roswell, 12:00 p.m., F2
Collins Hill vs. Archer B, 12:00 p.m., F3
Archer vs. South Forsyth, 12:00 p.m., F4
Walton vs. Walnut Gove, 12:00 p.m., F5
Social Circle vs. Archer, 12:30 p.m., F1
Dacula vs. Meadowcreek, 12:30 p.m., F2
Colquit County vs. Collins Hill B, 12:30 p.m., F3
Jefferson County vs. Norcross, 12:30 p.m., F4

PLAYOFF BRACKET

Play-in Games, 2:00 p.m.

1st Round Playoffs, 2:30 & 3:00 p.m.

Quarterfinal Playoffs, 3:30 p.m.

Semifinal Playoffs, 4:00 p.m.

Championship, 4:30 p.m.