Nike’s The Opening football combine gets underway on Thursday and it features eight Ohio State commitments and even more Buckeye targets. What exactly is The Opening? I’ll let Nike explain it to you.
WHO: The top 166 high school football players in the nation as selected by Student Sports after film evaluation and/or in-person evaluation at one of The Opening Regionals or Rating Days.
WHAT: The Opening Finals presented by Nike Football is four days of dynamic training, coaching and competition for the country’s most elite high school football players. Every position and every aspect of the game will be highlighted over the course of the three-day program. The Opening Finals is undoubtedly the most high profile high school football event in the nation. Last year it drew media coverage from Bleacher Report, ESPN.com, Scout.com, 247sports.com, Rivals.com, NFL Network, USA Today and every other major recruiting website, as well as being featured with eight hours of broadcast on ESPNU.
WHEN: The Opening Finals 2017 will be held June 28th-July 3rd.
WHERE: Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
The event features a Nike Football Ratings Championship, which is essentially a combine that determines “high school football’s top athlete.” Last year, that winner was Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins. Teammate Jeffrey Okudah came in second. There is also the Final 5 Linemen Challenge, which features the top 20 defensive linemen against the top 20 offensive linemen. The five best performers will then be crowned as The Final 5. Then there is the Nike Football 7 on 7 Championship, which features six teams, 126 athletes, and two days of competition. The Elite 11 quarterback competition also takes place during the six-day event. Buckeye commit Emory Jones failed to make the finals.
So which future Buckeyes — and possible future Buckeyes — are participating?
Ohio State Commits
(Ratings and measurements from The Opening Regionals are included below where available. Players participate in a 40-yard dash, a 20-yard shuttle, a power ball toss, and a vertical jump. These numbers are then combined to come up with a SPARQ rating. The player with the highest SPARQ score wins the Nike Football Ratings Championship.)
CB Sevyn Banks
6-1 180 | 4.5 40 | 4.32 SH | 41.5′ PB | 41.7″ VJ | 128.58 SPARQ
Banks is coming off of an injury last year, but is already making his mark on the combine circuit. His SPARQ score of 128.58 is currently No. 9 in the nation. Take a gander at his power ball throw and then keep that in mind as you scan the rest of these names.
DE Andrew Chatfield
6-2 221 | 4.92 40 | 4.57 SH | 38′ PB | 31.4″ VJ | 85.8 SPARQ
Chatfield may be fitting the new mold as a stand-up defensive end for the Buckeyes.
DE Brenton Cox
6-4.5 247 | 4.95 40 | 4.45 SH | 39.5′ PB | 28.6″ VJ | 92.43 SPARQ
Cox is big and strong. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the one-on-ones.
RB Jaelen Gill
6-0 172 | 4.58 40 | 4.01 SH | 37.5′ PB | 36.1″ VJ | 114.24 SPARQ (From 2016)
Gill may be a sleeper pick to win the ratings title, which would be incredibly impressive considering he missed all of last season with a severe leg injury. Regardless of how he does, it has been good to see him back on the field full-tilt this spring.
LB Teradja Mitchell
6-2 243 | 5.01 40 | 4.4 SH | 44.0′ PB | 30.7″ VJ | 102.93 SPARQ
Mitchell will head to Oregon looking to improve on that 40-time. He is clearly strong, though.
SAF Josh Proctor
6-2 190 | 4.68 40 | 4.45 SH | 36.0′ PB | 36.7″ VJ | 95.01 SPARQ
Proctor has good size for a safety and the athleticism is clearly there.
DT Taron Vincent
6-1.5 287 | 4.95 40 | 4.76 SH | 41.0′ PB | 22.1″ VJ | 88.92 SPARQ
Don’t ever expect the linemen to compete for the SPARQ title, but it still gives you a good look at the athleticism they possess. For a defensive tackle, the shuttle times are more important than the 40 times.
SAF Jaiden Woodbey
6-1 209 | 4.85 40 | 4.22 SH | 39.5′ PB | 32.1″ VJ | 100.62 SPARQ
Woodbey will want to improve that 40 time, but the shuttle is impressive. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came in a little lighter as well.
Ohio State Targets
WR Kamryn Babb
6-1 189 | 4.60 40 | 4.12 SH | 34′ PB | 35.3″ VJ | 103.92 SPARQ
The Buckeyes’ top receiver target. Only hearing good things here.
DT Jowon Briggs (2019)
6-1.5 278 | 5.35 40 | 4.47 SH | 37.0′ PB | 26.5″ VJ | 83.13 SPARQ
One of the handful of 2019 prospects, Briggs is a Cincinnati product.
CB Tyson Campbell
6-2.5 181 | 4.47 40 | 4.51 SH | 36.0′ PB | 32.5″ VJ | 93.12 SPARQ
Campbell is a 6-3 cornerback with speed. The lackluster shuttle time and the vertical seem out of place, though.
OT Jackson Carman
6-6 349 | 5.41 40 | 4.94 SH | 42.5′ PB | 25.6″ VJ | 96.18 SPARQ
Carman went into his regional combine a little on the bigger side. Expect that number to be lower this time around.
CB Anthony Cook
5-11 173 | NA 40 | 4.17 SH | 34.5′ PB | 36.7 ” VJ | NA SPARQ
Cook didn’t run the 40 at his regional, so it will be interesting to see where he comes in. The shuttle will be impressive again.
WR Brennan Eagles
6-3.5 214 | 4.51 40 | 3.99 SH | 39.0′ PB | 37.0″ VJ | 132.24 SPARQ
Eagles has the No. 5 SPARQ score this year. He’s a Texas receiver, so he’s going to be a tough pull for the Buckeyes.
DE Zach Harrison (2019)
6-5.5 243 | 4.62 40 | 4.45 SH | 43.5′ PB | 35.9″ VJ | 125.82 SPARQ
Harrison is a Central Ohioan, so the Buckeyes like where they stand here. His SPARQ score is No. 15 in the nation, which is also the third-best among the 2019 prospects. He’s also a track star…at 6-foot-6 and 240-odd pounds.
LB Owen Pappoe (2019)
6-0 207 | 4.69 40 | 4.09 SH | 38.0′ PB | 36.4″ VJ | 115.20 SPARQ
This will be Pappoe’s second time at The Opening. He was the first sophomore ever invited last year.
DE Micah Parsons
6-3 241 | 4.66 40 | 4.34 SH | 40.0′ PB | 31.1″ VJ | 110.07 SPARQ
From Pennsylvania, Parsons will continue to receive Noah Spence comparisons with his size, speed, and explosion.
LB K’Vaughan Pope
6-2 211 | 4.72 40 | 4.41 SH | 36.5′ PB | 35.4″ VJ | 98.40 SPARQ
Pope visited Ohio State earlier in the month. The Buckeyes are watching him closely.
TE Jeremy Ruckert
6-5.5 230 | 4.76 40 | 4.46 SH | 44.0′ PB | 35.1″ VJ | 114.27 SPARQ
Ruckert is Ohio State’s top tight end target, and with his measurables you can see why.
DT Nesta Silvera
6-1 313 | 5.55 40 | 5.27 SH | 37.0′ PB | 23.9″ VJ | 72.33 SPARQ
Silvera is currently committed to Miami, but the Buckeyes are very interested
WR L’Christian Smith
NA
Smith is a big receiver (6-5 215), so it will be interesting to see how his speed measures up. He will be committing in July. The Buckeyes are sitting pretty.
DE Tyreke Smith
6-3.5 252 | 5.0 40 | 4.65 SH | 41.0′ PB | 31.6″ VJ | 98.55 SPARQ
Don’t be surprised if Smith is one of the more talked about defensive linemen at this event. He’s had a very good spring and is looking to follow that up with an even better summer.
CB Patrick Surtain
NA
The Buckeyes are on the outside looking in for the 5-star Surtain, but that doesn’t mean they’re gonna stop any time soon.
LB Solomon Tuliaupupu
6-2 211 | NA 40 | 4.61 SH | 35.0′ PB | 28.0″ VJ | NA SPARQ
Tuliaupupu is one of the top inside linebackers in the nation. He’s going to be tough to pull out of California. He did make a visit to Ohio State in the spring, however.
WR Al’Vonte Woodard
6-1 193 | 4.61 40 | 4.25 SH | 33.0′ PB | 32.2″ VJ | 92.70 SPARQ
Ohio State made the top five for Woodard back in May, but most expect him to be a Longhorn.
The Opening Roster
| Jordyn Adams | WR | Green Hope | NC | 2018 |
| Bryan Addison | DB | Serra | CA | 2018 |
| Jayson Ademilola | DL | St. Peter’s Prep | NJ | 2018 |
| Derrik Allen | DB | Lassiter | GA | 2018 |
| Kevin Austin | WR | North Broward | FL | 2018 |
| Kamryn Babb | WR | Christian Brothers College | MO | 2018 |
| Sevyn Banks | DB | Jones | FL | 2018 |
| William Barnes | OL | Apopka | FL | 2018 |
| Micah Baskerville | LB | Evangel Christian Aca. | LA | 2018 |
| Al Blades | DB | St. Thomas Aquinas | FL | 2018 |
| Stephan Blaylock | DB | St. John Bosco | CA | 2018 |
| Jowon Briggs | DL | Walnut Hills | OH | 2019 |
| Dennis Briggs Jr. | DL | Gateway | FL | 2018 |
| Amari Burney | DB | Calvary Christian | FL | 2018 |
| Tommy Bush | WR | Samuel Clemens | TX | 2018 |
| Tyson Campbell | DB | American Heritage | FL | 2018 |
| Jackson Carman | OL | Fairfield | OH | 2018 |
| JaMarr Chase | WR | Archbishop Rummel | LA | 2018 |
| Andrew Chatfield | DL | American Heritage | FL | 2018 |
| Anthony Cook | DB | Lamar | TX | 2018 |
| James Cook | RB | Miami Central | FL | 2018 |
| Cammon Cooper | QB | Lehi | UT | 2018 |
| Matthew Corral | QB | Long Beach Poly | CA | 2018 |
| Chase Cota | WR | South Medford | OR | 2018 |
| Brenton Cox Jr. | DL | Stockbridge | GA | 2018 |
| William Craig | OL | Granite Bay | CA | 2018 |
| Isaah Crocker | WR | Inderkum | CA | 2018 |
| Aashari Crosswell | DB | Hawkins | CA | 2018 |
| Camron Davis | RB | Carol City | FL | 2018 |
| Justin Dedich | OL | Chapparal | CA | 2018 |
| Kenneth Dicks III | DB | Lambert | GA | 2018 |
| Devontae Dobbs | OL | Belleville | MI | 2019 |
| Curtis Dunlap Jr. | OL | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Brennan Eagles | WR | Alief Taylor | TX | 2018 |
| Emil Ekiyor | OL | Cathedral | IN | 2018 |
| Jamal Elliot | RB | Hillside | NC | 2018 |
| Greg Emerson | DL | North Side | TN | 2018 |
| John Emery Jr. | RB | Destrehan | LA | 2019 |
| Solomon Enis | WR | North Canyon | AZ | 2018 |
| Daniel Faalele | OL | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Justin Fields | QB | Harrison | GA | 2018 |
| Luke Ford | TE | Carterville | IL | 2018 |
| B.J. Foster | DB | Angleton | TX | 2018 |
| Jamion Franklin | DL | North Caroline | MD | 2018 |
| Amari Gainer | LB | Chiles | FL | 2018 |
| Palaie Gaoteote | LB | Bishop Gorman | NV | 2018 |
| Kalon Gervin | DB | Cass Tech | MI | 2018 |
| Jaelen Gill | RB | Westerville South | OH | 2018 |
| Richard Gouraige | OL | Cambridge Christian | FL | 2018 |
| Gemon Green | DB | DeSoto | TX | 2018 |
| Jalen Green | DB | Heights | TX | 2018 |
| Olaijah Griffin | DB | Mission Viejo | CA | 2018 |
| Houston Griffith | DB | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Jovaughn Gwyn | OL | Harding | NC | 2018 |
| Jalen Hall | WR | Hawkins | CA | 2018 |
| Corione Harris | DB | Landry-Walker | LA | 2018 |
| Zachary Harrison | DL | Olentangy | OH | 2019 |
| KJ Henry | DL | West Forsyth | NC | 2018 |
| Brian Hightower | WR | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Trey Hill | OL | Houston County | GA | 2018 |
| Jevon Holland | DB | Bishop O’Dowd | CA | 2018 |
| Jaycee Horn | DB | Alpharetta | GA | 2018 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | DB | Crescent Valley | OR | 2018 |
| Kearis Jackson | WR | Peach County | GA | 2018 |
| D’Shawn Jamison | DB | Lamar | TX | 2018 |
| Tank Jenkins | OL | Park Crossing | AL | 2018 |
| Nelson Jenkins III | DL | Plaquemine | LA | 2018 |
| Josh Jobe | DB | Miami Columbus | FL | 2018 |
| Tyreke Johnson | DB | Trinity Christian | FL | 2018 |
| Harold Joiner III | RB | Mountain Brook | AL | 2018 |
| Brevin Jordan | TE | Bishop Gorman | NV | 2018 |
| Kelvin Joseph | DB | Scotlandville Magnet | LA | 2018 |
| Brandon Kaho | LB | Reno | NV | 2018 |
| Jack Lamb | LB | Great Oak | CA | 2018 |
| Cameron Latu | DL | Olympus | UT | 2018 |
| Devon Lawrence | RB | Wake Forest | NC | 2018 |
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | Cartersville | GA | 2018 |
| Devin Leary | QB | Timber Creek | NJ | 2018 |
| Lorenzo Lingard | RB | University | FL | 2018 |
| A.J. Lytton | DB | Dr. Henry Wise | MD | 2018 |
| Will Mallory | TE | Providence | FL | 2018 |
| Terrace Marshall Jr. | WR | Parkway | LA | 2018 |
| Cameron McGrone | LB | Lawrence Central | IN | 2018 |
| Tanner McKee | QB | Centennial | CA | 2018 |
| Kyler McMichael | DB | Greater Atlanta Christian School | GA | 2018 |
| Teradja Mitchell | LB | Bishop Sullivan Catholic | VA | 2018 |
| Elijah Moore | WR | St. Thomas Aquinas | FL | 2018 |
| Joshua Moore | WR | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Rondale Moore | WR | Trinity | KY | 2018 |
| Christian Morgan | DB | Porter | TX | 2018 |
| P.J. Mustipher | DL | McDonogh | MD | 2018 |
| Leon O’Neal Jr. | DB | Cy Springs | TX | 2018 |
| Ovie Oghoufo | LB | Harrison | MI | 2018 |
| Azeez Ojulari | DL | Marietta | GA | 2018 |
| Chigoziem Okonkwo | TE | Hillgrove | GA | 2018 |
| Owen Pappoe | LB | Grayson | GA | 2019 |
| Micah Parsons | LB | Harrisburg | VA | 2018 |
| Quincy Patterson II | QB | Solorio Academy | IL | 2018 |
| Ronnie Perkins | DL | Lutheran North | MO | 2018 |
| Ricky Person Jr. | RB | Franklinton | NC | 2018 |
| Xavier Peters | LB | Lakota West | OH | 2018 |
| J.J. Peterson | LB | Colquitt County | GA | 2018 |
| Kyle Pitts | TE | Archbishop Wood | PA | 2018 |
| TJ Pledger | RB | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| K’Vaughan Pope | LB | Dinwiddie | VA | 2018 |
| Mark Pope | WR | Southridge | FL | 2018 |
| Jalen Preston | WR | Manvel | TX | 2018 |
| Josh Proctor | DB | Owasso | OK | 2018 |
| Brendan Radley-Hiles | RB | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| David Reese | LB | Fort Pierce Central | FL | 2018 |
| Merlin Robertson | LB | Serra | CA | 2018 |
| Justin Rogers | QB | Parkway | LA | 2018 |
| Gunner Romney | WR | Chandler | AZ | 2018 |
| Justyn Ross | WR | Central | AL | 2018 |
| Jeremy Ruckert | TE | Lindenhurst | NY | 2018 |
| Mychale Salahuddin | ATH | Woodson H.D. | DC | 2018 |
| Jamaree Salyer | OL | Pace Academy | GA | 2018 |
| Tyrone Sampson Jr. | OL | East English Village Prep | MI | 2018 |
| Asante Samuel Jr. | DB | St. Thomas Aquinas | FL | 2018 |
| Rick Sandidge Jr. | DL | Concord | NC | 2018 |
| Delone Scaife | OL | Southridge | FL | 2018 |
| Anthony Schwartz | WR | American Heritage | FL | 2018 |
| Raymond Scott | LB | Narbonne | CA | 2018 |
| Penei Sewell | OL | Desert Hills | CA | 2018 |
| Justin Shorter | WR | South Brunswick | NJ | 2018 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | Hamilton | AZ | 2018 |
| Nesta Silvera | DL | American Heritage | FL | 2018 |
| Shayne Simon | LB | St. Peters Prep | NJ | 2018 |
| Myles Sims | DB | Westlake | GA | 2018 |
| Ricky Slade Jr. | RB | C.D. Hylton | VA | 2018 |
| Chris Smith | DB | Hapeville Charter | GA | 2018 |
| L’Christian Smith | WR | Wayne | OH | 2018 |
| Nolan Smith | DL | IMG Academy | FL | 2019 |
| Tyreke Smith | DL | Cleveland Heights | OH | 2018 |
| Marquis Spiker | WR | Murrieta Valley | CA | 2018 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | Mater Dei | CA | 2018 |
| Steve Stephens | DB | Edison | CA | 2018 |
| Caden Sterns | DB | Steele | TX | 2018 |
| Dante Stills | DL | Fairmont | WV | 2018 |
| Patrick Surtain II | DB | American Heritage | FL | 2018 |
| Sammiuela Taimaini | OL | East Salt Lake City | UT | 2018 |
| George Takacs | TE | Gulf Coast | FL | 2018 |
| Ron Tatum | DL | Putnam City | OK | 2018 |
| Alontae Taylor | ATH | Coffee County | TN | 2018 |
| Isaac Taylor-Stuart | DB | St. Augustine | CA | 2018 |
| Xavier Thomas | DL | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Michael Thompson | DL | Parkway North | MO | 2018 |
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson | QB | Bishop Gorman | NV | 2018 |
| Channing Tindall | LB | Spring Valley | SC | 2018 |
| Solomon Tuliaupupu | LB | Mater Dei | CA | 2018 |
| Christian Turner | RB | Buford | GA | 2018 |
| Christian Tutt | DB | Heights | TX | 2018 |
| Jack Tuttle | QB | Mission Hills | CA | 2018 |
| Reuben Unije | OL | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Josh Vann | WR | Tucker | GA | 2018 |
| Taron Vincent | DL | IMG Academy | FL | 2018 |
| Atanza Vongor | DB | South Grand Prarie | TX | 2018 |
| Brey Walker | OL | Southmoore | OK | 2018 |
| Rasheed Walker | OL | North Point | MD | 2018 |
| Chase Williams | ATH | Eleanor Roosevelt | CA | 2018 |
| Devon Williams | WR | Antelope Valley | CA | 2018 |
| Jarren Williams | QB | Central Gwinnett | GA | 2018 |
| Xavier Williams | WR | Chaminade-Madonna | FL | 2018 |
| Payton Wilson | LB | Orange | NC | 2018 |
| Al’Vonte Woodard | WR | Lamar | TX | 2018 |
| Jaiden Woodbey | DB | St. John Bosco | CA | 2018 |