Offensive lineman Foster Sarell leads award winners at The Opening

Video: The top five finishers of the Nike Football Ratings Championship at The Opening 2016
Winner J.K. Dobbins leads a group of recruits considered the top overall athletes at the prestigious football showcase

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Marvin Wilson said he didn't know much about Foster Sarell before traveling from Texas to the Great Northwest.

From one most valuable lineman to another, Wilson knows plenty about Sarell now.

"He can bend, he's got long arms, he can do it all," said Wilson, a 6-foot-4, 329-pound defensive lineman from Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas). "He's real good. He definitely earned my respect."

The mammoth 6-7, 311-pound Sarell earned about everyone's respect after being named the offensive lineman MVP of the nation's most prestigious football showcase featuring top 166 recruits.



The former MaxPreps Freshman All-American from Graham-Kapowsin (Graham, Wash.) was dominant from the beginning, leading perhaps the best group of offensive linemen in The Opening history.

Following a Sunday of one-on-one drills, others to make the All-Offensive Line Team were Wilson's high school teammate at Episcopal, Walker Little (6-8, 305), Wyatt Davis of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), Cesar Ruiz of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Alex Leatherwood of Booker T. Washington (Pensacola, Fla.) and Jamaree Salyer of Pace Academy (Atlanta).

Sarell said he was only a little surprised by the success he had during the nearly week-long camp. The uncommitted big man came in ranked the ninth-best recruit overall in the country.

"I've never underrated myself," he said. "I try to be as humble as I can when people are around. But inside you have to have that instinct that it's time to come to work. I felt like I did a pretty good job."

Wilson, the nation's No. 3 recruit who is also uncommitted, did a pretty good job himself. He was voted defensive lineman MVP.

He was joined on the on the All-DL Team by Jaelan Phillips of Redlands East Valley (Calif.), Marlon Tuipulotu of Central (Independence, Ore.), Jordan Williams of Cox (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Drew Jordan of North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.).



Asked about Wilson's play, Sarell said: "Marvin's a big boy who moves really well. He's a darned good player. Everyone here is a great player."

Wilson, who attended The Opening as a junior, said the offensive line this year "Was way better than it was last year." Asked about his performance, Wilson said. "I won some and lost some on Saturday and came into Sunday having to dig real deep. It's a dog eat dog world out there (in one-on-ones)."

TEXAS TWO-STEP: Little will likely be elevated well above his No. 57 overall recruitment level, so Episcopal could have two five-star linemen on its squad. Last year the Knights went 9-2 while playing in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools organization (TAPPS).

The school has less than 700 students and the program is by no means associated with the nationally ranked squads often produced in the Lone Star state. "We all take our football very serious in Texas," Wilson said. "We all take pride in it."

ALL-TOURNAMENT: Nike staff and coaches picked the following All-Tournament Team based on 7-on-7 tournament play.

MVP Tua Tagovailoa, St. Louis (Honolulu), Vapor Speed (See story)



RB J.K. Dobbins, La Grange (Texas), Lunarbeast

QB Tommy Devito, Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), Lunarbeast

WR Amari Rodgers, Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.), Mach Speed

WR Jerry Jeudy, Deerfield Beach (Fla.), Vapor Speed

WR Tyjon Lindsey, Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Alpha Pro

TE Colby Parkinson, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), Fly Rush



TE Grant Calcaterra, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Vapor Speed

DB Robert Barnes, Carroll (Southlake, Texas), Vapor Speed

DB Richard Lecounte, Liberty County (Hinesville, Ga.), Alpha Pro

DB Isaiah Pola-Mao, Mountain Pointe (Phoenix), Hypercool

DB Jamyest Williams, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), Fly Rush

DB Ambry Thomas, King (Detroit), Hypercool



ATH Darnay Holmes, Calabasas (Calif.), Mach Speed

UNOFFICIAL AWARD: DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) defensive end Chase Young surely won the unofficial award for being the most honest recruit among the 166.

Asked if he made any friends while at The Opening, the 4-star recruit, the nation's No. 32 recruit overall said: "I didn't really come here to make friends. I came here to compete. I made acquaintances."

Asked how he thought he did, Young said "I think I'm the best d-lineman out here. That's how I feel and I think I performed it. But you got to keep working."

COLLEGE COMMITMENTS: The nation's No. 5 running back, Toneil Carter of Langham Creek (Houston), committed to Georgia. "It feels lovely to be committed to Georgia," Carter told 247Sports reporter Kipp Adams. "I can not really explain the feeling." … Georgia picked up another Top 100 commitment in 6-5, 320-pound tackle Andrew Thomas of Pace Academy (Atlanta). Thomas is ranked the 10th-best tackle in the country and No. 49 senior recruit overall. … Another 4-star IMG Academy standout, guard Robert Hainsey, announced he'll be attending Notre Dame. Hainsey is the fourth-ranked guard in the country and No. 70 overall.