The Opening Finals Day 2: Quarterbacks deal, linemen steal the show

Video: Highlights of Day Two from The Opening finals 2016.
Acrobatic catches and celebrations, fierce one-on-one battles in the trenches and stellar quarterback play highlight action in Oregon.

BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Elite 11 quarterback competition is a long and laborious competition. A rich one, said San Clemente (Calif.) incoming senior Jack Sears.

"It's a fierce competition but no one goes after each other's throat," he said. "We push, we get along. We're truly a fraternity."

The president of that fraternity will be announced at The Opening finals Sunday from Nike World Headquarters.

All 12 finalist were on display during 7-on-7 play Saturday and if the day's proceedings carried extra weight, Jake Fromm, of Houston County (Warner Robins, Ga.) and Tate Martell, of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), would be front runners, according to 247Sports Director of Scouting Barton Simmons.

Fromm, a Georgia commit, and the Ohio State-bound Martell actually split snaps for Alpha Pro, which went 3-0, the only unbeaten of the six squads.

"They deal," Simmons said. "They really know how to play in this setting. They've got great touch and timing and are efficient and that's what this is all about. It's not about who can throw it the furthest it's about who can work within the offense and those guys showed they could do that."

The final dozen are all major talents heading to major colleges.

The nation's No. 1 rated quarterback Hunter Johnson, of Brownsburg (Ind.), wasn't particularly sharp Saturday, but most consider him the favorite to win the competition. Almost to a player, the elite bunch picked him as the most complete quarterback of the dozen.

Simmons said another quarterback who impressed Saturday was Michigan-bound Dylan McCaffrey, the No. 2 ranked senior at his position. The Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) signal-caller played well for Hypercool.

"He hadn't had a great week leading up, but today he showed that he's started to turn the corner," Simmons said.
Sears, an athletic 6-3, 200-pounder, said it's impossible not to turn the corner not only competing against fellow quarterbacks but athletes.

The Opening pits 166 of the top recruits in the country, almost all incoming seniors. Sears said his college finalists are USC, UCLA, Duke and Utah.

"It's sort of surreal," Sears said. "The coaches here told us that we're all big fishes in a small pond at the high schools we play at, but here we're small finishes in a big pond. That's really true. There's some guys here that are bigger and stronger than any one I've ever played against or even seen.

"Sometimes I sit and watch in awe."

St. Louis (Honolulu, Hawaii) southpaw Tua Tagovailoa doesn't sit around much but he likewise has been impressed with the talent level.

"It's an amazing experience playing with and against the best of the best," Tagovailoa said. "It's not just one position, but the number one linebacker and number one safety and number one receiver. It's everywhere."

Tagovailoa not only played with the nation's No. 1 running back and recruit overall Najee Harris on Vapor Speed, but he'll get to play with him in 2017 at Alabama. As long as both keep their commitments.

The two posed for pictures after an early victory Saturday. Harris is from Antioch (Calif.).

"Najee is a great, great guy," Tagovailoa said. "You can't ask more of a teammate. He can block. He can catch and he can obviously run the ball. He's everything you can ask for." BIG BOYS: Though the skill players sprinted up and down the field all day Saturday, the beefy boys up front took center stage in one-on-ones. The top offensive and defensive lineman will be crowned Sunday.

Simmons said the best player on the field Saturday was a lineman.

"The biggest takeaway of the day was finding out just how good Foster Sarell is," Simmons said.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive tackle from nearby Graham-Kapowsin (Graham, Wash.) absolutely "swallowed up," some of the nation's top defensive lineman. Sarell, who has yet to commit, is ranked the second best offensive lineman in the country behind Ohio State-bound Josh Myers, of Miamisburg (Ohio).

"He's so athletic," Simmons said of Sarell. "He was very impressive talking to him afterward also. He has superstar written over him at the next level."

Simmons said the same could be said of Walker Little, of Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas)), who came in as the nation's No. 12 offensive lineman. The 6-7, 310-pounder will likely jump up the charts after Sunday.

"(Sarell) and (Little) look like they'll be NFL tackles in three to four years," Simmons said. "I love what I saw of those two guys."

He also liked what he saw of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) center Cesar Ruiz and Alabama-bound Alex Leatherwood, of Booker T. Washington (Pensacola, Fla.). "To be frank, I didn't know (Ruiz) was that good," Simmons said. "(Leatherwood) can play guard or tackle and has the strength and look of a 35-year-old man." SPEAKING OF LEATHER: To combat the very current concerns of concussions, The Opening introduced for the first time soft-shell RS1 helmets during 7-on-7 play, giving the players a 1940s look.

As expected, the helmets weren't exactly embraced with open arms.

"I think they're cool, but if it were up to me I wouldn't wear them," said Jalen Hall, of Hawkins (Los Angeles, Calif.), the nation's top receiver from the Class of 2018. "There's nothing wrong with them. I like them. They're comfortable."

"Too tight," said James Robinson, a four-star receiver from Lakeland (Fla.) who played for Mach Speed. "Nobody on our team wanted to wear them. They want to just wear the Nike bands."

"No," said uncommitted defensive back Amir Riep, of Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio), when asked his first reaction to wearing the headgear. "I mean they look goofy. But I get it. It's for safety and everyone is for that."

While many of the players hadn't worn the helmets before — it was the first time The Opening players were required to wear — others had been introduced to the 7-on-7 gear long ago.

"I've been wearing them since the seventh grade," said Calabasas (Calif.) fiver-star cornerback Darnay Holmes. "My best friend's dad is the owner of the company (who first designed) them so they are nothing new to me.

"Everyone has a fresh (hair) cut so they want to rock it."

Ultimately, all the players agreed safety was vastly more vital than style.

"Nobody I knew likes them," said Ohio State-bound safety Shaun Wade, from Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.). "But nobody wants to get for their high school season either."

Said the nation's top-ranked tight end Colby Parkinson, of Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.): "They look dumb, but we wear them for a reason. Once you start playing, you get over them real quick."

SUPER BACK: Yet another Ohio State commit, running back J.K. Dobbins, said he received no special treatment or wasn't needled either by teammates for earning the unofficial title of The Opening's best all-around athlete by officially winning the Nike Football Ratings Championship on Friday.

Dobbins, from La Grange (Texas), recorded marks of 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 4.09 in the shuttle, bench pressed the power ball 42 feet and added a vertical leap of 43 feet, 1 inch. That gave him a score of 146.76 points.

"It's an honor," he said. "I worked hard every day so I had a feeling I could do it. It's a great accomplishment but I have to continue to work to get better."