Nation's top football players embrace The Opening

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Incoming De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) senior linebacker Michael Hutchings secured his college plans last week, verbally committing to USC.

But it won't prohibit the fleet, 6-foot-2, 215-pound standout from keeping his commitment to The Opening, arguably the nation's most prestigious football camp and showcase.

Even though his college plans are secured, Hutchings still wants to show football followers what he can do against many of the country's elite.

Forty-six of MaxPreps' Top 100 recruits from the class of 2013 are schedule to participate in the lavish and unique four-day, second-year event which begins Thursday on the Nike campus.

In all, 150 top recruits from 30 different states plus Washington D.C. will compete in an event that will be televised Friday-Sunday on ESPNU starting each day at 5 p.m. (PST).

"I just want to compete with the top guys and see what it takes to play with the best," Hutchings, the No. 100 overall recruit, said Wednesday. "These aren't just some of the best guys but they all have a competitive edge. I want to be around that."

From the MaxPreps Top 100, just 33 of the 46 have already made college commitments, so essentially, like Hutchings, they have nothing to prove. From the 150 total, almost 100 have announced their commitments.

Still they will partake in three major components that make up most of the event's festivities. They are:
SPARQ rating – The longstanding rating created by Nike stands for speed, power, agility reaction and quickness and is calculated by a 20-yard shuttle, 40-yard dash, kneeling power ball throw and vertical jump.

Elite Lineman Challenge - A self-explanatory face-off between the beefy boys in the trenches. ESPNHS has added up 5,598 pounds between all the offensive linemen scheduled to attend.

Nike 7ON – A 7-on-7 competition between some extremely talented athletes that including two of the top four rated players overall in quarterbacks Max Browne (Skyline, Sammamish, Wash.) – a USC commit – and Texas-bound Tyrone Swoopes (Whitewright, Texas).

The top-rated running backs scheduled to be on hand are No. 8 Ty Assac (Joilet Catholic Academy, Ill.) – another USC-bound player – and record-setting Florida-bound Kelvin Taylor (Glades Day, Belle Glade, Fla.), who will be joined by future teammate Ahmad Fulwood (Bishop Kenny, Jacksonville, Fla.), the event's top-rated wide receiver.

Florida (28 athletes), not California (24), will have the most representatives at The Opening, followed closely by Texas (18) and Georgia (12).

USC has the most commits (eight) from any college and the SEC (32) leads all conferences.

"It's great to be around these guys just to see how they interact," said Hutchings, making his fourth and final camp appearance of the spring and summer. "A lot of us have been around each other at different stops. There's guys with a lot of personality and we're all very open. This should be a real good time."

The 13 from the MaxPreps Top 100 at The Opening who have not committed to college:

* No. 6, athlete Ricky Seals-Jones, Sealy (Texas)

* No. 11, athlete Derrick Henry, Yulee (Fla.)

* No. 29, receiver/cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, Wharton (Tampa, Fla.)

* No. 30, receiver Laquon Treadwell, Crete-Monee (Crete, Ill.)

* No. 41, linebacker Matthew Thomas, Washington (Miami, Fla.)

* No. 42, cornerback Kendall Fuller, Good Counsel (Olney, Md.)

* No. 43, running back Derrick Green, Hermitage (Richmond, Va.)

* No. 57, defensive end Elijah Daniel, Avon (Ind.)

* No. 62, defensive end Torrodney Prevot, Alief Taylor (Houston, Tex.)

* No. 65, linebacker Isaac Savaiinaea, Punahou (Honolulu)

* No. 69, cornerback Priest Willis, Marcos de Niza (Tempe, Ariz.)

* No. 83 defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, Placer (Auburn, Calif.)

* No. 93, running back Taquan Mizzell, Bayside (Virginia Beach, Va.)

Those from The Opening who have committed to schools:

Alabama
Reuben Foster  - Video
O.J. Howard  - Video
Cooper Bateman - Video/Photos
Altee Tenpenny - Video
Maurice Smith - Video

Auburn
Carl Lawson
Tashawn Bower - Video
Trey Johnson - Video
Arshad Jackson - Video/Photos

Clemson
Dorian O'Daniel - Video/Photos
Elijah Daniel - Video

Florida
Kelvin Taylor - Video
Caleb Brantley - Video
Ahmad Fulwood - Video
Keanu Neal
Quinton Powell - Video
Nick Washington - Video
Tre Bell - Video/Photos

Florida State
Ryan Green - Video/Photos
Austin Golson - Video/Photos
Tony Stevens - Video
Ira Denson
Sojourn Shelton - Video

Georgia
Shaquille Wiggins - Video
Tramel Terry - Video
Brice Ramsey - Video/Photos
Tray Matthews - Video/Photos
Reggie Wilkerson - Video
Reggie Davis - Video
Brandon Kublanow - Video/Photos

Georgia Tech
Shamire DeVine

Iowa
Delano Hill - Video

Kansas
Colin Spencer - Video

LSU
Jeryl Brazil - Video
Frank Herron - Video

Miami (Fla.)
Travis Johnson

Michigan
Shane Morris - Video
David Dawson - Video
Jourdan Lewis - Video
Michael McCray - Video
Taco Charlton - Video/Photos
Kyle Bosch - Video
Jake Butt - Video

Mississippi
Mark Dodson Jr. - Video

Nebraska
Christian Lacouture - Video

North Carolina
Ryan Switzer - Video
Korrin Wiggins - Video

Northwestern
Tyler Lancaster

Notre Dame
Corey Robinson
Jaylon Smith - Video
Colin McGovern - Video
Devin Butler - Video/Photos
James Onwualu - Video
Steven Elmer - Video

Ohio State
Eli Woodard - Video
Cameron Burrows - Video
Jalin Marshall - Video/Photos
Marcus Baugh - Video
Jayme Thompson - Video
Ezekiel Elliott - Video

Oklahoma
Greg Bryant - Video

Oregon
Dontre Wilson - Video/Photos
Darren Carrington - Video/Photos
Alex Redmond - Video/Photos

Penn State
Christian Hackenberg - Video
Ross Douglas - Video/Photos

South Carolina
Matt Rolin - Video
Larenz Bryant - Video
Devin Washington - Video

USC
Max Browne - Video/Photos
Michael Hutchings - Video/Photos
Ty Isaac - Video
Chris Hawkins - Video/Photos
Steven Mitchell - Video/Photos
Sebastian Larue - Video/Photos
Eldridge Massington - Video/Photos
Justin Davis - Video/Photos

Stanford
Isaac Savaiinaea - Video
Doug Randolph

Tennessee
Kameron Miles - Video/Photos

Texas
Tyrone Swoopes - Video/Photo
Jake Raulerson - Video
Jacorey Warrick - Video
A'shawn Robinson - Video
Jake Oliver - Video

Texas A&M
Laquvionte Gonzalez - Video/Photos
Noel Ellis - Video

UCLA
Deon Hollins Jr. - Video

Virginia Tech
Holland Fisher - Video

Washington
Darrell Daniels - Video/Photos
Demorea Stringfellow - Video/Photos
Elijah Qualls - Video

Wisconsin
Chikwe Obasih - Video

Uncommitted
Vernon Hargreaves Iii - Video
Ricky Seals-Jones - Video
Kendell Beckwith - Video
Matthew Thomas - Video
Demarcus Walker
Kendall Fuller - Video/Photos
Laquon Treadwell - Video
Leon McQuay III - Video/Photos
Derrick Henry - Video
Alvin Bailey - Video/Photos
Alvin Kamara - Video
Eddie Vanderdoes - Video/Photos
Derrick Green - Video
Priest Willis - Video
Alex Anzalone - Video
Marcell Harris - Video
Artie Burns
Tahaan Goodman - Video/Photos
Tyrone Crowder - Video
Ebenezer Ogundeko - Video
David Williams -
Josh McNeil - Video
Levonte Whitfield - Video
Taquan Mizzell - Video
Jalen Ramsey - Video
Tori Hunter Jr.
Mike Mitchell
Jermaine Grace - Video/Photos
Isaiah Jones - Video
Kyrin Priester - Video
Scott Quessenberry - Video
Brendan Langley - Video/Photos
Torrodney Prevot
Joe Mathis' - Video
Jordan Sherit - Video
Cameron Hunt - Video
Darius Latham - Video
Will Likely - Video
Jason Hatcher - Video
Nico Falah - Video
John Lopez - Video/Photos
Hatari Byrd - Video/Photos
Ryan Jenkins - Video
L.J. Moore - Video
Tyquan Lewis - Video
Tyler Foreman - Video
Christian Morris
Jalen Reeves-maybin - Video
Kevin Palma - Video
Ra'Shaad Samples - Video
Denver Kirkland
Kevin King - Video
Marcus Robinson - Video
Johnny Ragin
Skyler Phillips - Video

Steve Montoya and Chris Stonebraker contributed to this report. E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com or follow him on Twitter @MitchMashMax.