On Sunday night, we discussed how Ohio State's eight participating commitments fared in Nike's The Opening regional camp. The Buckeyes were well represented certainly, but the talent on display in Columbus was exceptional across the board, and not just by those who are likely to don the Scarlet and Gray in the future.
There was a lot of big-time talent on hand and there's no need for my rambling, so let's get to it. There's a lot of players I liked, but I can't list every one so I'll take a few at each position based on what I saw and heard from those in attendance.
QUARTERBACKS
The were a number of very talented quarterbacks in attendance Sunday, but none impressed me more than Brownsburg, Indiana's Hunter Johnson, a five-star prospect in the class of 2017. I saw Hunter at the Elite 11 in Columbus last summer and he was excellent, but he's gotten better over the past year and is starting to really fill out, checking in at 6-foot-3 and just under 200 pounds. He was sharp all day and has significant zip on every throw I saw him make and does so with accuracy. He's the top-ranked 2017 quarterback in the country and I know why. Beyond Johnson, it was a pair of committed 2016 stars that performed very well.
Boston College pledge Anthony Brown and Michigan State commitment Messiah deWeaver were both consistent and accurate. deWeaver has gotten better every time I've seen him over the last three summers and he's really grown into his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame. The Trotwood native and current quarterback for Braxton Miller's alma mater, Wayne (Huber Heights), was invited to Los Angeles for this weekend's Elite 11 semifinals and used a good portion of Sunday afternoon to continue his efforts as Michigan State's primary recruiter. I was also a big fan of Pittsburgh commit Thomas MacVittie, who's been rising the rankings out of Cincinnati Moeller.
RUNNING BACK
If there was one group of players that I was most excited to see coming into Sunday, it was the running backs. The anticipation for that group increased when Clemson five-star commit Tavien Feaster showed up and registered Sunday morning. Feaster ran a blistering 4.34 40-yard-dash in precamp testing and set the tone for a great day of competing from a handful of the country's best backs. In all, three different running backs were invited to Oregon: Feaster, Ohio State commit Demario McCall and Penn State commitment Miles Sanders. While three running backs from one camp earning invites to The Opening is very rare, there's no doubt that it was earned as this trio was spectacular at every instance and in some cases during a driving rain.
Feaster is a big kid for a high school running back, not just a speedburner in pads. He and Sanders both impressed me with their physicality and McCall was excellent all around, displaying a natural pass-catching ability and feet that go from zero-to-sixty in no time. This group may not have just been the best to show up in one camp together this year, but it may very well have been the three best running backs in the country, period.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
This years' wide receiver group was pretty darn talented and I've not seen a camp (outside of last year's Opening finals in Oregon) that had this good a group at tight end. Although Tennessee's Nate Johnson was named MVP of the wide receiver group, it was Fort Wayne's Austin Mack that earned an invite to The Opening. Mack struggle a bit early as he loosened up, but for his first competitive outing in almost six months (he tore his labrum last November), he managed to stand out with his overall game: size, speed, route-running and athleticism were all on display.
As I've talked about, the first player I noticed on Sunday who I wasn't looking for was Mississippi wide receiver Daniel Crowell. He exploded with every route he ran and was strong enough to catch basically any ball that came near him, covered or otherwise. Louisville commitment Dez Fitzpatrick never seems to get the credit he deserves in this sort of event, but he once again looked to be one of the most complete wide receivers in attendance. He runs well, he catches everything and no one runs better, cleaner routes than he does. Fitzpatrick is almost 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds and somehow he remains extremely under the radar: Louisville – or Michigan or whomever – is going to get a guy who will catch a lot of footballs. He's got a high football IQ and a long, lean frame that could easily get to 225-pounds by the time he's done with college.
Ohio State commitment Jake Hausmann earned an invite to The Opening at tight end, and he was excellent. However, I couldn't help but watch Luke Farrell, another big-time Buckeye target, to see what he brings to the table. One common thing I heard was that while Hausmann was the most well-rounded tight end in attendance, Farrell could end up being the better long-term prospect thanks to his length and an athleticism that surprised people. I read one comparison to Nick Vannett and I think it's an excellent choice for who Farrell reminded me of. With Hausmann and Kierre Hawkins (who could play a number of different positions) in the mix, seeing Farrell in person helped me understand why he's still a high-value target for the Buckeyes.
OFFENSIVE LINE
I talked a bit last night about Landon Young so I'll leave him out of this list. Notre Dame commit Tommy Kraemer, who told me prior to the start of the camp that he'd never camped anywhere before Sunday, didn't disappoint. He was a five-star coming in and a five-star going out, earning an invitation to Oregon. Kraemer is still being targeted by the Buckeyes – 2015 signee Matt Burrell was in his ear a little bit – but the Irish are going to get a big-time talent here. I was incredibly impressed and surprised by the athletic ability of Detroit Cass Tech's Michael Onwenu, who also was invited to The Opening. It didn't matter where he lined up, offense or defense, Onwenu was ferocious and competed hard, every rep. He's a bit heavy for a high school lineman (365) but he was a mean ol' dancing bear on Sunday.
Kentucky commit Drake Jackson, the country's best center, is similarly wired; Jackson is just nasty on the field and dominated every rep I saw him take. He's a prototypical center and if he doesn't start for four years in Lexington I'd consider than an upset. Jackson's high school teammate, Saige Young, was also a pretty imposing specimen at 6-foot-4 and 320-pounds and showed excellent leverage and powerful hands.
Cincinnati St. Xavier 2017 offensive guard Matt Bockhorst is a player I think could definitely work himself into the plans for the Buckeyes. He's expected to camp in Columbus this summer and he was one of the best interior lineman all day Sunday.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Yes, Jonathon Cooper was the story along the defensive line, but he was hardly the only prospect who stood out. Iowa commitment Cedrick Lattimore, a 6-foot-6, 265-pounder from Detroit, was excellent and were it not for Cooper he may have been the talk of the town. He's got the ideal frame for a defensive end and the Hawkeyes appear – at least now – to have stolen a good one from the Motor City. Another 2016 defensive end, LaBryan Ray, came all the way from Alabama for the camp and performed very well. Ray is 6-foot-4 and 265-pounds. A pair of Kentucky commitments, defensive tackle Kordell Looney and defensive end Jaylin Bannerman also performed very well.
Although he only has offers from Kansas and Western Kentucky, Tennessee defensive tackle Brandon Adams was very good. He's a fireplug-type defensive tackle at 6-foot-1 and 270-pounds, and it'd be surprising if he didn't add to his offer list soon.
I know one player everyone wants to hear about is Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy two-way lineman Prince Sammons. I've always felt that Sammons' future is on the offensive line, but he performed at the camp as a defensive end. Watching him on Sunday, you could see the raw talent that has moved him into four-star prospect territory. You can also see why we're often reminded that rankings are as much about projection as they are about current production, because Sammons, despite his high-major frame and athleticism, often looked out of place Sunday afternoon. If I were to guess today, I suspect Sammons would end on the outside looking in of the Buckeyes' 2016 class.
LINEBACKER
The linebacker group on Sunday was probably the weakest position in attendance, but there were still a couple of players who stood out.
Griffin Grady, the country's 20th-ranked inside linebacker from Dublin Coffman in Columbus, moved well and showed good lateral quickness and change-of-direction ability. He and Battle Creek, Michigan's Brandon Randle, a 6-foot-2, 215-pounder who has an offer from Michigan State, were two that held their own against the incredibly talented running back group in one-on-one drills. Randle was probably the best linebacker there when it came to overall performance.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Tony Butler was excellent on Sunday.
At the top of Ohio State's list and at the top of the list for defensive backs on Sunday afternoon is Pittsburgh Central Catholic's Damar Hamlin.
Hamlin was everything you look for in a defensive back, both at corner and at safety, showing off above-average speed, an ability to close quickly in the rare instances he was beaten and excellent hip-turn and footwork. Once he puts on college weight to go with his natural athletic ability, Hamlin could be a really special player.
Right behind him was his close friend Lamont Wade, a 2017 prospect from nearby Clairton, Pennsylvania, who I talked about last night. Michigan State commitment Demetric Vance, a Detroit Cass Tech product, and Paris Ford, another top 2017 prospect from the Pittsburgh area, each had good days as well. Vance was fast and physical and Ford seemed to get his hands on more footballs than anyone else I saw Sunday. He, like Hamlin, is long and skinny, but as just a sophomore, he's got plenty of time to develop physically - his game is already ahead of the curve.
Lakewood St. Edward defensive back Tony Butler, unlike Hamlin and Ford, showed up and looked like a college-ready defensive back physically. He was excellent in one-on-ones and didn't shy away from competition at any turn. He's got a very long body and although I had previously thought safety might be in his future, Sunday made me think the Pittsburgh commitment could play cornerback at the next level.
