Despite being inauspiciously named for a city 10 miles to the east, Nike Football’s The Opening held its Canton regional at Massillon Washington on Saturday afternoon.
More than 500 of the Midwest’s top prospects — and some from as far as Utah — were among those in attendance. Few created as much buzz as Olentangy Orange five-star defensive end Zach Harrison, who is without a doubt Ohio State’s top target in the current recruiting cycle.
At a muscular, yet lean 6-foot-6 and 240-pounds, Harrison is a physical marvel. He has an explosive first step and his length helps him drive offensive linemen backward.
It’s easy to see why Harrison — who was one of five prospects invited to The Opening Finals, which marks his second-consecutive appearance at the event — is widely regarded as the nation’s best defensive end.
That said, Oak Park, Michigan, four-star offensive guard Justin Rogers more than held his own in one-on-one drills against Harrison. The rising junior and heavy Ohio State lean was aggressive and refused to be intimated by Harrison’s lofty stature, winning three of the four reps between the two. He kept a solid base and used his hands well to ward off his opponent’s initial push.
When not matched up against one another, Harrison and Rogers flourished, with the latter dominating Michigan four-star defensive end pledge Stephen Herron Jr. on consecutive reps.
The rest of the event was a bit of a disappointment, as a number of Ohio State targets initially included on were unable to participate.
Mentor four-star defensive end Noah Potter — who committed to the Buckeyes last month — was advised by his coaches not to compete because he’s been dealing with minor back spasms, West Virginia five-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright could not hitch a ride and Cincinnati Anderson four-star offensive guard Zeke Correll was sick.
Other notable targets who were expected but did not attend include Cincinnati Princeton teammates (defensive end) Darrion Henry and (linebacker) Jaheim Thomas; Columbus St. Francis De Sales four-star defensive tackle Rodas Johnson; and Kentucky four-star tight end Michael Mayer. No reason was given for their respective absences.
On the other hand, Saturday was another opportunity for Rogers’ teammate — four-star quarterback Dwan Mathis to shine in a camp setting in the state of Ohio. The Michigan State commit, you may recall, was arguably the most impressive quarterback at Ohio State’s one-day camp last June and at Friday Night Lights one month later, but didn’t pick up an offer from the Buckeyes until earlier this week.
Though TCU four-star commit Max Duggan was named the most valuable quarterback on Saturday, Mathis once again impressed those in attendance. He was slinging the ball all over the field, hitting receivers in stride with tight spirals on almost every rep. The confidence with which he plays is second to none, too.
The staff will have a difficult time flipping Mathis from the Spartans, but it’s clear why their relationship has been rekindled.
Chicago four-star tight end Jahleel Billingsley was also invited to The Opening Finals on Saturday evening, which comes as no surprise after he displayed excellent hands and shielded defenders with his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame. Though he’s considered an Illinois lean, he visited Ohio State on Friday and is on the short list for potential targets at the position.
Positional MVPs were named as the event concluded. In addition to the aforementioned Duggan and Rogers, the following players were honored:
Talented and competitive group of kids today in the Midwest - congrats to #TheOpening Ohio MVPs! pic.twitter.com/Vy2LjnXAWu
— Brian Stumpf (@Stumpf_Brian) May 5, 2018
Stay tuned to Eleven Warriors for more updates from the event.
