The Opening Finals continued at the Dallas Cowboys’ World Headquarters in Frisco on Sunday afternoon with the arrival of the running backs, linemen, linebackers and defensive backs.
They joined the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends — who have been practicing for the 7-on-7 tournament for two days — for a combine-style training camp in which prospects tested in the 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, vertical jump and power ball toss.
Testing results were not released to the media, but some notable unofficial hand-timed and eyeballed numbers for various Ohio State commits and targets include:
- Olentangy Orange five-star defensive end Zach Harrison - 4.47-second 40-yard dash
- Ohio State five-star wide receiver commit Garrett Wilson - 4.49-second 40-yard dash
- St. Louis four-star wide receiver Jameson Williams - 4.48-second 40-yard dash
- Texas four-star wide receiver Elijah Higgins - 4.50-second 40-yard dash
- Ohio State offensive tackle commit Doug Nester - 48 foot power ball toss
There were several minor injuries that occurred throughout the afternoon, including IMG Academy four-star running back Noah Cain. He appeared to strain his hamstring during his sprint and laid on the turf in pain momentarily, but walked it off and rested for the remainder of the session.
At the conclusion of testing, players split up into their position groups for individual instruction from coaches. Ohio State running back J.K Dobbins, Stanford running back Bryce Love and Michigan defensive tackle Rashan Gary were in attendance, giving tips to prospects throughout the afternoon.
When the training camp portion of the event wrapped up, the receivers and defensive backs; offensive and defensive linemen; and running backs and linebackers faced off in one-on-one drills. The battles in the trenches took front stage — thanks in large part to a rather unfortunate setup at the facility — but that allowed us an up-close look at one of the more humorous moments of the afternoon.
LSU five-star offensive guard commit Kardell Thomas got his hands in the face of Purdue four-star defensive end pledge George Karlaftis and spun his helmet to the side. Karlaftis took exception to it and shared a few words with Thomas, who put up his fists and started bouncing around as if he was ready to box. The two were pulled apart and cooler heads eventually prevailed, however.
Aside from the theatrics, Ohio State four-star center commit Harry Miller and four-star offensive tackle pledge Doug Nester had solid performances in a drill geared more toward defensive linemen. I feel as if they’ve both grown in the handful of months since they were on campus for the spring game, and I’m looking forward to seeing them with pads on tomorrow morning.
On the other side of the line, it should go without saying that Olentangy Orange five-star defensive end Zach Harrison is a physical marvel. I mean, he stands 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds and ran the aforementioned 4.47-second 40-yard dash — and he looks like he isn’t even trying.
Harrison, who admitted this afternoon he’s confused as he’s ever been when it comes to making a decision on his future, is the definition of a can’t-miss prospect for Ohio State.
On a similar note, the Buckeyes are also viewed as the favorite for Maryland five-star defensive end Bryan Bresee. Though he was one of just a handful of underclassmen in attendance, he went toe-to-toe with opposing offensive tackles and even won a repetition against Nester. He’s explosive off the snap and extremely athletic, and it’s easy to see why he’ll be the most sought-after prospect in the Class of 2020.
St. Thomas Aquinas four-star cornerback Jordan Battle, who committed to Ohio State on Friday, worked out for most of the evening at safety — which is the position he plays in high school and in 7-on-7 settings. He was consistently the fastest defensive back through ladder and cone drills, and I'm interested in seeing how that translates to the field tomorrow.
After a brief intermission and interview session, players returned to the practice field for the “Showcase at the Star.” They competed in the quarterback toss, fastest man race, tug-of-war and the Oklahoma drill — unnecessarily dubbed “cat-and-mouse.”
Alabama four-star quarterback commit Taulia Tagovailoa won the quarterback competition with a throw of 66 yards, while former Ohio State quarterback target and Tennessee four-star pledge Brian Maurer’s 63-yard toss finished second.
Harrison and St. Louis four-star wide receiver ran in separate heats of the fastest-man competition, but finished second in their respective races. The overall winner was 2020 Virginia five-star all-purpose back Chris Tyree, whom the Buckeyes offered earlier this spring. He ran a blazing 4.31-second 40-yard dash.
Miller, last but not least, anchored Team Hype to a win in the tug-of-war competition.
Players will be back at The Star Monday morning for a 7-on-7 round robin jamboree, which begins at 10 a.m. That will be followed up by lineman drills at 1:30 p.m. and the first two rounds of the 7-on-7 tournament in the evening.
