Just one year after it sent a record 11 commits to Oregon, Ohio State will once again be well-represented at Nike Football's The Opening Finals later this week.
The event, which takes place June 28-July 3 at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, will gather 166 of the nation's top high school football prospects for six days of training, coaching and competition. A number of Nike NFL athletes, including Larry Fitzgerald, Richard Sherman and Ndamukong Suh, will be on hand to assist in coaching.
For the past five months, Nike has evaluated more than 4,200 athletes at 13 regional events across the country — which included a stop in Cleveland in early April. Invitations to the Finals were handed out at these events, with eight Ohio State pledges and several targets among those selected few.
| NAME | STARS | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| TARON VINCENT | ★★★★★ | DT | VAPOR SPEED |
| BRENTON COX | ★★★★ | DE | VAPOR SPEED |
| SEVYN BANKS | ★★★★ | CB | VAPOR SPEED |
| ANDREW CHATFIELD | ★★★★ | DE | VAPOR SPEED |
| JAELEN GILL | ★★★★ | APB | VAPOR SPEED |
| TERADJA MITCHELL | ★★★★ | LB | VAPOR SPEED |
| JOSH PROCTOR | ★★★★ | S | VAPOR SPEED |
| JAIDEN WOODBEY | ★★★★ | S | VAPOR SPEED |
| NAME | STARS | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| JACKSON CARMAN | ★★★★★ | OT | VAPOR SPEED |
| ANTHONY COOK | ★★★★★ | CB | VAPOR SPEED |
| MICAH PARSONS | ★★★★★ | DE | UNTOUCHABLE |
| KAMRYN BABB | ★★★★ | WR | MACH SPEED |
| TYSON CAMPBELL | ★★★★ | CB | HYPER STRONG |
| HOUSTON GRIFFITH | ★★★★ | CB | ALPHA MENACE |
| K'VAUGHAN POPE | ★★★★ | LB | MACH SPEED |
| JEREMY RUCKERT | ★★★★ | TE | ALPHA MENACE |
| L'CHRISTIAN "BLUE" SMITH | ★★★★ | WR | MACH SPEED |
| TYREKE SMITH | ★★★★ | DE | ALPHA MENACE |
| SOLOMON TULIAUPUPU | ★★★★ | LB | VAPOR SPEED |
| ZACH HARRISON* | ★★★★★ | DE | MACH SPEED |
| JOWON BRIGGS* | ★★★★ | DT | UNTOUCHABLE |
| DEVONTAE DOBBS* | ★★★★ | OT | VAPOR SPEED |
| OWEN PAPPOE* | ★★★★ | LB | ALPHA MENACE |
*Class of 2019
The NFL Network will broadcast several hours of coverage from the event, including the Final Five Lineman Challenge and the 7-versus-7 championship game. The network will also air a six-part series on the Elite 11 in early September.
| DAY | eVENT | TIME (PST) |
|---|---|---|
| WEDNESDAY | ARRIVAL* | ALL DAY |
| THURSDAY | QB/WR/TE PRACTICE | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. |
| FRIDAY | QB/WR/TE PRACTICE | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. |
| SATURDAY | NIKE FOOTBALL TRAINING CAMP | 2-5:30 p.m. |
| SUNDAY |
LINEMAN WORKOUT 7-VS-7 POOL PLAY 7-VS-7 FIRST ROUND |
10 a.m.-1 p.m. 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 7-8:10 p.m. |
| MONDAY |
LINEMAN DRILLS 7-VS-7 TOURNAMENT LINEMAN FINALS 7-VS-7 CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS CEREMONY |
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. 12:35-1 p.m. 4-5 p.m. 5:30-7 p.m. |
*Not open to the media
NIKE+ FOOTBALL RATINGS CHAMPIONSHIP
The top overall athlete at The Opening is determined through a series of physical tests including the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, shuttle run and kneeling power ball toss. The results are combined into one score, and the prospect with the highest rating is named the Nike+ Football Ratings Champion. Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins was last year's champion, as he posted a score of 146.76. Cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, who was uncommitted at the time, finished second with a score of 142.6.
ELITE 11
Twelve quarterbacks advanced through various regional events and the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles earlier this month to make it to The Opening, where they'll be given one-on-one instruction and lead the six 7-versus-7 teams in the championship tournament. Ohio State four-star quarterback commit Emory Jones was not among those invited to The Opening, as he was inconsistent on the last day of the Elite 11 Finals.
FINAL FIVE LINEMAN CHALLENGE
Since they do not participate in the 7-versus-7 tournament, the 20 offensive and 20 defensive linemen invited to The Opening will compete for a spot in the “Final Five.” They will participate in one-on-one battles, with the instructors making the final decision. Perhaps more so than any other event, the Lineman Challenge allows prospects to show their individual talents.
7-VERSUS-7 CHAMPIONSHIP
Players are divided among six teams with whom they'll compete for the 7-versus-7 tournament championship. All eight Ohio State commits in attendance will be on the same team, though only skill position players will participate. The event begins on Sunday, June 2, with the final round being the last competition at The Opening on Monday afternoon.
Eleven Warriors will be on hand, so stay tuned to for the latest from Oregon.
