There isn't a bigger college football recruiting showcase than Nike's 'The Opening.' This is year six of the event and it featured some of the very best recruits. There's the Elite 11 QB challenge as well as individual drills and seven-on-seven games. 'The Opening' finished its five-day event Sunday, and here are the biggest takeaways from the event.
Trey Smith Reveals Top 6
ESPN has Smith rated as the No. 1 overall recruit, while 247Sport has him at No. 3 on their list. Either way, the offensive tackle is one of the most coveted players in the country. He cut down his list of schools to six at The Opening. Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame Ohio State, Ole Miss and Tennessee are the schools still in the race. The Tennessee recruit picked up his first offer from Ole Miss and that's helping the Rebels in a big way. Smith won't make his decision until December.
USC Gets In Mix For Marvin Wilson
Wilson is a five-star recruit and the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country. LSU has long been considered the favorite, but the Trojans are pushing hard for Wilson. Wilson said USC will get a visit and are making a big push for him. The Tigers are still the favorite, but landing Wilson would be a major addition for Clay Helton and USC.
Top QB Was Tua Tagovailoa
The four-star QB from St. Louis took home the Elite 11 award for best QB and won the MVP in the 7-on-7 tournament. While not every top QB recruit was there, Tagovailoa proved he's among the best in this year's class. The dual-threat was consistent throughout the event. He's already committed to Alabama, because of course he is.
The Sooners' Class Is Loaded
The Oklahoma Sooners don't normally pull in one of the best classes according to the recruiting services. The Sooners are almost always in the Top 25, but this year they will fight for a Top 5 spot. Eight of the Sooners' pledges played at The Opening and all showed serious flashes. WR Jalen Reagor, a four-star recruit, was feeling confident about the OU class when he spoke to ESPN Insider.
"We knew we were one of the best classes in the country, but the way we played as a group against the talent here at The Opening proved to any haters we're for real," Reagor said. "We've already built a special bond together, but after this week, we're even more confident that this isn't just a good OU recruiting class -- it's a special class."
Of all the OU commits at the event, safety Robert Barnes might have been the most impressive. He's another four-star pledge for Oklahoma.
Back to the NCAA Newsfeed