More than 150 of the top prospects in the nation competed in The Opening. Getting an opportunity to see them compete against each other provided some valuable insight for the evaluation process. Some were as elite as advertised, while others surprised or still had some things to work on.
Good as advertised
DT Rashan Gary (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic): As the No. 1 overall player in the ESPN 300, Gary came in with high expectations, and he did not disappoint. Among a talented group of linemen, the five-star was consistently strong and at times dominating, earning defensive line MVP honors. He possesses wonderful physical tools, but he also continues to display the ability to complement his natural talent with smarts and a competitive drive. He was tough to handle in drills, not just due to his size, strength and initial quickness, but also because he strives to improve technique and does a nice job of consistently executing. Gary continues to prove he is a talented and well-rounded prospect with great ability and minimal downside.
OT Greg Little (Allen, Texas/Allen): Ranked as the top-rated offensive tackle and No. 2 player overall, the bar was set high for Little as well, and his performance proved he was deserving of those high rankings. The five-star possesses very good quickness, flexibility and balance and was consistently able to take the edge away from rushers. He does an excellent job of using his reach and being active with his hands to push rushers past the pocket or lock out and control them. Little displayed a quiet but competitive demeanor and continues to show the tools to be an outstanding college tackle.
WR Kyle Davis (Lawrenceville, Ga./Archer): The No. 1-ranked WR in the 2016 class earned 7-on-7 MVP honors for his consistent, playmaking performance throughout the week. He consistently faced press coverage and double-teams, but used his physical, rangy tool set to still make plays, even while covered.
QB Dwayne Haskins (Potomac, Md./The Bullis School): The Maryland commit could always do things that can't be coached, but it was his command, poise and competitive temperament that stood out. He has a great feel for progression reads while maintaining proper footwork and not getting antsy. He has a natural clock in his head and anticipates his throws well.
CB Levonta Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes): The Opening was loaded with terrific perimeter players, including Nigel Knott and Trayvon Mullen, but the No. 1-ranked cornerback played with great confidence and was up to every challenge presented by arguable the best group of receivers ever at the event. The Florida State commit is an island cover corner who is much more physical than his measurables would lead you to believe and consistently forced receivers to try and make plays in tight windows.
C Baveon Johnson (Lakeland, Fla./Lake Gibson): There were a few good performances at the center position, including Kentucky commit Drake Jackson, but it remained clear that Johnson, a Florida State commit, is the No. 1 center in the country. The ESPN 300 lineman sets quickly with good base and balance with the ability to control and stay in front of rushers once locked on. He possesses outstanding size and strength for the position and demonstrated he can fight, dig in and anchor against power.
On the rise
ATH Jackie Jones (Long Beach, Calif./Poly): Jones is the West Coast version Mecole Hardman, just not as tall. Jones is a pest on defense and a playmaker with ball skills on offense. He could be in any role at any skill position and he'd succeed, he's just a natural football player. He has some Adoree Jackson-type qualities on defense and shows feistiness and a chip on his shoulder when matched against top-level guys.
DE Oluwole Betiku (Gardena, Calif./Serra): It was not a flawless performance, but Betiku possesses tremendous upside that was apparent during the competition. The Nigerian immigrant has only played one season of football in the United State, so he lacks experience and still has much to learn. He has demonstrated, however, the ability to learn quickly and still showed flashes of being one of the nation's top linemen, despite the inexperience. Betiku possesses a wonderful combination of size and athleticism and has the potential to be a disruptive force as a pass-rusher. He is an explosive and flexible athlete who can create headaches with his ability to quickly get up-field and shave the edge. He struggled at times when linemen could get their hands on him, but he continued to fight and took coaching well. He is only going to get better and eventually become a dominating front-seven player.
WR Josh Imatorbhebhe (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett): On tape, the USC commit lumbers, lacks explosiveness and appears to be a possession player with great hands. In person he tests off the charts and is much more sudden in his movements with the same spectacular ball skills. We'll see if his game changes this fall, because he can be a head-scratcher. He made a ton of plays and proved to be a good too player in clutch situations.
WR Freddie Swain (Citra, Fla./North Marion): Swain proves that while he might not possess great speed, he has terrific instincts and playmaking skills. He can elevate and make plays in a crowd and might have been the most reliable player in attendance on offense. His ability doesn't always show up on tape, but his penchant for making plays when called upon can't be discounted.
Work to do
DE Janarius Robinson (Panama City, Fla./Bay): The Florida State commit is a physically impressive prospect, but can seem to struggle to consistently translate those physical tools into production. With a very nice combination of size and athleticism, the raw ability is there, but he tries to rely on that natural ability to get the job done, but that is not enough against equal competition. The four-star needs to work to better transfer instruction to execution as often it seemed it wasn't necessarily his opponent getting the better of him, but rather Robinson beating himself.
DE Brian Burns (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./American Heritage): Burns is a lengthy and lean prospect with the ability to be a disruptive edge rusher. The uncommitted four-star got off to a fast start earning praise early, but he failed to build off that. He quickly went from a potential riser to a prospect that matched his film and showed there is still quite a bit of development needed. Burns, with his length and a quick first step, was initially tough to handle, but that same approach and fight wasn't consistent throughout the event. While tall and quick, he has a lean build and doesn't possess strong point-of-attack skills at this stage and can be neutralized in the run game. He needs to fill out, add mass and functional strength. Burns is a player with some promising upside, but needs to continue to develop physically and technically and try and avoid drastic highs and lows as a player.
TE-Y Devin Asiasi (Concord, Calif./De La Salle): From an appearance standpoint, Asiasi isn't quite the same player in person as he is on tape. On tape, he is sudden, smooth and capable of taking over a game in a variety of roles. This setting might not have been ideal to showcase his talents as he is a legitimate two-way player, but needs more of a sense of urgency in his play.
DT Julian Rochester (Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern): The five-star has developed into a bit of a curious, if not a frustrating prospect. Rochester had shown through his junior season that he can be a dominating presence in the trenches and was a top-five prospect because of it. Now, he doesn't seem to be progressing upward. The ESPN 300 Georgia commit has added size that seems to have hindered his explosiveness and consistency. With some reworking of his body composition, Rochester's dominating promise could easily return, but at this stage the talented big man is not maximizing his ability.