Ohio State commits shine at The Opening

Nike’s The Opening owned the recruiting coverage over the weekend, as the top players throughout the country made their way to Oregon to compete at the event. For skill position players, they are tested using the "SPARQ" rating system. This particular point system helps measure overall athleticism for players taking into account their speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness.

In addition to the testing, skill athletes are also put onto seven-on-seven teams and compete in one-on-one drills. As for linemen, they are also tested as well and perform one-on-one drills against each other. A huge chunk of Ohio State commits and target were at the event over the weekend – and a lot of them stole the show.

Buckeye commit best in SPARQ testing

As for the testing, the top overall score went to running back commit J.K. Dobbins (La Grange, TX / La Grange), who impressed with his 4.45 40-yard dash time. Coming in second and third place overall were current targets Jeffrey Okudah (Grand Prairie, TX / South Grand Prairie) and Cam Akers (Clinton, MS / Clinton), respectively.

Ohio State has been the longtime leader for Okudah while they are also making a push towards the top of the list for Akers. Wide receiver target Tyjon Lindsey (Corona, CA / Centennial) also posted impressive numbers during the testing session; his 3.86 shuttle time was tops at the event.

Lindsey is announcing his collegiate choice in August. Right now it looks as if Ohio State is the leader here with Nebraska running second.

Myers impresses in testing

In the trenches, offensive lineman commit Josh Myers (Miamisburg, OH / Miamisburg) posted good numbers of his own with a 5.13 40 time, a shuttle of 4.5 and nearly a 30 inch vert. He checked into the opening at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds and these numbers solidified why he's one of the best lineman prospects in the country. Myers was not able to put on the pads and compete during that session because Ohio state rules do not allow players to participate with pads during these summer months.

Garrett good in one-on-one

A player who did participate in many one-on-one drills and had success was defensive line commit Haskell Garrett (Las Vegas, NV / Bishop Gorman). Garrett showed his brute strength in testing – qualifying for the finals in bench prep reps. Then, when it came to competing, he held is own and mostly won drills against some of the best OLs at the camp.

Martell-Grimes-Lindsey find Connection

Tate Martell (Las Vegas, NV / Bishop Gorman) and Trevon Grimes (Fort Lauderdale, FL / St.Thomas Aquinas) had big performances of their own at The Opening.

Martell showed over and over again why most recruiting sites have him as the No.1 QB, as the Bishop Gorman star put on a show during the seven-on-seven games. It helped that he had Grimes and Lindsey on his team--all of which are in the running to become Buckeyes. Grimes showed his pure athleticism and advanced ball skills as he stole the show, also solidifying why he belongs being rated at the top of the wide receivers for 2017.

It's fair to say that the current commits of the 2017 class for Ohio State definitely stole the show at this year's Opening.

Xavier Thomas names top 4

Not a commit, but 2018 defensive end Xavier Thomas (Florence, SC / Wilson) is also at The Opening and proving his five-star rating. The 6-foot-3 prospect announced his top four on Sunday and it was a list that included Ohio State. From South Carolina, the Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them battling the two in-state programs as well as Florida State. However, Ohio State remains in a good position and will need to get him back on campus as soon as possible.