Ohio State commits shine at Nike’s The Opening

Nike’s annual super camp, “The Opening,” is officially over. Yesterday was the final day of the camp, as it concluded with the 7-on-7 championships, and the linemen competition. They named MVPs, handed out some accolades, and generated a ton of recruiting content— from highlights, to lists, commitments, and everything in between. For your convenience, we’ve got just about everything that should matter to Buckeye fans from this year’s event in one place.

Buckeye commits shine

It was a very good weekend for the four Buckeye commitments in attendance. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson, safety Jordan Battle and lineman duo Harry Miller and Doug Nester represented Ohio State in Dallas, and each of them put on quite the show. Leading the way was probably Miller.

Miller, according to just about every report out of Dallas, was fantastic. He was dominant all weekend, excelling in every drill he was put in, especially the one-on-one linemen competitions. He shut down elite pass rushers and massive defensive tackles, and his efforts earned him quite a few honors. Most importantly, Miller was named the offensive line MVP of the camp.

It’s not surprising at all to see Miller getting this kind of recognition. He’s as polished a high school lineman as I’ve seen, and there’s no real excuse for him not being the highest ranked lineman in the 2019 class. I imagine the rest of the country has caught on, and Miller should be in for a hefty jump in the 247Sports composite rankings. That means a fifth star could be on the way.

If Miller was leading the way, Garrett Wilson followed him about as close as possible. The Lake Travis (Austin, TX) receiver lit it up all weekend, showing off his excellent body control, elite hands, and making the game looking easy. Wilson is the most natural receiver in the 2019 class, and he proved that all weekend long, with incredible plays like this one.

That clip not enough? Here’s another angle of the 6-foot-1 Buckeye commit clowning two defenders at once.

This wasn’t just a one time thing for Wilson. He spent a good part of the last three days in the endzone, after outrunning and at some points, embarrassing defensive backs. He proved his ranking, and was named to the All-Tournament team. He also showed off his incredible athleticism, and leaping ability with this catch on Monday. Get excited for him, Buckeye fans.

Jordan Battle, not to be outshined, put on a show in Dallas as well. He pulled down several interceptions in the 7-on - tournament, as well as in individual drills, and, like Wilson, was named to the All-Tournament team. There was a bit of mix up with the school he’s attended, but his family cleared that up very quickly.

If there’s one guy that didn’t have a great weekend, it’s Doug Nester. The West Virginia lineman reportedly struggled at times in the various linemen drills, and showed issues that a lot of high school linemen have. Most of them revolve around a lack of experience in pass protection. His team doesn’t pass, so he just doesn’t have the development that other linemen do, and he struggled because of it.

He may see a bit of a rankings drop because of it, but I wouldn’t read too much into this. Ohio State is well aware of the development that needs to be done, and is ready and equipped to help improve Nester. They love his game, and his size, and he should be a future starter in Columbus, no matter what happens at a camp. That can be said for all these guys. While the highlights and awards are fun, it is all just a camp. Take it as it is.

Quick hits

• Ohio State was included in Erick Young’s top three. The Richmond, Texas safety is announcing his commitment tonight. Oddly enough, I don’t think it’ll be to any of these teams, and I have him projected to Texas A&M. This seems like Young having a bit of fun with his future fan base.