re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition

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Rivals100 defensive back Houston Griffith missed the Orlando stop of the series because of spring break, but he wasn’t going to let that keep him from earning his invitation to Indianapolis. Griffith showed no ill effects from his travel from Florida and he used his physicality to overpower several wide receivers at the line of scrimmage.

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O'FALLON, Ill. — Paul Tyson passes the eye test at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, so he has the size coaches love. He also is the great grandson of Paul "Bear" Bryant. He is very athletic. He plays at one of the top programs in Alabama, Hewitt Trussville, home to other top prospects. There are many things playing in his favor right now and he is taking advantage of all of them.

Tyson is 2019 quarterback and he's had a lot of eyes on him this spring. In the spring of 2016, over 50 colleges stopped by and it will be around that number again in 2017. Coach Josh Floyd has a great thing going there and he has a talented quarterback in Tyson.

He is so talented that Army, Connecticut, Jacksonville State and Kentucky have already offered. The offers have started to come in a little earlier than expected.

"I knew schools would come by, but I was really focusing on the spring, then the offers came and it really did surprise me that I was on these school's radar so quick," said Tyson. "I am just thankful for the opportunity and I am really enjoying going through all of this right now. I just did not see this happening this soon."

Tyson is well spoken, laid back and very humble. The one offer that sticks out to anyone who watches college football would say it's Kentucky. It is a school that Tyson sees a lot on T.V. due to the Wildcats playing in the Southeastern Conference. He plans to spend time in Lexington (Ken.) this summer.

"I have met their offensive coordinator, coach Eddie Gran before and I knew Kentucky was at my practice, so I knew they were interested. I just did not expect them to offer. When they were at practice, they were filming me and I feel like that day was one of my better practices and a couple of days later is when they offered me.

"I have not visited there, but I have seen a lot of them playing schools around me and I like their offense. I know I will be camping there in June."

There is an interesting connection to Connecticut too. It is not through his family, but through his high school coach.

"Coach [Rhett] Lashlee played at Shiloh Christian in Arkansas right after my head coach did, so they know each other and there is a little connection there," said Tyson.

"It worked out well for me being able to throw in front of coach Lashlee at practice one day, he liked me and I got the offer.

"I knew of coach Lashlee when he was at Auburn, so I am interested in UCONN.

Mail is coming on a regular basis from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Duke, North Carolina and many others. Now as school winds down here at the end of May, the first two weeks of June before summer practice kicks off will be extremely busy for the talented signal caller.

"I plan to camp at Florida June 1, then I will be camping at Alabama, Clemson, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, N.C. State and Texas A&M all early in June. It is going to be crazy, but I want to get out and camp at as many schools as I can."

He will receive a lot of good coaching at these camps and he will get feedback from multiple coaches on his ability. Tyson is already hearing that from of the coaches that have offered him.

"I am hearing from the coaches that they like I am 210 pounds, that they like my ability as a drop-back passer and they feel I am only going to get bigger and better," said Tyson. "They also like how I can escape and play outside the pocket."

Tyson does have any favorites at this time.

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RICHMOND, Calif. – The final regional event for The Opening camp circuit took place on Sunday in the suburbs of Oakland and hosted prospects from Indianapolis to Hawaii. These were the top performers in the eyes of 247Sports.

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Next Five: offense

1. WR, Nikko Remigio

He reminds me of Stedman Bailey in terms of a player that doesn't necessarily overwhelm with any one trait but his combination of quickness, deceptive speed and route-running make him an impossible cover. Remigio was getting open all day long.

2. OL, Alama Uluave

He's undersized and probably has to be a center long term but Uluave was outstanding all afternoon in that role. He had the best feet of any offensive lineman and has a great feel for playing with leverage and winning with hand placement and toughness.

3. WR, Kobe Smith

Hailing from national power Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra, Smith was among the day's best route-runners. He's explosive out of his cuts and he battled for footballs in traffic. Nebraska, USC and Washington State are currently recruiting him the hardest.

4. OT, William Craig

Among a solid offensive line group, Craig was one of the few that looked like a legit offensive tackle. Most importantly he had the size, he had some quickness in space and he played with some patience and toughness. Craig is mulling over offers from most of the Pac-12.

5. OL, Jacob Isaia

Isaia has the frame of a center and probably needs to play there in college but he lined up at left tackle most of the afternoon and showed the quickness to operate out there with ease. The Bishop Gorman product won almost all of his reps on the outside and only struggled when he was asked to play center. If he finds a comfort level there, he has a chance to be really good.

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More eye-catchers

- In the defensive backfield, several names jumped out but we take no issue to the three invited to The Opening Finals from the event in addition to Williams. Jevon Holland, Stephan Blaylock and Steve Stephens all earned invites to the Finals and all had some impressive moments throughout the afternoon.

- The defensive line group was a little bit undersized but that didn't make them very easy to block. I thought Alex Sanchez, Isaac Hodgins and EJ Ane all were among the toughest assignments for any offensive lineman all day despite limited height.

- The linebacker group had a lot of guys that could have earned top honors from the camp. 2019 linebacker Maiunoa Tufonu out of Hawaii backed up his Top247 rating with a strong all-around showing. Leevi Lafaele, Salua Masina and Elijah Winston all had their moments. One of the most intriguing prospects though was Kana'i Mauga, a kid that was just itching to hit somebody and he actually did a few times. He plays with tremendous energy that set the tone for the entire linebacker group.

- At quarterback, Brevin White had a really strong day, showcasing good feet into his drops and the ability to make throws inside and outside the pocket. We also liked the quarterback MVP for the day in Dylan Morris.

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The Opening Regional in Oakland produced six more invitations to The Opening Finals held in July.

Leading the way was top-100 offensive tackle Penei Sewell out of Saint George (Utah) Desert Hills. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound prospect recently visited Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Four defensive backs earned invitations on Sunday with Nebraska cornerback commit Chase Williams, Oregon safety commits Steve Stephens and Jevon Holland as well UCLA safety commit Stephan Blaylock making their way to the finals.

Rounding out the list of invitations is BYU linebacker commit Brandon Kaho.

The finals will be held at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon on July 1-3.

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Madison (Ala.) Bob Jones tackle Kendall Randolph signed with the Crimson Tide in February, helping make up the top offensive line class in the country.

The U.S. Army All-American has been taking it easy since that time, enjoying the rest of his senior year of high school.

“Things have been less stressful,” Randolph told BamaOnLine. “I’m not worried about where I’m going to go, and always having to take trips somewhere. Things are way more easy-going. I’m looking forward to the next steps in life growing as a person and athlete.”

While Randolph originally committed to Alabama at the end of July last year, he considered taking an official visit to Florida late in the process. He nixed those plans in January, though.

The four-star lineman, now rated as a guard by 247Sports, talked about the change in workouts.

“It’s pretty easy adjusting for me,” Randolph said. “I’ve been training with a great trainer for a long time, so I feel like he’s prepared me for playing at the next level. The adjustment hasn’t been too hard. We’ll find out how the real adjustment will be once I step on campus and start having to do the Bama workouts.”

Randolph has made his way back to Tuscaloosa a few times since February, and is impressed with what he sees.

“I think we look really good,” he said. “There are a lot of differences from last year and this year. I think those are better differences. I think we’ve made a lot of improvements. I feel like it’ll take us farther.”

The in-state lineman moves into Alabama on May 28, and will be rooming with fellow Madison native LaBryan Ray, and tight end signee Kedrick James.

“Definitely competing,” Randolph said of what he’s looking forward to about getting to Tuscaloosa. “In high school, I played against some great athletes around here like LaBryan Ray. I’m ready to go against somebody that pushes me to become better, so I can push my talents to a whole different level. Competition is the best way for that, and Alabama has a lot of great athletes that can help me improve.”

At 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, Randolph is rated the No. 12 offensive guard and the No. 188 overall player in the country, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

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