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Posted on 7/12/16 at 2:36 pm to TideSaint
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During all the lead up to The Opening Finals in Oregon, the talk was about who would be the 'best of the best' in that elite setting. Following five days of work and two days of 7on7 competition, we have our answers. Based solely on what we saw last week in Oregon, we've put together the perfect roster from the event.
Below, we bring you the 2016 edition of the 247Sports Dream Team for The Opening.
LINK
Posted on 7/12/16 at 2:38 pm to TideSaint
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Offensive Skill
Quarterback - Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama commit)
No quarterback had more touchdown drives than Tua with 11 on the weekend. He also showed outstanding poise in big moments and made some of the weekend's most impressive throws.
Running Back - Stephen Carr (USC commit)
This was a tough call with JK Dobbins and Najee Harris both making strong cases for the job but Carr's consistency throughout the weekend as a downfield pass-catcher and a yards-after-catch guy underneath gave him the edge in a loaded running back group.
Slot - Oliver Martin (Uncommitted)
The biggest riser of any player in the entire weekend. Martin went from anonymous wide receiver to what I now think is one of the elite players at his position nationally with his weekend performance. Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa are favorites but Michigan offered immediately after the event to join the mix.
Slot - D.J. Matthews (Florida State commit)
On Saturday, Matthews was probably the best wide receiver at the event. He didn't make as much noise on Sunday but that had as much to do with missed throws by the quarterbacks as anything else. Matthews was a highlight film ready to happen everytime a quarterback looked his way.
Wide Receiver - Jerry Jeudy (Uncommitted)
He had to be the most productive outside receiver of the entire event. The guy was just a workhorse all weekend and the Alabama target seemed to vibe really well with Alabama quarterback commit Tagovailoa. The two couldn't be stopped at times.
Wide Receiver - Devonta Smith (Uncommitted)
Smith's best was better than any other receiver. He's got size and length on the outside, he is incredibly smooth and explosive in and out of his routes and he had a few of the weekend's most spectacular grabs. The Louisiana native is considered an Alabama lean.
Tight end - Colby Parkinson (Stanford commit)
If I'm a quarterback, Parkinson is my first overall pick in a 7on7 draft. At 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, the dude is the ultimate safety net, the ultimate third down option, the ultimate goalline target. Defenders were hanging all over him all weekend and he kept making plays. He will be a star in Palo Alto.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 2:40 pm to TideSaint
quote:
Defensive skill
Linebacker - Willie Gay (Ole Miss commit)
In a 7on7 setting, you want a linebacker that's athletic and there's no more athletic linebacker than Gay. He ran a 4.53 40, had a 39-inch vertical and he was all over the field at linebacker. He had a pick-six and several pass breakups over the course of the weekend.
Nickel - Jamyest Williams (Uncommitted)
Wherever Williams ends up, he'll give the fans their money's worth. He's small but Williams play so fast, so scrappy, so competitive and he was all over the place over the weekend. His pick-six on Sunday sealed the deal in sending his team to the championship game but it was a routine play for him. Georgia, South Carolina and Clemson were among the favorites.
Dime - Isaiah Pola-Mao (Uncommitted)
He played safety most of the weekend and he had three interceptions and a few more close calls. He just has so much range. He's also a legti 6-foot-4 so if he rolls down into the slot as a dime, he will be able to get his hands on a lot of footballs. Washington is a favorite for the big defender.
Cornerback - Benjamin St-Juste (Michigan commit)
The biggest revelation on defense of the weekend was St-Juste. He's huge at a legit 6-3, 190, he's quick with the second fastest shuttle time of the camp (3.86 seconds) and he was physical all weekend as a cornerback that receivers just couldn't get past. He's a great find by Michigan.
Cornerback - Darnay Holmes (Uncommitted)
Every wide receiver I talked to always seemed to mention Darnay Holmes when asked about the best cornerback of the event. Holmes is so quick and so competitive and he thrives in 1on1 battles on the outside. He even flashed some offensive skills on the weekend too as a two-way threat.
Safety - Bubba Bolden (USC commit)
You aren't going to see a more complete weekend from a safety than what Bolden showed. He displayed recovery skills, body control, ball skills, the ability to break downhill, the ability to turn and run, multiple interceptions. The guy was just awesome. I think he put himself into the conversation as the top safety in the country.
Safety - Richard LeCounte III (Georgia commit)
LeCounte made a strong case for five-star status. He was a flash out there over the weekend and when he got to the football, he finished. Nothing thrown on his half of the field was safe. I don't care whether it's a short option route or a deep corner route, everything was fair game for LeCounte and he made a lot of quarterbacks pay.
All-Purpose - Ambry Thomas (Uncommitted)
He's on here on the defensive side but Thomas made his mark as our best two-way threat. He was a lock-down guy at cornerback but on a time hampered by injuries on offense, he was one of the day's top deep threats at wide receiver too. Michigan is the current Crystal Ball favorite.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 2:42 pm to TideSaint
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Offensive line
Offensive Tackle - Foster Sarell (Uncommitted)
In one of the best offensive line groups that The Opening has ever seen, Sarell looked like the best of the bunch. He's massive, he's athletic, he plays with a finisher's mentality and he was dominant all weekend long. Washington, Stanford and Notre Dame are out front right now.
Offensive Tackle - Walker Little (Uncommitted)
When you draw up NFL offensive tackles as high schoolers, you draw up Little. He's 6-foot-8 at a solid 303 pounds, he showed the athleticism and bend that we thought he had over the weekend but he also showed some brute strength and toughness that we didn't know he had. Texas, Stanford and Ole Miss are the favorites.
Offensive Guard - Alex Leatherwood (Alabama commit)
I throw Leatherwood on here as a guard but he can absolutely be a tackle. He played all over the line and was dominant everywhere they put him. He's big, mean and physical. He really uses his hand strength and arm length well and he has the motor to compete on every rep.
Offensive Guard - Jamaree Salyer (Class of 2018)
The strongest hands of any lineman at the event, regardless of class. Salyer's punch was jarring, his physicality was striking. Despite being an underclassman, the kid plays like a bully. The in-state Georgia Bulldogs is currently the leader.
Center - Cesar Ruiz
Ruiz looked like a total star this week. He was dominant on the offensive interior. He only lost a couple of reps on the entire weekend and just looked in complete control both with his hands, his feet and the way he plays with strength and technique.
So I guess Leatherwood is a Guard now.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 2:44 pm to TideSaint
quote:
Defensive line
Defensive End - Chase Young (Uncommitted)
Though he didn't make the Final Five for the event, I liked him a lot. I thought he was the most complete defensive lineman at the event. He's got great length, strength and quickness. He's got a combination of those three that I didn't think anyone could match on the defensive line. Ohio State and Alabama are among the favorites.
Defensive End - Drew Jordan (Duke commit)
Jordan was the smallest defensive lineman at the event but he was probably the edge rusher that offensive linemen least wanted to battle because he was so fast off the edge and he had some sneaky power. As a 3-4 edge rusher, Jordan looks like a special talent.
Defensive End - Xavier Thomas (Class of 2018)
Thomas looked like he belonged with the older guys. He looked like he belonged physically and he didn't look overwhelmed from a competitive standpoint. There was no back-down in his game and he was also one of the most athletic defensive linemen at the event with a 4.58 40 at 250 pounds. Clemson and South Carolina are considered the early favorites here.
Defensive Tackle - Marvin Wilson (Uncommitted)
It wasn't a dominating weekend for Wilson and he certainly lost his fair share of reps but it was a given that every offensive lineman was going to give his best effort when Wilson was lined up in front of him. If they didn't, they would likely get embarrassed. LSU, Texas and Florida State are considered the teams to beat for Wilson.
Defensive Tackle - Jay Tufele (Uncommitted)
This was a tough call for the final interior defender spot. Marlon Tuipulotu had a good week. So did Haskall Garrett. When healthy, I really liked what I saw out of TCU commit James Lynch. Greg Rogers, LaBryan Ray and even Malik Herring all had their moments. To me, Tufele's best was the toughest for the offensive linemen to handle out of the bunch though. He's so quick and still has a lot of strength at 6-3, 297 pounds. Michigan, Ohio State and Utah currently lead.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 5:39 pm to Bama3714
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Meanwhile, QB commit Tua Tagovailoa was named the MVP of the event. He told us he is committed to Alabama, but sources at the event will not be surprised if he ends up at USC.
No...can't believe they're still trying to push this agenda.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 5:49 pm to Big Steev
Who, USC sources??? Maybe change his mind somewhere down the road, but no way coming out of TheOpening surrounding with other Bama players would "anyone" get that impression.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 7:06 pm to We_R_The_Tide
Jack West committed to Stanford.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 7:07 pm to Bryant91092
Holy shite, that's not good.
For us anyways
For us anyways
Posted on 7/12/16 at 7:11 pm to Cobrasize
Jack West to Stanford
LINK
LINK
quote:
"I believe Stanford University is the best decision for me," West told AL.com exclusively. "I think it will set me up for things much bigger than football. I believe it is the place that has the right people to lead me in the right direction."
This post was edited on 7/12/16 at 7:13 pm
Posted on 7/12/16 at 7:17 pm to TideSaint
Let's be honest it doesn't matter if Alabama gets Dylan Moses the cupboard will continue to stay stacked
Posted on 7/12/16 at 7:35 pm to Cobrasize
Jack West is a good one and an Alabama native but 2018 is full of great QB choices. We have at least four other top prospects to choose from.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 8:05 pm to My2Bits
It always sucks to lose big time in-state talent. I am hoping we can get back in it with Allan Walters or land Mayden's brother.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 8:47 pm to Cobrasize
I'm going to fricking melt now, guys.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 9:14 pm to My2Bits
Well damn, I always thought West the QB of the future for Bama. Still got plenty of time to change his mind though.
Posted on 7/12/16 at 9:16 pm to CapstoneGrad06
Just like I said on the Ole Miss board yesterday, there's just something special about a kid getting that Stanford offer. We'll be fine regardless. Good luck to Jack. 
Posted on 7/12/16 at 9:18 pm to TideSaint
Moving on to good news, we made Monty Rice's Top 9. 
Posted on 7/12/16 at 9:26 pm to TideSaint
quote:
Moving on to good news, we made Monty Rice's Top 9.
I like our odds........ Does he have a Stanford offer?
Posted on 7/12/16 at 9:42 pm to TideSaint
Why are we sweating jack west? Got hurts last year, getting tua this year, barnett is young, and there are lots of good qbs available. If you can get into stanford and with a full scholarship you almost have to go. That's one of the few schools where the degree actually matters to pretty much any company anywhere in the world
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