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

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BEAVERTON, Ore. — Brenton Cox is one of Alabama’s top overall targets in the Class of 2018, but the Crimson Tide will need to flip him from his commitment if they have any shot at him.

Cox, a 5-star defensive end from Stockbridge (Ga.) High School, committed to Ohio State over Alabama and Georgia in April. That hasn’t stopped Alabama from pursuing the nation’s No. 2 defensive end.

The 6-foot-5, 247-pound prospect said he talks to either defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley or outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi at least once every two days; however, his commitment to the Buckeyes is solid.

“I’m locked in. I’m going to take official visits, though,” Cox told SEC Country at The Opening Finals. “My official visits may be to LSU, Alabama and Georgia. Other than that, I’m not going anywhere else. I’m good.”

Those schools he mentioned are the schools that are still coming after Cox. He was expected to make a three-day trip to Tuscaloosa last month but ended up canceling it.

“The trip to Alabama wasn’t really for me,” Cox said. “I was going to ride up there with my coach. I guess someone took it the wrong way and it spread out the wrong way. I still would have went, but something else popped up.”

Cox said he didn’t ask for Ohio State’s permission to visit other schools. He’s also never talked to the coaching staff about visits elsewhere. He has heard from another Buckeyes commit that the coaching staff would prefer if they don’t visit other schools.

“I heard from Emory (Jones) that they don’t like that,” Cox said. “I’m good, though. I’m locked in with them anyways.”

Alabama is going to need to get him on campus once again to have a shot at flipping Cox. The good news for the Tide is he has a very good relationship with the Alabama staff.

“I’ve been knowing Ansley since he was at Kentucky,” Cox said. “It’s kind of like an I’ve been knowing you type of thing. Coach Lupoi is a good coach, too.”

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BEAVERTON, Ore. — The week of competition at The Opening Finals is complete. The event featured 12 of the nation’s top quarterbacks who advanced from the Elite 11 Finals to go head-to-head at Nike World Headquarters looking to prove they were the best.

There were several quarterbacks with elite arms, but only a few separated from the pack to prove they are the best of the best. The quarterback’s performances during 7on7 play carried the most weight as 247Sports ranks them in order.

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8. Matt Corral

Long Beach (Calif.) Poly five-star Matt Corral struggled with accuracy issues through out the week and only completed 57-percent of his passes during 7on7 play, the lowest of all quarterbacks at the camp. Corral certainly has a cannon of an arm that can drive the ball down the field though. In total, he tossed seven touchdowns to only three interceptions.

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1. Justin Fields

Kennesaw (Ga.) Harrison five-star Justin Fields left no doubt on who was the top overall signal caller during the weekend of competition. During 7on7 play, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect tossed 16 touchdowns, zero interceptions while completing 72-percent of his passes and leading his squad to championship. Fields flashed a big arm to make the vertical throws, but he remained in complete control of the offense hitting intermediate and underneath throws when that is what the defense gave him. It was an all around stellar performance by Fields.

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BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Opening Finals are a wrap. After three days of position drills, 1on1 competition and a 7on7 tournament that culminated in a Championship for Team Mach Speed at the Nike World Headquarters, it's time to close the book on the premier all-star event of the summer. This year, we're breaking down our prospect reports by region instead of 7on7 team. Here's who caught out eye this week from Florida. 

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Next 5 Standouts

DB Brendan Radley-Hiles – No Florida-based prospect made more plays this week than Radley-Hiles. The Nebraska verbal commit, who started his prep career in California, was essentially the quarterback of Team Untouchables' defense as he directed traffic and called out coverages while roaming freely at safety. The Bradenton IMG Academy playmaker finished the 7on7 tournament with seven pass break ups and three interceptions to his credit. 

CB Patrick Surtain Jr. – Surtian Jr. could start in some college secondaries right now. The Fort Lauderdale American Heritage cornerback was one of the most physically impressive prospects out in Oregon and also one of the most polished. He was rarely tested by opposing quarterbacks and when he was, he made plays. The highlight of the weekend for him came on Saturday when he went up and intercepted a deep ball from Kentucky commit Jarren Williams.

DT Nesta Silvera – There wasn’t a more powerful defensive tackle on hand than Silvera. The Fort Lauderdale American Heritage standout used a quick first step to gain penetration right at the point of attack and then a low pad level to leverage his way past guys like Top247 center Justin Dedich and three-star guard Jovaughn Gwyn. He made a case to earn a bump in the 247Sports' rankings. 

OL William Barnes – Barnes didn't make the event's 'Final Five' which came as a bit of a surprise seeing as how he was one of the most impressive linemen in 1-on-1s on both Sunday and Monday. The U.S. Army All-American showed plenty of versatility working at both guard and tackle and was able to use his quick feet and long reach to push a number of much quicker defensive ends to the side. Florida remains the favorite in the recruitment, but North Carolina is pushing.

CB Asante Samuel Jr – Samuel Jr. was one of the more physical defensive backs. The Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas standout broke up a pair of passes on Sunday and another on Monday when he jumped a slant route and bumped a wide receiver. The Florida State commit has been billed in the past as someone that could make an impact in the nickel, but he also showed that he can get it done on the outside when asked.

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