re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition

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Paul Tyson @Paul_Tyson17
Big news coming for #ROLL1N9
1:20 PM · Apr 30, 2018

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EULESS, Texas — A wealth of Southeast regional talent was on hand for The Opening’s stop in North Texas on Sunday.

There were several elite prospects, particularly among defensive linemen, defensive backs and offensive skill position prospects who separated themselves the pack — many of which hold offers from LSU.

Here were the top-performing prospects from Sunday’s regional camp, as well as essential recruiting tidbits on the Tigers’ push for a handful of priority targets, commitments or prospects on the board.

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Ishmael Sopsher, 2019 5-star DT
(Amite, La.)

Ishmael Sopsher was a man on a mission Sunday morning and arguably the top performer in a loaded group of defensive linemen. At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, the 5-star defensive line dominated at nose tackle, defensive tackle and at end. He plays multiple positions along the defensive front and provides a unique blend of both power and speed in each role.

Sopsher maintained that LSU is recruiting him the hardest and the hometown team is in a good position to make his final five schools expected to be released on July 30. He doesn’t feel pressure to remain in-state, but understands Ed Orgeron’s push to keep the best prospects home in 2019.

Sopsher discussed his visits to Texas A&M and Alabama and laid out some guidelines in his decision-making process — things such as road to the NFL and family aspects. LSU checked all the boxes and Sopsher was more than willing to concede as much.

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Nathan Pickering, 2019 4-star DE
(Seminary, Miss.)

Nathan Pickering truly impressed, working at both strong-side and weak-side defensive end and rushing the passer from an interior defensive line spot, too. He’s very quick and physically imposing. He’s got a lot of upper-body strength as well. With his arm span, he is a force getting after quarterbacks and slowing down running backs trying to get around the edge.

Of his top 10 released earlier this month, LSU is the team pushing the hardest. That’s not to say the Tigers are out in front, though. Alabama, Mississippi State and Florida are very much in this. He made two unofficial stops at LSU and indicated that LSU and Alabama are all guaranteed official visits this fall — and that’s largely due to their academic opportunities. Pickering is in no rush to make a decision, with January looking like a likely timeline.

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McKinnley Jackson, 2020 4-star DT
(Lucedale, Miss.)

McKinnley Jackson has cemented his status as a camp All-Star. After tearing through the U.S. Army All-American Combine back in January, Jackson looked like a shorter version of Sopsher, working out and dominating at multiple spots across the defensive line. He’s extremely quick from the jump and possesses violent hands. It’s astonishing that he’s this far advanced going into his junior year.

LSU remains in the mix for the talented 2020 tackle, but after de-committing a few months back, don’t expect a decision anytime soon. Alabama, Texas A&M and Mississippi State are also ones to watch.

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DALLAS, Texas – It was the most talented event of The Opening camp circuit. The fastest man competition featured four guys that ran sub 4.4 40s. The Opening Finals received a whopping 17 new invites from the day. If you aren’t elite, you aren’t standing out in this setting. These are the guys that stood out.

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The next five on defense

1. Nana Osafo-Mensah, DE, Fort Worth (Texas) Nolan Catholic – Osafo-Mensah is a slippery pass-rusher that is really effective dipping and bending the edge and winning with get-off and speed around the corner. He almost never lost in a dominating afternoon. Texas and Notre Dame are battling for his commitment.

2. Diwun Black, LB, Forest (Miss.) High School – You’ll find him at safety and wide receiver in high school but at 6-4, 212 pounds, Black worked out on Sunday at linebacker, a position he’ll likely play at Ole Miss. He was the best linebacker in space at the camp. He’s got great length, closes ground quickly on ball-carriers and showed the frame to be one of the top linebackers in this class.

3. Daxton Hill, S, Tulsa (Okla.) Washington – One of the most freakish athletes in the class of 2019, Hill was the fastest man at the event, winning the 40-yard foot-race with a 4.34 time. Hill looked like more than just an athlete though, he showed a ton of range in coverage and was smooth in his backpedal. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are his favorites.

4. Derek Stingley, CB, Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham School – Another freakish athlete, Stingley ran in the 4.3 range in the 40, had a 42-inch vertical and was probably the days most disruptive defensive back. He got his hands on a lot of footballs and looked like he has the twitch and instincts to be a lock-down cornerback.

5. Jalil Clemons, DE, Starkville (Miss.) High School – He started the day in the B-group and dominated in 1on1s. He was pulled up into the A-group and dominated again. He had one of the best get-offs at the event and showed great pass-rush instincts and some basketball style edge athleticism. He’s got a host of Group of Five offers at this point.

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