Since February, Nike has been hosting The Opening regional camps in which high school football players can get position-specific training and do a series of tests to see how they stack up with other top competitors from around the country. The players are tested in 40-yard dash, shuttle, power ball (to measure strength) and vertical jump. Over the weekend in Canton, Ohio, Nike held its last regional camp. So now is a good time to take a look at Husker targets that were top performers during all of the camps.
Quarterbacks
Now that Nebraska has fully embraced the up-tempo spread brought to town by Scott Frost, expect to see quarterbacks that Nebraska is targeting end up as top performers at The Opening. This year a pair of signal-callers with Husker offers did very well. 4-star (HV Rating: 90.8) Grant Tisdale from Allen, Texas, posted a total score of 117.48 which is the highest score of any Nebraska target. Tisdale also ripped off an impressive 4.55 40-yard dash. He is currently committed to Ole Miss. The other quarterback that performed very well is Terrance Gipson from Houston, Texas. The 3-star (HV Rating: 83.5) is an intriguing down-the-board option for Nebraska but is clearly a gifted athlete. He was timed with a 4.03 shuttle time and a 35-inch vertical jump. He’s raw as a passer but has good physical tools.
Regional Recruits
There were some regional recruits at the camps who really stood out. CJ Boone a 3-star (HV Rating: 85.8) Parkway North High School standout at wide receiver, showed great burst with a 4.32 shuttle time. The St. Louis native also showed off an impressive 42-inch vertical. He has yet to receive an offer from Nebraska. Four-star (HV Rating: 89.6) defensive end Marcus Hicks from Wichita, Kansas, is one of the top players on the board for the Huskers in 2019. He did not disappoint as he ran a 4.8 40-yard dash despite being noticeably bigger now checking in at 6-5, 288. One of the real big stories of the Dallas camp was Nebraska commit Garrett Snodgrass. He worked out as a tight end and tested off the charts. He continues to get bigger (6-3, 217) and had better strength numbers than most kids on the other side of the ball. Snodgrass also showed tremendous burst with a 4.25 shuttle time. If he is invited to The Opening Finals in Eugene, look out for a big performance and ratings bump.
Numbers from @TheOpening in Dallas today. Great competition and had a lot of fun! pic.twitter.com/8Id3RxA0oX
— Garrett Snodgrass (@GarrettSnodgras) April 30, 2018
Other
There were some other notable performances by players with Nebraska interest. The Huskers continue to recruit 4-star inside linebacker (HV Rating: 94.7) Nakobe Dean who had Nebraska in his top 15 in March. Dean posted a total score of 113.13 powered by his 39-inch vertical jump and 4.32 shuttle time. A player that recently picked up a Nebraska offer is 3-star linebacker (HV Rating: 87.9) Anfernee Orji from Rockwell, Texas. He posted solid numbers across the board for a final score of 102.12. Finally, if you want a good barometer of where these players are in relation to the top overall performer, you’d have to look at 5-star (HV Rating: 96.8) linebacker Owen Pappoe. The recent Auburn commit, who did visit Lincoln, posted a total score of 147.12. Pappoe ripped off a 4.47 40-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical jump and one of the best power ball scores.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
