BEAVERTON, Ore. -- The linemen had their turn in the morning, but the rest of the day at The Opening at Nike's world headquarters was dominated by skill players during seven-on-seven play.
It took a little while for some of the quarterbacks to get going, but once they did, they took over. And it was no surprise to see Maryland commit Dwayne Haskins Jr. and South Carolina pledge Brandon McIlwain doing damage. Both Haskins and McIlwain entered Thursday firmly in the Elite 11 finals rankings, and they did nothing to disappoint.
Haskins climbed all the way to second in the Elite 11 rankings, and it's easy to see why with pin-point accurate throws like these.
Dwayne Haskins with a pin-point accurate pass. #Terps https://t.co/bHA7mL2UFt
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 9, 2015
Maryland QB commit Dwayne Haskins completes a pass to future teammate Darryl Turner https://t.co/S5VteVSbP0
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 9, 2015
McIlwain has been deadly all week with back-shoulder fades, but on this throw he delivered a bullet on a comeback route for a big gain.
#SouthCarolina commit Brandon McIlwain with a great throw. https://t.co/qhUWjtsbh9
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 9, 2015
Georgia quarterback commit Jacob Eason had an up-and-down afternoon, but he put the ball right on the money on this touchdown pass in the back corner of the end zone.
#UGA QB commit Jacob Eason connects w/ uncommitted WR A.J. Brown for TD at #TheOpening. https://t.co/dk4idZk5oG
— Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree) July 9, 2015
Stanford quarterback commit K.J. Costello and Oklahoma State quarterback pledge Nick Starkel have also been consistently ranked high on the Elite 11 final rankings. These throws show why.
Nice completion from KJ Costello. https://t.co/9DSFCyIfym
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 9, 2015
Nice throw by Nick Starkel. https://t.co/zSCNAyyoHu
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 9, 2015
Thursday wasn't just about quarterbacks, though. A number of linebackers and defensive backs got into the action also with big interceptions.There might still be some confusion over where linebacker Mique Juarez will play his college football, as the USC commit is still considering UCLA, among other schools. But there's no confusion when it comes to his talent, as he showed picking off Eason.
USC commit Mique Juarez picks off Georgia commit Jacob Eason https://t.co/0tNW6OMaMJ
— Erik McKinney (@EMcKinneyESPN) July 9, 2015
Uncommitted 2017 defensive back Jamyest Williams showed off his hands and vertical leap with a big interception early in Thursday's action. Florida State and Clemson are the top two teams on Williams' list.
He might be junior, but that didn't stop DB Jamyest Williams from a big INT at #TheOpening. Looked good in coverage. pic.twitter.com/DQYnacoBUg
— Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree) July 9, 2015
ESPN 300 athlete Trevon Diggs, who lists Alabama, LSU, Maryland, Penn State and Tennessee as his top schools, also got into the interception action.
Great interception by Trevon Diggs. https://t.co/6vtf1rJHfk
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 9, 2015
And so did uncommitted ESPN 300 linebacker Aaron Hansford. Ohio State, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina and Penn State are the top schools on his list.
Nice interception by Aaron Hansford. https://t.co/soyj3dniJ5
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 9, 2015
ESPN 300 defensive back Nigel Knott became a social media sensation with his backflip catch and he recreated it Thursday.
Nigel Knott backflip catch in slow mo https://t.co/sYcNHAfAFV
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 9, 2015
There were plenty of good catches Thursday, but ESPN 300 receiver Kyle Davis' reception was awfully impressive.
Kyle Davis | Get up, go get it https://t.co/mrseOkZi9N
— The Opening (@TheOpening) July 9, 2015