Featuring a group that goes 25 deep, the wide receivers have a chance to team with the talented quarterbacks at The Opening to go against a group of exceptional defensive backs that should make for some outstanding viewing during the 7On competition.
How do the best hold up against the best and can an under-the-radar or otherwise slightly overlooked prospect emerge this year? Last year, it was Notre Dame signee Torii Hunter, Jr. who stepped up to dominate the finals and take home the MVP award.
The tagline on Twitter for The Opening was #GETOPEN during the NFTC camps and there's no question that this group of wide receivers can do that at a high level -- that's why they earned their respective golden tickets, after all.
Braxton Berrios, Raleigh (NC) Leesville Road: Berrios is a multi-threat on the football field at 5'9 and 180 pounds. In 2012, he was a dangerous receiver before taking over at quarterback for the final two regular season games and the playoffs. He completed the season with 389 passing yards, 1,260 rushing yards and 23 scores and 740 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Holding offers from a dozen programs including Clemson, East Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, Berrios is a consensus three-star prospect who may currently be favoring Kentucky. Representing for team Field Generals, Berrios is on Twitter @HNYNUT_BERRIOS.
Justin Brent, Indianapolis (Ind.) Speedway: Brent caught 54 balls for 992 yards and 13 TDs last season and is rated by 247Sports as the No. 122 player nationally because of his size and diverse skillset that makes him a strong all-around receiver. The same service also considers him the top player in Indiana. Also an outstanding basketball prospect at 6'3 and 190 pounds, he committed to Notre Dame in 2012 and was one of the top overall players at the Columbus NFTC. On Twitter @JustinBrent23, Brent will compete for team Vapor Carbon.
Erik Brown, Fontana (Calif.) Summit: Brown has used several strong performances at passing tournaments and camps -- including the Oakland NFTC -- to elevate as his stock as one of the top receivers in the country. A consensus four-star prospect, the 6'1, 170-pounder is rated by the 247Sports composite ranking as the No. 17 receiver nationally and No. 133 prospect overall and has offers from more than a dozen programs including Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Cal, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon State, San Diego State, UCLA, Washington and Washington State. Agile and possessing good ball skills, Brown is currently projected to sign with the home-state Trojans after competing with the Field Generals at The Opening.
George Campbell, Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake: One of the few 2015 invitees to The Opening, Campbell is a two-way threat, catching 30 passes for 770 yards and nine offensive scores while recording 56 tackles on defense as a sophomore. He showed his size and athletic ability at the Orlando NFTC where he ran a 4.48 in the 40, a 4.22 shuttle, a 37.1-inch vertical and a 34-foot power ball throw to earn a 106.86 SPARQ rating. As an early five-star prospect by 247Sports and the top-rated wide receiver for his class, it's hardly a surprise that he already has 23 offers from national programs like Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Texas A&M. He's thought to be high on the Gators early and is on Twitter @GeorgeCampbell0. At The Opening, he will suit up for team Vapor Carbon.
Kd Cannon, Mount Pleasant, Texas: Cannon was a Class 4A All-State selection after catching 104 passes for 1,592 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2012. The 6'0, 160-pounder rated as a consensus four-star prospect and the No. 4 wide receiver nationally by the 247Sports composite rankings, as well as the No. 43 player overall. He currently holds offers from Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and West Virginia. One of the premier deep threats in the country, Cannon is thought to be a Baylor lean after making numerous visits to Waco and showing up at multiple events wearing Bears gear. A member of team Apocalypse, Cannon is on Twitter @IAmKDCannon.
Johnnie Dixon, Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Dwyer: A 5'11, 195-pounder, Dixon was an All-State Class 7A honoree after catching 39 passes for 711 yards and eight scores as a junior. A consensus four-star prospect rated as the No. 21 wide receiver nationally by the 247Sports composite rankings, his college offers include home-state favorites of Miami, Florida State, and Florida. He camped at Miami at the beginning of June and every 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions have him becoming a Hurricane. Find him on Twitter @unogohard1 and repping for team Super Bad at The Opening.
Malachi Dupre, River Ridge (La.) John Curtis: Dupre was Class 2A All-State in 2012 as he caught 36 passes for 816 yards and 15 touchdowns for the state champs despite playing in a run-oriented option offense. A consensus four-star prospect, he's rated by the 247Sports composite rankings as the No. 2 receiver nationally and No. 28 prospect overall. Holding 35 offers including Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado, Florida State, Kansas State, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Tulane, UCLA, and Vanderbilt, among others, home-state LSU is the overwhelming favorite to land his services. On Twitter @MalachiDupre, the track star will be taking the field in Beaverton with the Field Generals.
Drake Harris, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian: Harris is rated as the No. 3 receiver in the country by the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 39 overall prospect after an explosive junior season with 2,016 reception yards and a state-record 26 touchdowns. Able to stretch the field vertically with his excellent speed and able to outjump smaller defensive backs with his 6'4, 180-pound frame, the Michigan star also had a big championship game making a finals-record eight catches for 243 yards. Harris committed to Michigan in April over offers from Alabama, Cal, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. A member of team Super Bad, Harris is on Twitter @drizzygetbusy01.
Corey Holmes, Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas: The No. 23 receiver nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings, Holmes is also the No. 177 prospect in the country. The 6'2, 175-pounder was dubbed by former NFL All-Pro receiver Cris Carter as the "next big thing" at tradition-rich St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Holmes had 28 receptions for 511 yards and five touchdowns last season and fields more than two dozen offers, including invitations to play at Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma, as well as Florida, Florida State, Stanford, and UCLA. Thought to be a heavy Notre Dame lean, the agile wide receiver with good moves after the catch camped in South Bend on June 21. Ready to suit up for Alpha Pro, Holmes is on Twitter @coreyholmes4.
Lorenzo Joe, Abilene (Texas) Cooper: Joe was the Wide Receiver MVP at the Dallas NFTC and also shined on the football field as a junior when he earned All-District 2-5A honors after rushing for 879 yards and passing for another 1,988 while playing quarterback. Because of his athletic and pass-catching abilities, he's projected to be a receiver at Texas where he committed early over Texas Tech. It was a position he played as a sophomore when he had nearly 800 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. A consensus four-star prospect, the 247Sports composite rankings have him as the No. 188 prospect overall nationally and the No. 29 wide receiver. The 6'3, 195-pounder is on Twitter @LoJoe12 and will compete for team Vapor Carbon.
Ermon Lane, Homestead, Florida: The top-ranked wide receiver and No. 21 prospect overall in the composite rankings, Lane is a consensus five-star prospect. He was a Class 6A All-State pick in 2012 when he caught 30 passes for 801 yards and eight scores, while also recording four interceptions on defense. He has over 20 offers, including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Ole Miss, Nebraska, Ohio State, and USC, though the Crimson Tide are thought to have the advantage in his recruitment. The 6'3, 190-pounder will compete at The Opening as a member of team Alpa Pro.
Allen Lazard, Urbandale, Iowa: Lazard is rated as the No. 1 receiver in the country by Rivals.com and the No. 25 prospect overall. The tall receiver, who was a Class 4A All-State honoree as a junior, has committed to Iowa State over Iowa, Nebraska, Stanford, and Cal and will play in the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The 6'5, 210-pounder caught 40 passes for 930 yard and 11 touchdowns in 2012. Find him on Twitter @AllenLazard and suited up for the Land Sharks.
Joshua Malone, Gallatin (Tenn.) Station Camp: The 6'2, 190-pounder is ranked as the No. 3 receiver and No. 38 overall recruit by Rivals.com. Now closing in on about 40 offers, Malone's list of suitors includes Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon State, Tennessee, and Washington. However, the home-state Volunteers look like the favorite at this time for the polished wide receiver with good hands who will compete with team Super Bad while in Oregon.
Terry McLaurin, Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral: McLaurin is one of the most athletic receivers in the nation and had the highest SPARQ rating at the Chicago NFTC, where he ran a 4.48 in the 40, recorded 41.4-inch vertical leap, ran a 4.36 shuttle, and threw the power ball 41 feet for a 126.96 rating. A consensus three-star prospect, the 6'0, 180-pounder is one of the top players in Indiana and is looking to gain his fourth star with a strong performance in Oregon. He committed to Ohio State in late June over offers that included Ball State, Cincinnati, Iowa, Missouri, Purdue, Toledo, Western Kentucky, and Western Michigan. He's on Twitter @TheTerry_25 and is set to compete with the Land Sharks.
Devante "Speedy" Noil, New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr: The nickname fits, as Noil proved once again when he put up a strong 120.54 SPARQ rating at the New Orleans Nike Football SPARQ Combine, a performance that included a 4.45 40 and a 41.7-inch vertical. On the field last season, he led Karr to a 4A state title while accounting for 47 total touchdowns. The top receiver in the country by 247Sports has an offer list that includes Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Ole Miss, TCU, and Texas, though he is universally expected to stay close to home and ball out for LSU. Unlike opponents on the football side, fans can catch Noil on Twitter @SpeedyNoil, while Super Bad opponents will have the unenviable task of attempting to contain him on the Nike complex fields.
Michiah Quick, Fresno (Calif.) Central: The 5'11, 175-pound Quick can play several positions including receiver and corner and is rated as the No. 38 player nationally by the 247Sports composite rankings. As a receiver last season he had 37 catches for 592 yards and eight TDs. His offers include Alabama, Arizona, Boise State, Cal, Houston, Nevada, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon State, San Jose State, Tulane, UCLA, USC, and Washington in a recruitment shaping up as a USC-Oklahoma battle. On Twitter @ItsQuicker and with team Apocalypse at The Opening, Quick is a consensus four-star prospect with elite explosiveness.
JoJo Robinson, Miami (Fla.) Northwestern: The 6'0, 175-pound speed merchant started off the NFTC tour by running a 4.41 40 at the Miami Nike Combine, before coming back out to the Miami NFTC in March and tore it up. Has the speed to get behind any defense and showed off good hands in Miami. A consensus four-star prospect ranked as the No. 21 athlete nationally in the 247Sports composite, Robinson committed to Florida State in 2012 over offers from LSU, Miami, USC and UCLA among others, but his recruitment may be far from over as he gets set to play with the Land Sharks.
Travis Rudolph, West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman: Rudolph is rated as the No. 33 receiver in the nation, which makes him a consensus four-star prospect. He had 833 total yards on offense and scored 17 touchdowns as a junior despite missing three games with an injury. A Class 3A 2nd Team All-State pick, he has offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Wake Forest, and West Virginia, though he is considered a lock for Gators at this point in his recruitment. Catch Robinson's teammate with the Land Sharks on Twitter @TravisRudolph5.
Curtis Samuel, Brooklyn (NY) Erasmus: The 5'11, 180-pound Samuel lived up to his pre-camp hype as he ran a 4.4 in the 40 and recorded a 111.87 SPARQ rating. A dual threat running and receiving the ball, the All-Metro pick led his team to the PSAL championship by running for 1,047 yards with 15 touchdowns on the year. He's the No. 82-rated prospect in the nation by 247Sports and his college offers include Boston College, Maryland, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Virginia. He'll compete with team Alpha Pro before he continues a recruitment the industry expects will end with a commitment to the Buckeyes.
Artavis Scott, Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake: Scott was a Class 8A All-State pick as a junior and a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American two years ago. Ranked as the No. 11 receiver in the nation by Rivals.com and the No. 81 overall prospect, he has college offers from Florida, Florida State, South Florida, Ohio State, Michigan and North Carolina State. The offer from Michigan in May changed his recruitment to the extent he's now expected to commit to the Wolverines. The 5'10, 180-pounder is on Twitter is @ArtavisScott7 and he'll be playing for team Apocalypse.
JuJu Smith, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly: Also known by his given name of John, Smith was a CalHiSports Jr. All-State pick after catching 47 passes for 689 yards and nine scores to lead Poly to the Pac-5 Division Championship. He's a consensus five-star prospect and one of the top athletes in the country in the composite rankings. Smith has already set up three official visits -- to Alabama, Michigan, and Notre Dame -- and also has offers from Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA, USC, Utah and Wisconsin. There's no clear consensus about where he will commit, but Notre Dame, USC, and UCLA are thought to be high on his list, even though the latter two have not yet had official visits scheduled by Smith to their respective campuses. Look for him on team Alpha Pro.
Thaddeus Snodgrass, Springfield, Ohio: The 6'0, 170-pounder will show up wherever there is competition, having attended a pair of Nike Camps and Nike Combines the last two years and producing a 96.27 SPARQ rating. A standout at the Columbus NFTC, the consensus four-star prospect caught 30 passes for 452 yards last year and has committed to Kentucky over 15 colleges including Georgia Tech, Louisville, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Find him throwing out tweets a @ThadSnod1 and catching passes for the Field Generals.
DeAndre Thompkins, Swansboro (NC): The 6'0, 170-pounder was an All-Area honoree as a junior after totaling 1,359 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, while making 42 tackles and two interceptions as a defensive back. He's rated as a consensus four-star prospect and committed to Penn State on April 20 over Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Notre Dame. Follow Thompkins on Twitter @Calle_Alectia and he'll be playing with Vapor Carbon at The Opening.
Trevion Thompson, Durham (NC) Hillside: Thompson is rated the No. 10 receiver in his class by the composite rankings and the No. 84-ranked recruit in his class. He made the Charlotte NFTC All-Camp Team and on the field as a junior caught 42 passes for 875 yards and five touchdowns. The 6'2, 180-pounder has close to 20 offers, including Alabama, Cal, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla.), Minnesota, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Ohio State, South Carolina, Syracuse, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. Find the expected future Clemson commit @the_future_1 on Twitter and on team Apocalypse.
T.V. Williams, McKinney, Texas: The diminutive Williams caught 45 passes for 789 yards and 10 touchdowns as junior and showcased his quickness and explosiveness at the Chicago NFTC in the one-on-one drills and in the testing where he ran a 4.10 in the shuttle and jumped 36.5 inches on his vertical leap. He has 13 offers from all over the country including Cal, Houston, Iowa, Kentucky, Navy, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, and Tulsa as he has seen his stock take off despite the fact he is only 5'8 and 150 pounds. He's on Twitter at @Trey1Williams and will compete with team Vapor Carbon.