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As one of the best camps on the circuit in terms of elite talent, Nike’s “The Opening” Miami Regional has been bringing together the best of the best in South Florida to compete on the gridiron for years now.
And the 2018 version of the camp did not disappoint: over 200 of the area’s best prospects again came out to show their stuff versus the cream of the crop this past Sunday and earn an all-expense paid invite out to Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon to compete in “The Opening” Finals.
With the 2018 class wrapped up and in the books, of course the focus of the camp was the rising seniors of 2019, but plenty of others in the 2020 and 2021 made a name for themselves as well.
For my money, here are my top performers from the Opening Miami Regional.
Top Performers
Class of 2019
Trey Sanders, RB, Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
There’s been a lot of hype around Sanders and, in my first time seeing him, I wondered if he could live up to it. Consider him the real deal. Elite size, speed, athleticism, vision: what more can you ask for out of a RB prospect? Sanders made some people look silly on Sunday. He has offers from just about everywhere, but took the time to visit Miami’s campus this weekend while he was in town.
Kalani Norris, WR, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Norris actually just missed making my list last week at the Rivals Miami Camp, but there was no leaving him off after his performance on Sunday. He was the best WR in attendance for my money. Norris showcases amazing footwork and cat-like quickness, while he absolutely abused Tyrique Stevenson on one rep. Norris is waiting on a Miami offer, but has offers from Louisville, Georgia, and Tennessee.
John Dunmore, WR, Hollywood, FL (Chaminade-Madonna)
Coming off his WR MVP at the Rivals Miami Camp last week, Dunmore didn’t really have much to prove. Yet he again made some jaw dropping plays and earned an invite to Oregon. The former UF commit is wide-open recruiting-wise after recently backing off his pledge to the Gators and he just visited FSU this past weekend. UM has been in contact, but has not sent an offer.
Gary Cooper, TE, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Cooper was one of the most impressive prospects on this list in terms of pure production; the kid just makes plays. He had an insane, full-extension one handed catch in the corner of the endzone in the TE/LB coverage drill. Cooper also recorded the top SPARQ score on the day. UM is interested, but Oklahoma, Utah, Boston College, and USF have already offered.
Evan Neal, OT, Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
I just call him “The Wall”. Neal went up against numerous top defensive linemen at this event and they were all hopelessly outmatched against him. He’s listed at 360 pounds and, after seeing him in person, I wouldn’t disagree with that. Neal won OL MVP on the day and will also be going to Oregon for The Opening Finals. Miami feels like an early leader for Neal.
Maurice Smith, OG, Miami, FL (Miami Central)
Smith plays with great technique, footwork, and hand placement so that even though he’s undersized, he’s still getting the maximum out of his ability. He took maybe the most reps out of any of the offensive linemen and won all but one. Miami isn’t really involved here, but Marshall and Boston College are on Smith hard.
Denzel Daxon, DT, Miami, FL (Norland)
The dude just has raw strength that is not possessed by many people. The Miami commit was blowing linemen off the ball with regularity and he plays with a mean-streak and aggression that you really can’t coach. Daxon straight up embarrassed IMG OL Charles Turner on one physical rep, causing Turner to shove him afterwards out of frustration. Daxon is solid to Miami.
Anthony Solomon, LB, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
Not many LB’s made an impression, but that wasn’t a problem for Solomon. Fresh off his LB MVP at the Rivals Miami camp, Solomon continued to push himself upward with his unreal speed for a LB prospect. He’s a sideline-to-sideline type of player that is sound in coverage and was consistently quick to the ballcarrier. Solomon plays with great technique and is one of the more intelligent football players in his class. Miami and Michigan are his current top 2.
Kaiir Elam, CB, North Palm Beach, FL (The Benjamin School)
Elam looks like a star in the making and he proved himself yet again on Sunday after winning DB MVP at the Rivals Miami camp last week. Elam got the invite to Oregon and is very physically impressive up close. He has next-level instincts, and displays great hip-flip when running with receivers. Florida is the early leader here for Elam, but UM won’t give up easily.
Marcus Lafrance, CB, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
He was flying a bit under the radar beforehand, but Lafrance showed up looking long and athletic and he didn’t disappoint, with receivers finding it hard to separate from him all day. It was a stacked receiver group at the Opening, but Lafrance didn’t look out of place and continually made plays on the ball. He has early offers from Texas, N.C. State, Louisville, and Pitt, but Miami has been in contact.
Class of 2020
Marcus Rosemy, WR, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
Rosemy looks the part of a physical specimen and earned WR MVP on the day. Rosemy uses his size well, and straight up bodies and bullies some DB’s. Rosemy made some great catches in traffic on Sunday and is a technician as a route runner. Miami hasn’t offered, but there’s at least some cursory interest between the two parties. Georgia, Ohio State, and UF are Rosemy’s biggest offers.
Dontae Lunan, LB, Hollywood, FL (McArthur)
McArthur’s Lunan was a major surprise at the event, taking home LB MVP honors despite being undersized. He outmatched IMG RB Noah Cain on one rep in drills and was a standout on a day where defense mainly took a backseat to dominant offense. He currently has no offers.
Jaquavion Fraziars, ATH, Ocala, FL (Dunnellon)
The first thing you notice about Fraziars is his enormous size, but what really jumps out is how well he moves with that build. He’s a rare athlete that could be used all over the field at receiver, DB, or even linebacker. His early offers have an SEC flavor and are from Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, and Kentucky.
Class of 2021
Jacorey Brooks, WR, Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
Brooks was a stud and didn’t seem out of place as one of the top-tier WR’s in attendance that featured a deep receiver crop. He’s a future star and was snatching passes out of the air with his extremely enormous and reliable hands. Miami, Florida, and Tennessee are early verbal offers for Brooks.
Notes
**2019 Deerfield Beach LB Ge’mon Eaford surprised and named Miami his leader at the event.
**On one rep in linemen drills, 2019 Cardinal Gibbons DE Khris Bogle beat his man, then flashed "The U".
**2020 Canes commit WR Marc Britt was scheduled to participate, but sat out with an unknown leg injury. He was in a walking boot on the sidelines.
**Current Canes that showed up included: DE Demetrius Jackson, WR Lawrence Cager, and DT signee Nesta Silvera. Also, former Hurricanes OL Brandon Washington was out there helping run some linemen drills.
**2019 Cardinal Gibbons RB Vincent Davis won the “Fastest Man” competition with a 4.49 40.
**Although he wasn’t at the camp, I got a nice little tidbit about Canes commit 2020 WR Jermaine Burton from one of his former coaches at IMG, former NFL player Kevin Vickerson, who was also helping out in the linemen drills. On Burton: “Wow. Wooooooowww. He’s the truth. Just a special type of athlete. I can see him in the NFL one day, no question.”
**It got heated in the linemen drills between some Canes DL commits and IMG OL Charles Turner. Daxon bullied Turner on a rep, bowling him backwards into the pylon in 1-on-1’s. Turner took exception to the physical play and shoved Daxon out of frustration after the rep. Daxon then threw up “The U” in Turner’s face, to which Turner responded by giving him an “upside down U”. They had to be separated by coaches. A few reps later, Cameron Williams blew right by Turner on a rep, and he too threw up a “U” in Turner’s face. They ran it back on the very next rep, and this time, Turner pummeled Williams into the dirt and gave his head a late shove while he was on the ground. The two started jawing back and forth with Williams laughing it off and Turner looking ****ed.
**Things also escalated quickly in WR/DB 1-on-1’s. Dunmore was straight disrespecting Lafrance in 1-on-1’s after a couple of testy reps. As Dunmore crossed his face, he slapped Lafrance on the back of the head, broke free on a slant and scored. Then, Dunmore pegged Lafrance with the ball. I talked to Dunmore afterwards about it and he said he’s been friends with Lafrance since childhood and it was just competition. No harm, no foul.
And the 2018 version of the camp did not disappoint: over 200 of the area’s best prospects again came out to show their stuff versus the cream of the crop this past Sunday and earn an all-expense paid invite out to Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon to compete in “The Opening” Finals.
With the 2018 class wrapped up and in the books, of course the focus of the camp was the rising seniors of 2019, but plenty of others in the 2020 and 2021 made a name for themselves as well.
For my money, here are my top performers from the Opening Miami Regional.
Top Performers
Class of 2019
Trey Sanders, RB, Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
There’s been a lot of hype around Sanders and, in my first time seeing him, I wondered if he could live up to it. Consider him the real deal. Elite size, speed, athleticism, vision: what more can you ask for out of a RB prospect? Sanders made some people look silly on Sunday. He has offers from just about everywhere, but took the time to visit Miami’s campus this weekend while he was in town.
Kalani Norris, WR, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Norris actually just missed making my list last week at the Rivals Miami Camp, but there was no leaving him off after his performance on Sunday. He was the best WR in attendance for my money. Norris showcases amazing footwork and cat-like quickness, while he absolutely abused Tyrique Stevenson on one rep. Norris is waiting on a Miami offer, but has offers from Louisville, Georgia, and Tennessee.
John Dunmore, WR, Hollywood, FL (Chaminade-Madonna)
Coming off his WR MVP at the Rivals Miami Camp last week, Dunmore didn’t really have much to prove. Yet he again made some jaw dropping plays and earned an invite to Oregon. The former UF commit is wide-open recruiting-wise after recently backing off his pledge to the Gators and he just visited FSU this past weekend. UM has been in contact, but has not sent an offer.
Gary Cooper, TE, Miami, FL (Columbus)
Cooper was one of the most impressive prospects on this list in terms of pure production; the kid just makes plays. He had an insane, full-extension one handed catch in the corner of the endzone in the TE/LB coverage drill. Cooper also recorded the top SPARQ score on the day. UM is interested, but Oklahoma, Utah, Boston College, and USF have already offered.
Evan Neal, OT, Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
I just call him “The Wall”. Neal went up against numerous top defensive linemen at this event and they were all hopelessly outmatched against him. He’s listed at 360 pounds and, after seeing him in person, I wouldn’t disagree with that. Neal won OL MVP on the day and will also be going to Oregon for The Opening Finals. Miami feels like an early leader for Neal.
Maurice Smith, OG, Miami, FL (Miami Central)
Smith plays with great technique, footwork, and hand placement so that even though he’s undersized, he’s still getting the maximum out of his ability. He took maybe the most reps out of any of the offensive linemen and won all but one. Miami isn’t really involved here, but Marshall and Boston College are on Smith hard.
Denzel Daxon, DT, Miami, FL (Norland)
The dude just has raw strength that is not possessed by many people. The Miami commit was blowing linemen off the ball with regularity and he plays with a mean-streak and aggression that you really can’t coach. Daxon straight up embarrassed IMG OL Charles Turner on one physical rep, causing Turner to shove him afterwards out of frustration. Daxon is solid to Miami.
Anthony Solomon, LB, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
Not many LB’s made an impression, but that wasn’t a problem for Solomon. Fresh off his LB MVP at the Rivals Miami camp, Solomon continued to push himself upward with his unreal speed for a LB prospect. He’s a sideline-to-sideline type of player that is sound in coverage and was consistently quick to the ballcarrier. Solomon plays with great technique and is one of the more intelligent football players in his class. Miami and Michigan are his current top 2.
Kaiir Elam, CB, North Palm Beach, FL (The Benjamin School)
Elam looks like a star in the making and he proved himself yet again on Sunday after winning DB MVP at the Rivals Miami camp last week. Elam got the invite to Oregon and is very physically impressive up close. He has next-level instincts, and displays great hip-flip when running with receivers. Florida is the early leader here for Elam, but UM won’t give up easily.
Marcus Lafrance, CB, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
He was flying a bit under the radar beforehand, but Lafrance showed up looking long and athletic and he didn’t disappoint, with receivers finding it hard to separate from him all day. It was a stacked receiver group at the Opening, but Lafrance didn’t look out of place and continually made plays on the ball. He has early offers from Texas, N.C. State, Louisville, and Pitt, but Miami has been in contact.
Class of 2020
Marcus Rosemy, WR, Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas)
Rosemy looks the part of a physical specimen and earned WR MVP on the day. Rosemy uses his size well, and straight up bodies and bullies some DB’s. Rosemy made some great catches in traffic on Sunday and is a technician as a route runner. Miami hasn’t offered, but there’s at least some cursory interest between the two parties. Georgia, Ohio State, and UF are Rosemy’s biggest offers.
Dontae Lunan, LB, Hollywood, FL (McArthur)
McArthur’s Lunan was a major surprise at the event, taking home LB MVP honors despite being undersized. He outmatched IMG RB Noah Cain on one rep in drills and was a standout on a day where defense mainly took a backseat to dominant offense. He currently has no offers.
Jaquavion Fraziars, ATH, Ocala, FL (Dunnellon)
The first thing you notice about Fraziars is his enormous size, but what really jumps out is how well he moves with that build. He’s a rare athlete that could be used all over the field at receiver, DB, or even linebacker. His early offers have an SEC flavor and are from Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, and Kentucky.
Class of 2021
Jacorey Brooks, WR, Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
Brooks was a stud and didn’t seem out of place as one of the top-tier WR’s in attendance that featured a deep receiver crop. He’s a future star and was snatching passes out of the air with his extremely enormous and reliable hands. Miami, Florida, and Tennessee are early verbal offers for Brooks.
Notes
**2019 Deerfield Beach LB Ge’mon Eaford surprised and named Miami his leader at the event.
**On one rep in linemen drills, 2019 Cardinal Gibbons DE Khris Bogle beat his man, then flashed "The U".
**2020 Canes commit WR Marc Britt was scheduled to participate, but sat out with an unknown leg injury. He was in a walking boot on the sidelines.
**Current Canes that showed up included: DE Demetrius Jackson, WR Lawrence Cager, and DT signee Nesta Silvera. Also, former Hurricanes OL Brandon Washington was out there helping run some linemen drills.
**2019 Cardinal Gibbons RB Vincent Davis won the “Fastest Man” competition with a 4.49 40.
**Although he wasn’t at the camp, I got a nice little tidbit about Canes commit 2020 WR Jermaine Burton from one of his former coaches at IMG, former NFL player Kevin Vickerson, who was also helping out in the linemen drills. On Burton: “Wow. Wooooooowww. He’s the truth. Just a special type of athlete. I can see him in the NFL one day, no question.”
**It got heated in the linemen drills between some Canes DL commits and IMG OL Charles Turner. Daxon bullied Turner on a rep, bowling him backwards into the pylon in 1-on-1’s. Turner took exception to the physical play and shoved Daxon out of frustration after the rep. Daxon then threw up “The U” in Turner’s face, to which Turner responded by giving him an “upside down U”. They had to be separated by coaches. A few reps later, Cameron Williams blew right by Turner on a rep, and he too threw up a “U” in Turner’s face. They ran it back on the very next rep, and this time, Turner pummeled Williams into the dirt and gave his head a late shove while he was on the ground. The two started jawing back and forth with Williams laughing it off and Turner looking ****ed.
**Things also escalated quickly in WR/DB 1-on-1’s. Dunmore was straight disrespecting Lafrance in 1-on-1’s after a couple of testy reps. As Dunmore crossed his face, he slapped Lafrance on the back of the head, broke free on a slant and scored. Then, Dunmore pegged Lafrance with the ball. I talked to Dunmore afterwards about it and he said he’s been friends with Lafrance since childhood and it was just competition. No harm, no foul.
