CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At the start of Sunday, 66 athletes had earned invitations to The Opening July 5-10 in Beaverton, Oregon. By the end of the day, that number increased by six.
The Opening Charlotte regional saw an abundance of talent venture to Mallard Creek High School to battle for that coveted golden ticket to one of college football recruiting's most premier and prestigious events for high school athletes. More than 400 athletes were in attendance, and six more joined the ranks of the elite athletes already selected.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, wide receiver Tee Higgins validated his 5-star rating with a phenomenal performance throughout Sunday. Defensive backs Devon Hunter, from Chesapeake, Virginia, and A.J. Terrell, from Atlanta, are 4-star talents who showed versatility and patience in seven-on-seven drills.
Linebacker Sherrod Greene, a 3-star prospect, played like an athlete with a lot to prove Sunday, as did 3-star offensive tackle Blake Vinson, who had a solid day against gritty defensive linemen. Khalan Laborn showed why he is the No. 2-ranked all-purpose back in the 2017 class.
Here are some highlights from The Opening Charlotte:
#RunningManChallenge, extreme rules
Athletic teams from Maryland, Michigan and other programs have participated in the new social media craze called the #RunningManChallenge, where athletes do a run-in-place dance to the '90s hip-hop track "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJs.
The dance, as Maryland basketball players showed, brings a lot of laughs and can be a lot of fun:
The Opening decided to one-up the competition:
In a collaboration with Bleacher Report, The Opening had its entire group of athletes at Mallard Creek High School do the dance. Among those doing it was Elite 11 head coach Matt James, who spearheaded a fake "Fastest Man" race to organize the actual cuing of the dance.
Entering Sunday evening, the performance had been retweeted more than 8,000 times and "liked" more than 9,000 times on Twitter.
Atlanta DB continuing high school trend
Atlanta 4-star defensive back Terrell did his best to hide his emotions when he heard his name called as one of the invited participants to The Opening. Upon receiving his medal, he maintained a look that was almost stoic.
It was after the event when Terrell let his emotions out. It hit him that one of his longtime football dreams was coming true.
"I've dreamed of going to Oregon for The Opening since I was little," Terrell said. "I was happy, but I didn't really want to show it as much. I couldn't wait to get into the car, though."
Terrell said he's been following The Opening for a few years, and he was even more proud to keep his high school's trend going. Terrell attends Westlake High School, the same school Tennessee signee and The Opening alum Nigel Warrior attended before transferring to Peachtree Ridge High School.
"With Nigel, I looked up to him. We both play the same position, and people compare me to him with offers and how he's making for himself," Terrell said. "Now I'm following his footsteps and making a name for myself."
Shirt serves as battle scars for Florida OL
It was easy to tell Citra, Florida, offensive lineman Vinson had been in a few battles. As he walked up to receive his The Opening qualifier medal, he showcased a huge piece of his shirt missing near the lower part of his left shoulder.
Torn shirts are common with linemen at The Opening regionals. But for guys like Vinson, torn shirts are pleasant reminders of what hard work can produce. And for Vinson, the work produced a trip to Oregon in the summer.
"I tore it in finals against [4-star defensive end] Malik Herring," said Vinson, a 3-star offensive tackle listed at 6'4" and 280 pounds. "He ripped my shirt after an outside move, but it's OK, though.
"I've been thinking about [The Opening] the past couple of months. It's a really nice feeling; it's awesome."
Walkup gets ratings MVP award
Kendall Lewis wasn't on the initial The Opening Charlotte roster. He was listed as a walkup.
After his efforts on Sunday, no one will remember Lewis simply as the last-minute addition. The Charlotte wide receiver, who only has a reported offer from Miami (Ohio), per Rivals, recorded a ratings score of 121.41, capped by a vertical leap of 43.5 inches.
A receiver at Rocky River High School, Lewis' vertical jump is tied for fifth nationally among all athletes on the 2016 Nike+ Football Rating Leaderboard. The 6'1", 189-pound receiver also threw the power ball 41 feet, which is a top-five national score among wide receivers.
Backflips before, speechless after for invited RB
Before The Opening, Laborn was doing backflips—simply because other players told him he couldn't.
The Ocean Lakes, Virginia, 4-star running back had a fun time with fellow athletes before the start of the event, but when it was time to perform, he let his athleticism and work ethic speak for him. His efforts were enough for him to earn an invitation to Oregon.
"I feel good. I feel like a new man," Laborn said. "I wasn't expecting it. Certain things didn't go the way I thought it should go. Some of the drills didn't go the way I wanted."
Laborn said he didn't want to dwell on the negative, but he felt that errors here and there in running back drills—led by former pros Jamal Robertson and Natrone Means—ultimately would doom him of any shot at advancing to The Opening.
He was more than ecstatic when he found out his thoughts were incorrect.
"When they called my name—and then they called my name first—my jaw dropped," he said.
Laborn, at 5'9" and 193 pounds, has offers from Florida State, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Alabama, Georgia and a host of other schools.
For LB, act Super—as the emblem says
Greene wore a chain with a Superman emblem attached. Superman isn't his nickname, but his work on Sunday definitely was heroic.
Greene, a 3-star linebacker from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, did everything asked of him en route to earning an invitation to Beaverton. He went above and beyond in drills, and he left the facility with the respect of the multiple coaches in attendance.
"It feels great. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to compete," said Greene, who has offers from North Carolina State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, East Carolina and others. "I knew if I came out and competed and did what I do best, I would do a good job. To get an invite to go to Oregon...I just thank God for it all."
Greene then was asked about the emblem on his chain. The idea of taking up the nickname Superman isn't expected. At least not yet.
"I don't know about that," he said with a smile. "Maybe later. Maybe."
Learning and player-recruiting for Wolfpack commits
North Carolina State has four commits in its 2017 class. Two of the four were making it a priority to not only receive excellent tutelage from The Opening coaches but also use the time with athletes as an opportunity to do some player-recruiting.
Defensive tackle Grant Gibson and quarterback Matt McKay said Sunday was a great day to see talented players they believe can help benefit the future of North Carolina State football. Both players said they were in the ears of a few uncommitted players and hoped their words made some athletes consider being a part of the Wolfpack.
"I definitely came to recruit. I basically recruit every day, especially on Twitter," McKay said. "I tell them N.C. State's a great place that's very family oriented. I feel like we're going to the next level. It's time to join now."
"It's good to have your [future] teammates out here," Gibson added. "We're just trying to build something strong at N.C. State. It's just good that we all are out here getting a chance to compete.
South Carolina WR wins close 'Fastest Man' race
The Opening's "Fastest Man" race, which is quickly becoming one of the social-media fan favorites of the regional event, was so close that officials had to literally go to video to determine a winner.
And when the results were tallied, York, South Carolina, wide receiver Jaevion Matthews edged out West Columbia, South Carolina's Kerryon Richardson, Washington, D.C.'s Christian Braswell and Douglasville, Georgia's Jaytlin Askew—all of whom are athletes who lined up as defensive backs at The Opening.
To earn a spot in the "Fastest Man" race, Matthews ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.
Acrobatic Tennessee WR makes a name for himself
He may not have been named wide receiver camp MVP or earned an invitation to The Opening on Sunday, but Zack Dobson proved he was a show-stealer.
Dobson, from Knoxville, Tennessee, had a few memorable moments and made sure the public talked about him once everyone left. For starters, the 5'8", 170-pound athlete recorded a vertical jump of 41 inches. His leaping ability proved to be a topic of discussion, particularly after finding out his vertical jump.
Shortly after, Dobson showed his athleticism with a super-acrobatic backflip off a brick wall. He finished his day by making two exceptional catches in the half-skelly showdown, which helps to determine camp MVPs at each position, primarily the quarterbacks.
"I'm here to have fun, man," Dobson said. "Gotta show everybody what I can do."
Dobson reportedly has offers from Austin Peay, Jackson State, Charleston Southern and Tennesse Tech. Tennessee, Oklahoma State and West Virginia are among the schools showing interest.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings, unless otherwise noted. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles