The Opening Workout One Top Performers and Notes

Some of the nation's top skill players get into gear in the first part of a two-day workout

HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- As the quarterbacks at the Elite 11 were busy essentially throwing footballs through tires, The Opening kicked off with an AM testing period. 40-yard dash's were clocked, verticals were measured, and the fastest man was crowned.

SI All-American was in attendance to see who out of this already impressive group of skill players had the more refined skillsets when they went through one-on-ones with the Elite 11 quarterbacks. The quarterbacks arrived midway through The Opening,  after they completed accuracy and gauntlet drills earlier in the morning.

Top Performers at The Opening AM workout

Raleek Brown was nearly unstoppable in the one-on-one's period both out of the slot and the backfield. A thick yet nimble back, Brown looks the part of a between the tackles bruiser, but we caught him buzzing by every linebacker he faced. 

Class of 2023 tight end Duce Robinson out of Phoenix, Arizona was a force in the one-on-one period. As a prototypical size-speed matchup nightmare, Robinson was borderline unguardable. He also displayed impressive ball skills and concentration. 

Chandler, Arizona wideout Kyion Grayes II was the most polished receiver at the workout. His release at the line of scrimmage captured our attention and allowed him to create a ton of separation later in his route. 

Anaheim wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan showed how deserving he is of all the hype around his game, living up to his billing as one of the top wide receivers in the country. He won some tough, heavily contested jump balls. 

It was fascinating to see how McMillan interacted with other players, at times lighting up and laughing with others, and sometimes standing off to the side by himself to fine tune his footwork, or work on selling the fakes in his routes. He makes it look like the game doesn’t require much of him.

AJ Harris, the 6-foot-2 cornerback out of Phenix City was one of the standouts on defense Friday. His polished game was on full display and you could see why schools like Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State are after him so hard.

He has a college-ready body and did nothing but confirm his potential with explosive play and strong testing numbers. Despite being a 2023 prospect, Harris was still one of the best corners at the event. 

Houston native, cornerback Julian Humphrey was consistently flashy and displayed elite change of direction and hip mobility. Humphrey mirrored some of the best receivers at the event in a release drill, and brought the same technique with him to the one-on-ones without missing a beat. 

Fastest man race @TheOpening won by Florida Gator commit @JulianH2022 @SIAllAmerican pic.twitter.com/7mEl3qJUS2

— Matt Solorio (@StripSackLunch) July 2, 2021

Dayton, Ohio Linebacker CJ Hicks displayed sticky coverage against the running backs out of the backfield. He also showed aggressiveness and sound fundamentals in the close-and-tackle period. Super Bowl Champion and former first-round draft pick Devin White also complimented Hicks' game as the one-on-one period came to a close. 

Notes From Around the Camp

Camp Counselors at The Opening included LSU defensive backs Elias Ricks and Derrick Stingley as well as Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry, Devin White, and Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams.

Coaches let players get pretty physical, but didn’t hesitate to throw the yellow laundry--more often than not for defensive holding. This may speak to the quality of the quarterbacks and the wide receivers, but there weren’t any interceptions during the one-on-one periods at Friday’s first event.

Cyrus Moss was also a name we saw on the roster before Friday, but he was not in attendance at Friday’s first event.

Many of the counselors spent time with the athletes focusing on footwork and technique. However, more than a handful of players were slipping as their cleats were having a tough time gripping the turf.

Florida cornerback commit Julian Humphrey won the fastest man challenge, competing against the likes of Oklahoma running back commit Raleek Brown and USC cornerback commit Domani Jackson for the crown.