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The Opening: Top Performers From 7On Pool Play

Following a day full of testing and competition, The Opening 7on7 kicked of Friday night in Manhattan Beach, California. We recap the top performers here.

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MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. -- After a morning filled with testing circuits, individual periods, and 1on1 competitions, The Opening kicked off their 7on7 circuit on Friday night in Manhattan Beach, California. We recap the top performers here on SI All-American. 

Offense

Arguably the top performer on the day for any team, 2022 Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange wideout Jayden Gibson showed incredible athleticism and an ability to catch the ball in traffic at any level of the defense. He also displayed an ability to high-point the ball as well as any other receiver in the camp. Gibson was beating defensive backs deep, running great routes, and finished with at least seven touchdowns on the day. Clemson wideout Justyn Ross was in attendance at the event, and raved about Gibson’s ability -- high praise from a future first round pick.

Typical to his 7on7 performances in the southeast, Oscar Delp continued to be a friendly target for his quarterbacks Friday in Manhattan Beach, California. At 6’5, nearing 225 pounds, he’s a fluid athlete with strong hands, making contested catches on a consistent basis. He’s efficient at the line of scrimmage against press coverage and has an advanced ability to find voids when facing zone coverage.

It may be getting repetitive, but Clemson quarterback commit Cade Klubnik continues to prove himself as one of the best prospects in Manhattan Beach this weekend. He got the Royal team’s offense flowing after two stagnant games, tossing a red zone touchdown in traffic to Oscar Delp and attacking the boundary with solid ball placement.

Fellow QB Ty Simpson only put the ball where his receiver could make a play on it. From midfield to the red zone, Simpson was surgical against the same defense that had held green team scoreless in a previous game. Despite throwing one interception on a hurry-up rollout pass to the pylon, Simpson was immaculate. His release was quick, and he doesn’t give defenders the opportunity to read his eyes and body language. He rose above the rest of the throwers on his team.

Wide receiver Jalen Hale was silky smooth in and out of his cuts, and caught a couple of nice catches in the end zone for scores. He rose up a head above the defender a few times. Hale also caught a contested pass in the back of the end zone. 

2022 Washington commitment Germie Bernard was arguably the most consistent receiving option for his squad and connected with Devin Brown for a score. He was also in a good groove with Auburn quarterback commit Holden Geriner, who dropped in a beautiful over the shoulder pass near the sideline to get his team into scoring position. 

2023 tight end prospect Duce Robinson didn’t show his age at all, fitting in with some of the top talent in the country. He carries around 230 pounds on his 6-foot-6 frame really well and was all over the place in 7 on 7 action, making plays, connecting with USC quarterback Devin Brown for a touchdown. He’s physical, can do anything you need from a tight end--which is reflected in his extensive offer sheet. 

Defense

Texas A&M commitment Bobby Taylor formed a nasty tandem with USC commit Domani Jackson for Team Anthracite, and didn’t hear his name called much. Of course it's typically a good sign for a defensive back. He showed up in the big moments, including a pass break up in the end zone and showed good recovery speed when Keenan WR Speer-Johnson had him beat off the line--catching up with him just in time to guide him out of bounds near the goal line. He also played very physical, contesting multiple highpoint balls and ripping the jump balls for possession. 

Marietta (Ga.) 2022 linebacker Daniel Martin may have been the top dog among coverage linebackers, recording a pick-six off of a good pass from USC QB commit Devin Brown and breaking up at least two more in various games. Martin was fluid in his coverage drops and showed off impressive speed closing on the ball.

After a morning of elite testing measurables, AJ Harris flashed on the field in 7on7 as well. With two interceptions on congruent drives, Harris's ball skills and elite recognition ability were on display on Friday night. With a college-ready frame at just a rising junior, the Phenix City, Alabama native is one of the top defensive back prospects in the 2023 class to date. 

Florida cornerback commitment Julian Humphrey made numerous plays on the ball through seven on seven, including two impressive pass breakups in the end zone, one being against lengthy wide receiver Jayden Gibson on a pass from Miami commit Jacurri Brown. What may have been more impressive, however, was Humphrey showing off his receiving skills pregame: Catching two deep passes at once, one with one hand.

One of the standout defensive players on Friday, Ohio State linebacker commitment CJ Hicks was all over the field. Hicks ran sideline to sideline and set the tone with his intensity and athleticism. Perhaps his biggest highlight of the day came late in the event, when he had a pick six -- his second pick of the day. Hicks was a big talker, but backed up just about every word with his play on the field.

2024 DB Omillio Agard had a couple nice pass breakups on the boundary, notable given he lined up in the slot for the majority of his reps. He was making the most noise on the green team defense. Twitchy but rangy, he covered his assignment very well.

The final day of the Elite 11 Finals/The Opening takes place Sunday at Mira Costa High School. 

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