BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Wednesday was the second day of The Opening, but the first full day of action on the fields. There were plenty of big-time throws, some incredible catches by tight ends and several great one-on-one matchups between the offensive and defensive linemen. Here's a closer look at some of the top moments from Wednesday's practice.
Quite possibly the most anticipated matchup of the event happened on Wednesday when the No. 1-ranked player in the country, defensive tackle Rashan Gary, went up against the No. 2-ranked player, offensive tackle Greg Little, in back-to-back one-on-one battles. Gary certainly got the best of Little in the first rep, while Little won the second matchup.
Two reps of No1 vs No. 2. Rashan Gary vs Greg Little https://t.co/3IzAwtawHF
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 8, 2015
No. 1 Rashan Gary had No. 2 Greg Little on skates. https://t.co/09IZR0piOM
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 8, 2015
The Elite 11 standings heading into the fourth day of the competition look a lot like they did after the third day. At the top of the list again is Texas quarterback commit Shane Buechele. Maryland commitment Dwayne Haskins Jr. made a nice climb up the list to the third spot, while Stanford pledge K.J. Costello slid from second to fifth. RecruitingNation's No. 1-ranked quarterback and Georgia commit Jacob Eason sits in the seventh slot.
The 2015 #Elite11 Finals rankings heading into Day 4 of the competition #KeepClimbing pic.twitter.com/q6VJ52gFva
— Elite11 (@Elite11) July 8, 2015
South Carolina quarterback commitment Brandon McIlwain had a good Wednesday, especially during one-on-ones. McIlwain was deadly accurate with his back-shoulder fades, and he connected several times with Stanford tight end pledge Kaden Smith.
#Gamecocks QB commit Brandon McIlwain throws perfect back shoulder fade to #Stanford pledge Kaden Smith. #TheOpening pic.twitter.com/kx8nCer748
— Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree) July 8, 2015
ESPN 300 wide receiver Tyler Vaughns had several nice receptions on the day. In the below Vine video, Vaughns runs a great route, then goes up high to reel in a deep pass. Demetris Robertson, an ESPN 300 wide receiver, actually flipped to defensive back for a few reps, including this one.
WR Tyler Vaughns with a great catch over Demetris Robertson https://t.co/p1c1c1Pjyb
— Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN) July 8, 2015
Team Lunarbeast made for an interesting sight at the linebacker position, where USC commits Mique Juarez and Daelin Hayes lined up around UCLA commit Krys Barnes. The fun will continue for Los Angeles football fans, as UCLA defensive back commit Jordan Parker and USC offensive commits Josh Imatorbhebhe and Melquise Stovall are on the team as well.
Fun LB group for Team LunarBeast. L to R: USC commit Mique Juarez, UCLA commit Krys Barnes, USC commit Daelin Hayes pic.twitter.com/Ey01JZMTrD
— Erik McKinney (@EMcKinneyESPN) July 8, 2015
Penn State defensive back commit Lavert Hill made several pass breakups on the day, including this pass which was intended for South Carolina wide receiver commit Bryan Edwards.
Penn State DB commit Lavert Hill against Bryan Edwards https://t.co/6ReipHDgXg
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 8, 2015
There are eight 2017 prospects in attendance this year, and Alabama commit Najee Harris hit the ground running Tuesday, making this one-handed grab during one-on-one drills against the linebackers.
2017 Alabama commit Najee Harris showing he belongs out here at The Opening https://t.co/ubJTjqmZTQ
— Erik McKinney (@EMcKinneyESPN) July 8, 2015
ESPN 300 wide receiver Trevon Diggs had a few impressive reps during the one-on-one portion of the practice. In this Vine video, Diggs beats 2017 athlete Deangelo Gibbs on a slant route.
WR Trevon Diggs against 2017 Deangelo Gibbs https://t.co/AtSUcS9Kle
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) July 8, 2015
Tennessee quarterback pledge Jarrett Guarantano entered the day as the fourth-ranked quarterback in the Elite 11 standings. But he showed during the testing phase of the The Opening that he can do more than just pass the ball. His powerball throws of 39 and 40 feet were quite impressive, especially for a quarterback.
#Vols QB commit Jarrett Guarantano with powerball throws of 39 and 40 at #TheOpening. VERY good numbers for a QB. pic.twitter.com/yva0cviQDj
— Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree) July 8, 2015
No. 1 receiver Kyle Davis also impressed with his powerball throw. Davis' throw of 45 feet rivaled some tosses by the linemen at the event. Davis was once committed to South Carolina, but he backed away from that pledge and is now looking hard at Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
WR Kyle Davis with a powerball throw of 45 feet. That's heck of number for WR. #TheOpening. Former #Gamecocks commit. pic.twitter.com/qezMtn6LCn
— Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree) July 8, 2015