The Opening will take center stage starting on Thursday, running through Sunday when the top prospects in the country step in foot in Beaverton, Oregon.
Prospects will go through the Sparq challenge to see who tests out the best at four events, which are the 40 yard dash, vertical jump, power ball and shuttle run.
The Florida Gators don’t have any commits at the event at this time, but they have several targets that will participate in the event. The event also includes a 7-on-7 tournament, as the prospects are split up into teams.
Several of the Gators targets in the Opening are also offensive and defensive linemen as they will have a linemen challenge in Oregon.
The Gators also have a few 2018 prospects that are among the select few to make the event as underclassmen.
Gator Country will preview the prospects that are Gators targets so you can follow along with their progress this week.
Athlete Markquese Bell (6-3, 194, Bridgeton, NJ) will play for team Mach Speed during the 7-on-7 competition this week. Bell has visited the Gators this spring and has Florida high on his list.
Linebacker K.J. Britt (6-0, 232, Oxford, AL) will play for team Fly Rush and has the Gators, Georgia and Auburn high on his list. Head coach Jim McElwain is personally recruiting Britt.
Ohio State offensive line commit Wyatt Davis (6-3, 319, St. John Bosco, CA.) committed to Ohio State this summer. Davis may still visit the Gators this fall as he had a lot of interest in Florida and Alabama.
Safety Grant Delpit (6-3, 181, Bradenton, FL IMG Academy) is on team Mach Speed and is planning to make a decision this month. Delpit is expected to pick LSU but says he will still take visits this summer and fall. The Gators should be one of the teams to get a visit.
Offensive lineman Obinna Eze (6-6, 277, Davidson Academy, TN.) picked up a Gators offer this spring but has yet to visit Gainesville. Eze is new to the recruiting process but has said he wants to visit Gainesville.
Cornerback Deangelo Gibbs (6-2, 200, Loganville, GA Grayson) will play for team Fly Rush this week. Gibbs is high on Georgia, Tennessee and Florida but Georgia appears the team to beat here.
Miami cornerback commit C.J. Henderson (6-1, 175, Miami, FL Columbus) is on team Alpha Pro and he has a lot of interest in the Gators. Henderson is someone that will continue look at both Miami and Florida this fall before making a final decision.
Offensive lineman Kai-Leon Herbert (6-4, 277, Plantation, FL American Heritage) makes his decision on Wednesday. Herbert is expected to pick between Florida and Michigan but the Wolverines look like the team to beat.
Safety Devon Hunter (6-1, 204, Indian River, VA) will play for team Hypercool this week and the Gators are in good shape with Hunter. The Gators are battling several teams here but Florida is in the lead group as Hunter is supposed to visit this month.
Receiver Jerry Jeudy (6-1, 180, Deerfield Beach, FL.) is on team VaporSpeed and is quietly becoming one of the top receivers in the country. Jeudy had Alabama on top for a while but the Gators are a team on the rise in his recruitment.
Running back Khalan Laborn (5-10, 199, Ocean Lakes, VA.) will play for team Mach Speed this week. Laborn is scheduled to visit Gainesville in July and the Gators are a team on the rise in his recruitment. Laborn is also high on North Carolina and Florida State.
Alabama offensive line commit Alex Leatherwood (6-6, 315, Pensacola, FL. Washington) has been flirting with Florida since last fall and that continues. Alabama did a good job of cooling off the Gators momentum last month but this battle will continue through the fall.
Tight end Tre McKitty (6-4, 235, Bradenton, FL. IMG Academy) makes his decision this week and his three finalists are Florida, Auburn and Oregon. It looks like Auburn will be the team to beat for the tight end.
Receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (6-2, 195, Detroit, MI Cass Tech) is on team Hypercool and is high on both Florida and Michigan right now. Ohio State is also in the mix here but most expect the Gators and Wolverines to battle it out through the fall and early winter.
Receiver James Robinson (6-3, 196, Lakeland, FL. High) will play for Mach Speed and is high on Florida and several others. Robinson is also talking to Ohio State but the Gators appear to be the team to beat right now.
Offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz (6-3, 314, Bradenton, FL IMG Academy) is a guy that has interest in the Gators as he plans to visit Gainesville soon. Ruiz has a lot of schools still in the mix.
2018 offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer (6-3, 327, Atlanta, GA. Pace Academy) picked up a Gators offer this summer during the Atlanta satellite camp. Salyer has interest in both Florida and Georgia right now.
2018 defensive back Patrick Surtain Jr. (6-2, 181, Plantation, FL. American Heritage) is one of the top defensive backs in next year’s class and will play for team Alpha Pro. The Gators are a team in the mix for Surtain.
Cornerback A.J. Terrell (6-2, 179, Atlanta, GA. Westlake) is on team Fly Rush and is a top target for the Gators. Florida, Clemson and Georgia are battling here but the Gators and Clemson appear to be the top two teams.
Ohio State cornerback commit Shaun Wade (6-1, 177, Jacksonville, FL. Trinity Christian) is on team Lunarbeast this week. Wade has a lot of interest in Alabama and Florida as well as Ohio State. All three will get visits before he makes a final decision in December.
Cornerback Marco Wilson (6-0, 175, Plantation, FL American Heritage) will play for Alpha Pro this week. Florida is one of the teams in the mix for Wilson.