The Opening has the best collection of high school talent in the country. When you bring this many talented players to one place and hold a 7-on-7 tournament, you’re going to get some incredible matchups.
The matchup that I was most looking forward to, and finally got to see today, was Ermon Lane matched up against Tony Brown.
Lane is widely considered to be one of the best receivers – if not the outright best receiver – not only in the state of Florida, but in the entire country. Brown, a cornerback from Ozen High School in Texas, is also widely considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in the country.
These kinds of matchups are what make the Opening different from other camps and 7-on-7 tournaments.
Gator Country caught up with Lane after the game to talk about the matchup and his surprising touchdown celebration. We asked Lane what it was like going up against a very physical corner in Brown.
“He [Tony Brown] good. He’s gonna talk to you during the game,” Lane said. “He’s fast, physical. He’s one of the best corners I’ve gone up against, him, Quincy [Wilson], Chris Lammons, they all play the same, but he’s real physical.”
We’ve seen Ermon at several events this summer and he hasn’t had any trouble creating separation and making plays. Brown got the best of Lane the first time the two were matched up, but Lane got the best of him on a long reception and a touchdown. Lane surprised everyone who was watching the game when the uncommitted wide receiver threw up a Gator Chomp to celebrate the touchdown.
“Oh Lord. It wasn’t really nothing,” Lane said. “Before the game me and Dalvin [Cook] were talking and he said, ‘if you score on Tony Brown do the Gator chomp for me one time,’ so I scored on him and did it.”
Dalvin Cook has been recruiting hard for the Gators in Oregon. He’s been talking to a lot of players, but he has been recruiting Lane the hardest.
“The chomp was for Dalvin. He’s been in my ear for a while now,” Lane told Gator Country. “Since we’ve been up here, he comes over to my room and screams out ‘Gator Nation’ and he sends me text messages and stuff saying ‘Gator Nation. He’ll text me or call me and say ‘Gator Nation’ and hang up.”
Lane will visit Gainesville for Friday Night Lights and while he doesn’t plan on working out at the camp, he will use the visit to meet with the coaching staff and some of the Gator commits that he has become friends with this weekend and throughout the recruiting process.