Highlights and Analysis from The Opening Chicago Regional

ADDISON, Ill. — Saturday morning began with 92 players qualified for The Opening, the prestigious event featuring some of the nation's elite high school football players. Four more players added their names to the growing list after participating in The Opening Chicago regional at Addison Trail High School.

The 4-star quartet of offensive tackle Trey Smith, linebacker Josh Ross, safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell and cornerback Amir Riep added their names and punched their tickets to Beaverton, Oregon, in July for the big event. Smith earned his second trip to The Opening after competing as one of the select few underclassmen chosen to attend last year.

Additionally, Clemson quarterback commit Hunter Johnson earned an invitation to the Elite 11 finals next month in Los Angeles. He could qualify for The Opening with a strong performance in the finals.

Here are some highlights from Saturday's action:

Bloody nose no problem for 2-time The Opening invite

Health-wise, Smith has had a relatively good high school football career. The Jackson, Tennessee, 4-star tackle—who found himself ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2017 class by ESPN last month—said prior to Saturday that he's only had to deal with minor ankle injuries in football.

Saturday afternoon, Smith, the No. 59 overall player and No. 11 offensive tackle in 247Sports' composite rankings (which combines player rankings of "major media recruiting services"), sustained a bloody nose after getting head-butted during lineman drills. And while the shot to the face stung, Smith said he would do it all over again if it meant earning another trip to The Opening, which he achieved.

"I've never had a bloody nose. This was the first time, but I'm OK; it was worth it," Smith said. "It's humbling getting back to The Opening. A lot of dudes don't make it once. It's an honor, very special."

As for his face, Smith—who lost a lot of blood following the hit—didn't want anyone crying for him.

"You get a bloody nose, and you keep going," he said. "I mean, it's football."

Smith has 26 reported offers, including Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and others.

RB Ellison shines after overcoming injuries

Pickerington, Ohio, 2-star running back Morgan Ellison can be called a victim of misfortune. He's yet to play a full high school varsity season because of a broken leg before the first game of his junior year and a broken right leg during the second game of his sophomore year.

Don't let his star rating fool you, however. Ellison showed his talent Saturday by not only winning running back MVP honors for the camp but also taking the ratings MVP award with a score of 119.04, which included a 40-yard dash time of 4.79 seconds, a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.13 seconds, a vertical jump of 34.4 inches and a power ball toss of 43 feet.

And all of this happened in chilly conditions.

"

The opening Overall MVP and running back MVP #Blessed #Stillnoinvite #2Chains pic.twitter.com/isCrbNQdA4

— Morgan-Ellison (@MorganEllisonFB) May 14, 2016"

"I just think God's working for me," said Ellison, who picked up his first offer from Toledo on April 27. "I've been working hard in the weight room every day and with my teammates, and the hard work is starting to pay off."

Ohio State and Iowa State are two schools that haven't offered but are keeping a close watch on Ellison, who is excited about the opportunity of playing a full senior season in a couple of months.

LB Miller shows ruthless aggression in drill

"Cat and Mouse" is a popular drill at The Opening pitting running backs against linebackers, as running backs try to race to a line before being "tackled"—two-hand touched, palms up—by linebackers. It's normally a competitive event with the opportunity for a few moves that can make a running back well known on social media.

Memphis, Tennessee, linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr. decided to make the most out of his situation and steal the limelight from running backs, dominating the drill and getting social media to turn its attention to the linebackers after one play that drew multiple oohs and aahs.

Miller's the first to admit he plays the game with an aggressive nature, and while he didn't try to hurt anyone in the drill, he did want to make a statement.

"You can look at my film. That'll tell you a lot," Miller said of his aggression. "I told a Louisville coach that I like to hit a lot. He saw my film and got back with me ASAP. My film says it all; that's what I like to tell people."

Miller considered his performance a coming-out show of sorts. He said he didn't participate in camps his freshman and sophomore seasons and is now starting to familiarize himself with camp play.

He added that he feels he has something to prove to everyone.

"I feel I'm still being slept on," said Miller, who claims a dozen offers, including Louisville, Memphis, Colorado and Arkansas State. "I just wanted to make a statement to say that I'm here.

"When I'm doing a drill like that, I'm just saying he's not going to get to that line. When I'm going one-on-one in football, I'm making sure you're not going to beat me. I wasn't really trying to knock anybody off [his feet]. I got there so fast and just wanted to make sure he didn't pass me."

Florida RB back in action, bares cold temps

The Chicago-area temperatures never made it to 50 degrees Saturday afternoon. Add in a gusty wind, and the atmosphere was not what Michael Carter is used to.

Carter, a 3-star running back from Navarre, Florida, and one of a handful of Floridians competing in Illinois, chose The Opening Chicago regional to make a return to competitive action. Carter tore the PCL in his right knee in September and was excited about getting back on the field, even though he wasn't wearing a helmet or pads.

"I felt confident, and that's what I'm trying to work on," Carter said. "You can feel good, but I wanted to have confidence in that knee after surgery. I'm looking to reach my potential as much as I can before the season starts.

"It was cold, so cold. It was definitely different for me, but I was excited to be out there."

The confidence might have doubled after successfully competing in chilly temperatures where injuries can occur more often than they do in warmer climates. Carter, who flew to Illinois with his father, said he now can focus on college football recruiting, which includes offers from North Carolina, Virginia, Oregon State and others.

"I'll narrow my schools soon and look to make a commitment before the season, definitely before signing day," he said.

Fire in the cold: Minnesota RB wins 'Fastest Man'

Many thought Saturday was a cold day in the Chicago area, and some might have assumed 40-yard-dash times were affected by the chilly temperatures.

Don't pitch that rhetoric to Deyon Campbell. As an unrated running back from Hopkins, Minnesota, Campbell showed in the "Fastest Man" race that temperature is merely a state of mind to him. Campbell outraced Little Rock, Arkansas, cornerback Orlando Henley and Muskegon, Michigan, wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton, a Virginia Tech commit, to win.

Campbell ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash (laser time) in early-morning ratings testing to qualify for the three-man race. He then won the "Fastest Man" race with a hand-held time of 4.36 seconds.

Tweets from Addison, Illinois

Looking for a reliable bully? Try Illinois athlete Christian Sampleton, who plays both defensive end and tight end at Nazareth Academy.

Sampleton on Saturday lined up on the defensive side of the ball...and he didn't disappoint:

It's always fun to watch the linemen run the 40-yard dash. Notre Dame commit Josh Lugg showed his determination with every step:

Wisconsin pledge Tyler Beach was not to be outdone:

Perhaps one of the best moments of The Opening took place away from the field. A group of athletes were spotted before the start of the event discussing college recruiting and how athletes don't need 30 or 40 offers to consider their process complete.

"It only takes one" was a message stated by several athletes in a group consisting of Smith, Beach, Lugg, running back Dominik London and others.

As for action on the field, Kelly-Powell was seen taken a few extra snaps in one-on-one drills throughout the day. He lost a couple of rounds, but it was the multiple victories that made him fun to watch.

Those victories also helped him earn an invitation to The Opening.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles