College Football Recruiting 2013: Top 25 Recruits Participating in The Opening

Right now, as we speak, 150 of the nation's best recruits are preparing for their arrival at Nike Headquarters in Oregon.

No, they are not going shopping—these 150 elite prospects are slated to participate in the four-day event known as The Opening.

This four-day event, which Landon Collins won MVP honors at last year, will feature a sea of the best of the best in college football recruiting. The prospects will be put through a series of rigorous workouts, drills, competitions and seven-on-seven games.

For this read, I'm here to give you the top 25 prospects who will be on hand this week. 

25. Jake Raulerson, OT

Raulerson is a Texas commit who is a 6'5", 250-pound football-playing Jessie. He likely will play OT in Austin due to his quick feet, mean streak and great athleticism.

Raulerson, whom I called possibly the most versatile player in the country, can also play OG, DE, OLB, FB and TE. His athleticism and versatility make him a prime-time prospect and someone I will be tracking this week at The Opening.

24. Laquon Treadwell, WR

Treadwell is an Illinois native who goes in the 6'2", 190-pound range. He shows a long frame that helps him get to balls all around him.

However, Treadwell's best asset is his play speed, as he gets off the line, slips press with quickness or eats up cushion well in a flash. He shows solid separation quickness and gets behind the safeties.

I think he ends up at Michigan, but don't sleep on Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.

23. Leon McQuay, S

McQuay comes from Florida, where he is perhaps the top safety prospect in the state.

A 6'1", 185-pounder, McQuay can run well and has good hands. I also like his coverage awareness, ball vision and ability to jump passing lanes. It's going to be very interesting to see how QBs deal with McQuay during the 7-on-7 portion of The Opening.

Michigan, Vanderbilit and USC are the top suitors here. 

22. Caleb Brantley, DT

Brantley is listed at 6'3" and 310 pounds, but he probably has gotten himself back down in the 295-300-pound range this spring.

Brantley has great size and strength to man the interior DT spot. He shows a solid surge off the ball, can stack blocks well and has the strength to anchor and make messes against the run.

He's committed to Florida, yet will take some trips. It will be great to see him in the one-on-one drills versus some of the top O-linemen in the country this week.

21. Dontre Wilson, RB/ATH

Wilson is a 5'10", 180-pounder from Texas who is heading out of the Lone Star State to ball at Oregon for his college career. He has excellent speed and quickness, and he is a terror in the open field.

One of the best space players in the country, Wilson can factor as a RB, slot WR or Wildcat QB on offense while returning kicks and punts. Look for him to time and test well while also showing out in the 7-on-7 games.

20. Tahaan Goodman, S

Goodman is a 6'2", 190-pound safety prospect from Southern California who has risen up the boards this spring. He has excellent athletic tools, combined with natural football-playing skills.

Goodman, who is quite open in his recruitment, has great range, speed, ball skills, instincts, vision and extremely physicality. I expect him to be one of the overall standouts this week, as he loves to compete and can be a big-time enforcer on the back end.

19. Shane Morris, QB

Morris will spend his time at The Opening showcasing his skills while also recruiting for Michigan.

A 6'3" 190-pound Michigan native, Morris is a lefty with solid drop-back quickness and athleticism to elude the rush. He keeps his eyes downfield and sets up quickly to fire a strike downfield.

Morris' skill set reminds me of a left-handed Tony Romo, as he can get outside the pocket and make throws on the run.

18. O.J. Howard, TE

From and committed to Alabama, Howard is going to be one of the top overall pure athletes at The Opening this week.

Howard stands 6'5" and 225 pounds, and he has easy movement skills, agility, quick feet, speed, leaping ability and more. He can factor as a TE, DE or OLB.

Don't be shocked to see Howard rush some as a DE, but look for him to mainly spend his time working out with the pass-catchers at The Opening. 

17. DeMarcus Walker, DL

Walker is a scheme-versatile DL who goes 6'4" and around 280 pounds on the hook. He shows an excellent surge off the ball and shoot gaps, not to mention the size to hold his own in a 30-front.

It'll likely be Alabama or Florida for Walker, as he should be a standout in the SEC. O-lines are going to have problems blocking him in the 1-on-1 drills due to his quickness, size and fight to pressure.

16. Ryan Green, RB

Green is committed to Florida State and reminds me a bit of LeSean McCoy.

A Sunshine State native, at 5'10" and 185 pounds, Green's best asset is his speed. He can break to the house with a burst to and through holes, skate up to the second level or juice to the edges. I also like him on screens and in space.

Look for Green to become a prime target out of the backfield in the passing shootouts this week.

15. Priest Willis, DB

Willis looks like a safety, but can play cornerback with ease. From Arizona, he stands 6'2", 190 pounds and has loose hips and quick feet to help him react and mirror his man.

Willis also has the speed to attach and carry a WR around the field, plus the length to fight and challenge for the football like a WR.

He's still very open in his recruitment, but Willis is becoming a hot commodity on the recruiting trail.

14. Christian Hackenburg, QB

Hackenburg is a 6'3", 215-pound QB from Virginia who is Bill O'Brien's prized QB pupil at Penn State.

Possessing a strong arm and quick release, Hackenburg has risen up boards and grades out well on tape. He shows the traits of a rhythm passer from the pocket, good toughness to hang tight to make tight throws and great accuracy to his targets downfield.

Hackenburg should fare well this week and should show why he's the QB of the future for the Nittany Lions.

13. Eddie Vanderdoes, DT

A Northern California native, Vanderdoes is a huge, 6'4", 300-pound DL prospect who could be the strongest player overall at The Opening this week.

Vanderdoes shows incredible upper body strength, can toss to shed blockers with ease, anchors down to make a mess versus the run and fights to pressure as a rusher. It'll be extremely interesting to see which O-lines challenge him during the 1-on-1 rushing drills.

Vanderdoes is still open to about 15 schools on the recruiting front.

12. Kendall Fuller, CB

Fuller is an excellent athlete from the D.C. area who likely will line up at CB this week. At 6'0" and 185 pounds, he shows great size, length and awesome agility on the perimeter.

Fuller, who likely will decide between Virginia Tech, Clemson and Michigan, has the traits of a great man-to-man cover corner. He keys on his man's hips, has the feet to come out of transition and drive to sharply close on the ball quickly and has the speed to make plays. 

11. Tyrone Swoopes, QB

Committed to and from Texas, Swoopes is the headliner of the Longhorns' 2013 class. He's viewed as a new-and-improved Vince Young and is still improving his craft.

Swoopes has a desire to get better, so I expect him to come out of The Opening a better player than going in. He already stands 6'4" and 220 pounds, and he has a strong arm, excellent athleticism, improving accuracy and can dazzle with his legs.

10. Carl Lawson, DE

Lawson is a 6'2", 250-pound DE who could be a huge problem at this event for OL's.

Lawson, a Georgia native, is committed to Auburn, and if he were a few inches taller could be the top DE in country. He flies off the ball, has a great fight to pressure and can surge when he smells blood in the water. Lawson shows great speed to crash down from the backside to hawk a ball-carrier in pursuit while also showing the strength to stack and combat head-on attacks.

He's a player to watch this week.

9. Cam Burrows, DB

Burrows is the top DB in the Midwest this year, and he has excellent size at 6'2" and 195 pounds. 

An Ohio native, Burrows is a future Buckeye who can ball as a cover corner or safety. He shows great speed to recover on the perimeter, can get out of transition quickly and uses his size to take balls away from WRs in the air.

8. Matthew Thomas, OLB

Thomas is a Miami native who is 6'3" and 205 pounds. He can play in a 4-3 or 3-4 and can excel at any role in which you fit him.

Showing great pursuit speed, Thomas can beat blockers to spots to make stops on the ball. He also has the athleticism to play well in space while also showing great pass-rush ability.

Look for Thomas to see some snaps as a rushing DE/OLB in the 1-on-1s this week.

7. Eli Woodard, CB

Woodard probably will be among the smartest and most instinctive players at The Opening this week.

A New Jersey native, Woordard is a 6'0", 185-pound DB prospect. Committed to Ohio State, he could see himself develop into a free safety, but for now, he looks like cornerback.

Woodard shows great athleticism, natural cover instincts, awareness, is rarely out of position, quickly reads routes and has a muscular frame with length to be an effective jammer at the line.

6. Jaylon Smith, OLB

The top OLB prospect in the nation, Smith will head to Oregon this week to maintain that status. From Indiana, he goes 6'3" and 225 pounds on the hoof.

Smith should actually stand out in the passing portion of the series, as he excels at coverage versus the pass. Whether you need him to latch onto a TE or RB releasing, Smith can do it with ease as well as dropping into a zone and playing instinctively and with awareness.

A Notre Dame pledge, Smith also is effective with the pads on, showing good strength, instincts and speed to blitz well. 

5. Ty Isaac, RB

From Illinois, Isaac is a 6''3", 220-pound running back prospect who is committed to USC.

For such a big rock-toter, Isaac actually has an elusive and speed-based running style. He shows great vision, run instincts, speed to burst to and through run alleys and excellent elusiveness. He also can get to the perimeter and pull away from defenders in the open field.

Isaac reminds a little bit of Darren McFadden.

4. Max Browne, QB

Browne is the QB I'm most anxious to see toss the rock at The Opening. I have him ranked as the No. 1 QB on my board, as do many other recruiting publications.

He stands 6'5", 215 pounds and is from the Seattle area, yet is sewn up to USC. Browne has great mechanics and a quick release as well as great arm strength, accuracy and field vision. He anticipates well and is excellent in the pre-snap phase of the position.

Browne should light up the 7-on-7 portion of the series.

3. Ricky Seals-Jones, WR/TE

RS-J is from Texas and plays at 6'5" and around 220 pounds. He could be a WR stuck in a TE's body or a TE who plays like a WR, but anyway you slice it, this guy can ball.

In fact, Seals-Jones plays QB for his high school team, but look for him to work out with the WRs this week. His size, speed, athleticism, length and natural playmaking ability should give DBs fits all week long.

I think he could re-commit to Texas in the coming months before signing day.

2. Vernon Hargreaves III, CB

Hargreaves is the top cover corner in the country and is from the Tampa Bay, Fla., area. He stands 5'11", 185 pounds and has great technique for a prep player.

Hargreaves will slow down the game, gather information on a WR's steps in his route, play aware and instinctively, process the information and then let his quick transition, plan and drive close on the ball to break up the pass. He's at his best in off-man coverage and in zone.

It could come down to Florida vs. South Florida on the recruiting front.

1. Reuben Foster, LB

Foster is the best football player who will be at this event and actually could very well be the best player in the country. At 6'2" and 245 pounds, Foster is a Georgia native who is committed to Alabama.

Foster could indeed be the best LB prospect to ever come out in modern recruiting. He plays with excellent instincts, force, strength, speed, quickness, vision and is a natural playmaker. There's really nothing he can't physically do; nevertheless, I expect him to use this event to improve his pass coverage awareness and skills.

Edwin Weathersby has worked in scouting/player personnel departments for three professional football teams, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena League. He spent a year evaluating prep prospects and writing specific recruiting and scouting content articles for Student Sports Football (now ESPN Rise-HS).

A syndicated scout and writer, he's also contributed to WeAreSC.com, GatorBait.net and Diamonds in the Rough Inc., a college football and NFL draft magazine.