The Biggest Takeaways from Tennessee's Recruits Performance at the Opening

Tennessee didn't have any commitments dominate The Opening camp like it did when Kahlil McKenzie wreaked havoc a year ago, but the Vols did have a quality representation.

No fewer than 15 viable UT targets participated in Nike's prestigious showcase event held in Beaverton, Oregon, and several of them proved they belong among the most elite of the athletes in attendance.

One of those was Vols quarterback commitment Jarrett Guarantano, who showed out for much of the Elite 11 competition. The New Jersey product proved he has the arm strength, size and athleticism to develop into an exceptional signal-caller.

The whole time Guarantano was out West, he made sure the top recruits had the Vols on their mind, telling 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong of the players he was recruiting:

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Trying for Kyle Davis, [Donnie] Corley, trying for [Binjimen] Victor out of Florida, of course you have Kareem [Walker], [Jordan] Fuller, Rashan [Gary], trying to see what’s going on with [Elijah] Holyfield. Of course there is the defensive tackle Derrick Brown and Nigel Warrior, Nigel Knott, those are a couple guys I know on the list for big-time guys.

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Though cornerback pledge Marquill Osborne's name didn't come up often in superlatives, many of the nation's top programs are trying to steal him away from the Vols. He didn't have the type of performance at The Opening that will surge him up the rankings, but just getting the invitation was an accomplishment.

With coach Butch Jones having two future Opening participants in the fold and turning up the pressure on several of the uncommitted targets, let's take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from UT commits and targets from the event.

Guarantano's Skill Set Unreal But Undeveloped

Credit: 247Sports

Before he struggled in Thursday's seven-on-seven competition, Guarantano was in the top three of the Elite 11 rankings. He free-fell to 10th after that day but wound up among the top 11 quarterbacks.

Part of the reason for Guarantano's inclusion in the final 11 was because of his superb athleticism. At one point during the week, the buzz surrounding the quarterback's Nike SPARQ rating was that it was the highest ever posted at his position in the event, which was later refuted by GoVols247's Ryan Callahan.

Still, posting a 120.06 is nothing to sneeze at.

It was the highest by a quarterback this year and among the best scores ever posted in the event. It earned him "eye-popper" status from 247Sports' Barton Simmons.

Guarantano ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, had a 37.5-inch vertical jump, had a 4.08-second performance in agility testing and threw the power ball 40 feet, among other attributes. Then, he went out in workouts and impressed.

Without defenders breathing down his neck, Guarantano flashed his special skills and was consistent and accurate. Coupled with the athleticism ratings, you can easily see why some of the nation's top teams, such as national champion Ohio State, were hot on his trail.

But Guarantano is by no means a finished product.

His high school stats aren't going to catch many eyes, and he must produce bigger numbers playing against some of the top competition in the state during his senior season. He has a lot to prove, even on the high school level, and while those skills are impressive, they need to be honed.

The seven-on-seven struggles exemplify that, as several different updates had Guarantano failing to hook up with targets and struggling with his consistency for the first time all week once the defensive backs started closing those receiver windows.

Guarantano's week proved why Vols fans have every reason to be excited, though. B/R colleague Barrett Sallee wrote why UT got a gem in Guarantano. 

Elite 11 coach and former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Trent Dilfer told USA Today's Paul Myerberg: "He's almost too talented," he said. "He's got everything you could ever want."

The best thing about Guarantano? He isn't needed right away at UT. With Joshua Dobbs only entering his junior season and just now realizing his own skills, it's likely the school-first signal-caller will be around in Knoxville for two more seasons.

Tennessee also signed a trio of freshmen quarterbacks in Quinten Dormady, Sheriron Jones and Jauan Jennings who'll start out ahead of Guarantano on the depth chart if all three are still at UT and playing quarterback.

So, the Vols have the position in a stable enough place for Guarantano to marinate. And when he does, his Opening performance proves he could be something special down the road.

Freddie Swain Should Be Among the Top WR Targets

Credit: 247Sports

Much of the buzz surrounding Tennessee receiver prospects has centered on the Georgia duo of Kyle Davis and Mecole Hardman, as well as Diondre Overton and Donnie Corley.

There's nothing wrong with that. All four are elite pass-catchers, and the Vols got some relatively good news on two of those at last week's event. Corley—long thought to be leaning toward Michigan State—put off announcing his college choice at The Opening.

Though he's still expected to be leaning toward the Spartans (the Detroit News' David Goricki reported he sported a MSU hat last week), it can't be viewed as anything but good news to the Vols and everybody else courting Corley that he didn't pledge.

Also, Davis' father told Al.com's Wesley Sinor that his son may not be the lock to Georgia that many think:

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With the spread offense that Tennessee, Auburn and South Carolina run, they really compliment him. It's always good to go into something that you know. I just don't see UGA being one that would actually develop him as well as some of the other schools would. I know Georgia is giving him a lot of hype about what they're doing…but Kyle needs to go to a school that best enhances his skill and somewhere that can prepare him for the next level.

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That's potentially a huge "Boom!" for the Vols' receiver recruiting efforts. Davis is the fifth-rated receiver in the country according to the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 1 receiver on 247Sports. He won the seven-on-seven MVP honors at The Opening. He's truly an athletic freak.

But perhaps an overlooked receiver target who would definitely be a take and who showed out in Oregon is Florida product Freddie Swain.

UT holds a large advantage in the Crystal Ball ratings for the Citra, Florida, receiver's signature. Though USC is a big threat for the silky smooth receiver, Tennessee is right at the top of his list.

And against the best defenders in the country, he proved he's a stud.

B/R recruiting writer Sanjay Kirpalani called Swain the biggest surprise at The Opening. In the story, Swain named a top four of the Vols, USC, Miami and Alabama. He also said he had a chip on his shoulder coming into the event considering how little fanfare he had.

"I feel like I definitely have something to prove," Swain told Kirpalani. "I don't really like my rankings and where I fit in nationally. I wanted to come here and open some peoples' eyes."

Swain may not have been discussed as much around UT message boards as he needed to be. But after a week of production, he will be now. He also may have plenty more suitors. Getting him would be a major coup for UT passing game coordinator and his lead recruiter Zach Azzanni.

The Nigels Should Be at the Top of the Wish List

Credit: 247Sports

A pair of star prospects who share the same first names are at the top of Tennessee's wish list at defensive back along with Joejuan Williams. The Opening proved why.

Nigel Warrior and Nigel Knott were two of the top performers there.

Knott was an athletic freak who displayed time after time his ability. Though the Vols may quietly have positioned themselves well in his recruitment, the Madison, Mississippi, cornerback told 247Sports' Chris Nee that Ole Miss and Mississippi State are his two current leaders.

The Ole Miss legacy did freakishly athletic things at the event, such as this:

He finished third in the overall SPARQ ratings. Knott also tested well when he went against receivers.

Meanwhile, Warrior was dominant. The Atlanta-area native and Tennessee legacy (he's the son of Vol legend Dale Carter) was pointed out all week as being a stud.

Kipp Adams of 247Sports named Warrior the "Alpha Dog" of the event one day.

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The Fly Rush secondary played lockdown defense on Thursday, and Nigel Warrior was the best of the bunch. Warrior gets the nod first because of his instinctive ability to track the ball down and position himself well to make plays on intermediate and deep routes. Warrior had four interceptions and 13 pass breakups on the day, anticipating routes and taking great angles to close passing windows. Schools like Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Ohio State are lining up for the U.S. Army All-American.

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Though UT will be in the race until the end, it's not a slam dunk that he will follow in his father's footsteps. Warrior and Knott are top-notch priorities for Jones, as they should be.

In-state Duo Needs to Be a Focus 

Credit: 247Sports

Not unnoticed in that Adams piece is this blurb on Hendersonville, Tennessee, defensive back Williams:

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Williams almost matched Warrior on big plays, with two interceptions of his own and eight pass breakups Thursday. Williams used his size and closing speed to cut off routes throughout the day, providing cornerback-like coverage on short and intermediate routes. Williams seems to be in wait-and-see mode as far as his top schools go.

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The Vols are in a battle with USC and all the top SEC schools to try to convince Williams to play for them. The 6'2", 195-pound defender is extremely versatile and can play either safety or cornerback. He flashed more in-competition ability than Knott, and he will continue to be the biggest remaining in-state priority for UT.

Finally, though other receivers showed out, Memphis target and Oregon commitment Dillon Mitchell was solid all week. With the Vols needing pass-catchers, he's still a prospect UT wants to keep in-state.

Volquest.com's Paul Fortenberry said recently there's a chance he could still wind up in Knoxville.

"Tennessee is still working there and Dillon is still listening. He's talked about getting back to Tennessee this fall for an official visit. But, in all my conversations with him he maintains he's pretty firmly committed. Now, some close to him think that could change once he takes some officials so we will see."

The Vols have other Tennessee prospects they're courting, such as linebacker Daniel Bituli, offensive tackle Bryce Mathews and defensive lineman Emmit Gooden, but Williams and Mitchell need to be the primary targets moving forward.

All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com, unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.