The country’s top football prospects will descend on Nike’s headquarters in Portland, Ore., next week at The Opening, a four-day showcase for elite talents to test themselves against other highly recruited players and learn from NFL players such as Aaron Rodgers and Ndamukong Suh.
City high schools will be represented by All-Americans Curtis Samuel of Erasmus Hall and Lincoln’s Thomas Holley — twice the number of participants the five boroughs sent in the event’s first two years.
“The city is starting to [produce] more quality kids,” Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell said. “They’re doing a good job establishing their reputation.”
Both Samuel and Holley have scores of high Division I scholarship offers. Samuel, a speed demon being recruited as a wide receiver, running back and defensive back, recently cut his list of suitors to five: Rutgers, Miami, Notre Dame, Alabama and Ohio State. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Holley is taking it slowly, having made unofficial visits to Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State and Miami.
Next week’s event could factor into his decision, as he will build relationships with prospects who are considering the same schools.
“It gives me a chance to see what these guys are about,” he said.
Holley said he is looking forward to challenging himself, soaking up knowledge from the NFL players at The Opening and picking up pointers from other players.
“It gives me an opportunity to learn a lot,” he said.
Farrell described Samuel’s film as the best for a skill position player he has seen in his class, and said if Samuel picks the right situation, he has “the potential to be a special player.”
Samuel is more polished than Holley, who is new to the sport, raw and untested with fewer varsity football games than scholarship offers.
“He’s more of a roll of the dice, but he has the higher ceiling,” Farrell said. “He’s either going to do OK or be one of those kids we talk about in the first round in a few years.”
Rutgers landed New Jersey safety Kiy Foster, a consensus four-star prospect from DePaul Catholic, and Ramapo (N.J.) defensive lineman Jimmy Hogan, the 19th and 20th verbal commitments for head coach Kyle Flood on Friday.
Basketball
Former Xaverian star Brian Bernardi received his release from SMU and plans to transfer. George Washington, Dayton and Hofstra have already expressed interest in the 6-foot-2 sharpshooter from Staten Island.
Nationally ranked forward Terry Larrier, from local AAU dynamo Team Scan, visited Seton Hall on Tuesday and Rutgers on Wednesday.
Seton Hall hosted New Jersey guards Rashard Figures and Isaiah Briscoe for unofficial visits on Friday and North Carolina forward Rashed Anthony for an official visit on Thursday.
Guard Paul Jorgensen of New Heights and Don Bosco Prep visited Fairfield on Thursday and will visit Rhode Island, Boston University and Brown this weekend.
Fully qualified Bayside guard Austin Williams plans to attend prep school, though the recently graduated 6-foot-1 senior is not sure yet where.
Cardinal Hayes point guard Shavar Newkirk visited St. Joseph’s last Saturday.
St. Peter’ s and New Heights guard Glenn Sanabria will attend Fairfield Elite Camp on Saturday, along with Holy Cross’ Jermaine Bishop and forward Kevin Degnan of Pearl River.