College football recruiting: DE Josh Sweat becomes No. 1 player in 2015 class
July is fast becoming a very important month in college football recruiting circles. This month saw both the Elite 11 quarterback camp finals happen and the ever-important Nike’s The Opening take place.
More from College Football
- Jim Harbaugh facing 4-game suspension over NCAA violations
- College football neutral site games in 2023: Full list
- College GameDay announces surprise Week 1 destination
- College football analyst warns Oklahoma that Texas is doing better prep for SEC
- College Football Playoff national championship game locations for 2024, 2025 and beyond
Following this year’s edition of The Opening 247Sports updated its Top247 and that included changing players at the top of the list. Defensive End Josh Sweat impressed in just about every way possible at The Opening, and it got him to the No. 1 overall spot in the class of 2015.
That’s how important an event like The Opening has become, it can make and break reputations of high school players just that quickly. It also helps that Sweat came in to the offseason with 22 sacks as a junior and was one of the top performers in the Nike SPARQ ratings.
Sweat wasn’t the only defensive lineman to make a huge impression at the event in Eugene, Ore., as defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie rose to No. 2 in the country.
McKenzie began to rise after his move from Green Bay (Southwest), Wis. to California powerhouse De La Salle high school after his father, Reggie McKenize, moved from the Packers to the Oakland Raiders for the vacant General Managers position.
Also moving up after a week in Oregon is the new No. 1-ranked quarterback in the country, Jarrett Stidham. The Stephenville, Texas native rose from the third spot to overtake both Ricky Town and Josh Rosen.
Barton Simmons says it was consistency in Oregon and re-evaluating film that gave Stidham the edge over his competitors. His performance over the course of the week was what impressed the 247Sports staff the most.
“All week long at The Opening and the Elite 11, Stidham was composed and collected,” said Simmons. “He showed outstanding accuracy, a quick release and he spun the ball consistently. He also gave us the big throws.”
Stidham was one of six players who also earned a 5-star rating based on performances at the Elite 11 finals and The Opening.