This week in Beaverton, Oregon, seven 2012 Texas commits are participating in The Opening, an invitation-only Nike camp featuring 140 of the top prospects in the class from around the country. Connor Brewer, Cayleb Jones, Johnathan Gray, Curtis Riser, Peter JInkens, Tim Cole, and Bryson Echols all made the trip out to the birthplace of Nike, as well as Texas targets Torshiro Davis and Landon Collins and Texas A&M commit Trey Williams, among several other in-state prospects. On Tuesday, the players got oriented, participated in SPARQ testing on Wednesday, and will compete in 1-on-1 drills, 7-on-7 drills, and linemen challenges until the camp ends on Saturday.
Follow after the jump to get the results from SPARQ testing, Nike's measure of athleticism...
Connor Brewer, Scottsdale Chaparral QB, Texas commit
Height/Weight: 6-2, 188
40 time: 4.82 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.56 seconds
Vertical jump: 30.8 inches
Power ball toss: 32 feet
SPARQ rating: 70.2
Comments: Measuring in a legitimate 6-2 is beneficial for Brewer, who is on the short side for an elite quarterback, and the rest of the testing turned out to be positive for the Arizona quarterback, as he proved that he has what could be considered above-average athleticism, particularly with his vertical leap. Brewer still doesn't project as a running quarterback in college, but it's clear from the testing that he has the athleticism to keep plays alive with his feet.
Cayleb Jones, Austin High WR, Texas commit
Height/Weight: 6-3, 194
40 time: 4.69 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.13 seconds
Vertical jump: 29 inches
Power ball toss: 35 feet
SPARQ rating: 93.0
Comments: Of all the Texas commits at the event, Jones' poor 40 time is the least surprising -- it's been known basically ever since he came onto the radar that he's not a burner. Still, 4.69 is extraordinarily mediocre and even slow for a wide receiver. It's possible that Jones simply hasn't trained for the 40 -- that's the best-case scenario. Still, reading too much into his 40 time isn't particularly beneficial, especially since the poor time was expected. If Jones has trouble creating separation from the elite defensive backs at the camp during the 1-on1 and 7-on-7 drills, it will be cause for concern. Let's hope that Jones performs well in the portions of the camp that actually translate to the football field.
Johnathan Gray, Aledo RB, Texas commit
Height/Weight: 5-11, 198
40 time: 4.53 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.03 seconds
Vertical jump: 35.7 inches
Power ball toss: 34.5 feet
SPARQ rating: 114.3
Comments: Though Gray's 40 time fell short of the otherworldly sub-4.4 times reported from the day of his press conference and the Texas camp, a 4.53 40 is far from disappointing. Additionally, the other testing results confirm Gray's impressive athleticism -- his agility shuttle was one of the better times at the event and his 35-inch vertical is equally impressive. There aren't any questions about Gray when the pads come on and his effort at The Opening should put to rest any questions about his athleticism in shorts -- as if there were any in the first place.
Curtis Riser, DeSoto OG, Texas commit
Height/Weight: 6-4, 293
40 time: 5.15 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.73 seconds
Vertical jump: 20.6 inches
Power ball toss: 33 feet
SPARQ rating: 66.2
Comments: SPARQ testing is hardly designed to highlight offensive linemen, so Riser's overall low score doesn't mean much, though his relatively mediocre power ball toss doesn't say much about his pure strength. If there's good news here, it's that Riser measured in at 6-4, a legitimate height for an offensive tackle. Whether Riser has the feet to play outside is still highly questionable, however.
Peter Jinkens, Dallas Skyline LB, Texas commit
Height/Weight: 6-0, 197
40 time: 4.52 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.33 seconds
Vertical jump: 36.3 inches
Power ball toss: 36 feet
SPARQ rating: 106.3
Comments: Jinkens showed off the athleticism that has made him a combine sensation throughout the spring and summer, posting a particularly strong 40 time for his eventual position of linebacker, as well as a strong vertical. In terms of pure athleticism, Jinkens may rank at the top of the 2012 class in Texas. Measuring in at only 6-0 isn't ideal for linebacker, but Jinkens projects as a strongside linebacker who will spend most of his time dropping into coverage or pursuing sideline-to-sideline, so his pure height shouldn't be seen as too great of a negative. After all, Corey Nelson is roughly the same height and he's projected to have a breakout season for Oklahoma as a sophomore.
Tim Cole, Brenham LB, Texas commit
Height/Weight: 6-1, 205
40 time: 5.00 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.3 seconds
Vertical jump: 31.1 inches
Power ball toss: 32 feet
SPARQ rating: 81.4
Comments: Of all the Texas commits at the event, Cole's 40 time was probably the most disappointing. As with Jones, it's difficult to tell if Cole has trained to run the 40 and the time certainly seems out of line with the speed that he shows on the football field when the lights come on. A solid agility time lessens concerns about Cole's 40, but given the muscle mass Cole has put on this spring, it would be much more encouraging to see him put up a solid time in the 40 as well.
Bryson Echols, DeSoto CB, Texas commit
Height/Weight: 5-10, 173
40 time: 4.50 seconds
Agility shuttle: 3.93 seconds
Vertical jump: 33.2 inches
Power ball toss: 35 feet
SPARQ rating: 110.2
Comments: Boosted by a sick shuttle time -- anything less than 4.0 is spectacular -- a solid vertical, and a good 40 time, Echols posted the second-highest SPARQ rating of the Texas commits in Oregon. A physically unimpressive player on the hoof, Echols earned his Texas offer in large part because of his playmaking ability on the field and backed up that with strong performances during the spring and summer on the combine circuit and his strong showing at The Opening.
Nelson Agholor, Tampa Berkeley Prep ATH, uncommitted
Height/Weight: 6-1, 175
40 time: 4.59 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.56 seconds
Vertical jump: 29.5 inches
Power ball toss: 31.5 feet
SPARQ rating: 73.6
Comments: The most disappointing overall performance of the SPARQ testing may have belonged to Agholor. On film, he looks as explosive and agile as anyone in the country, which absolutely did not show up in either his 40 or the agility testing. While it's understandable to run a poor 40 without proper training, Agholor's athleticism should have shown through in the shuttle. Yet, it did not. In addition, Agholor clearly has quite a bit of work to do in terms of adding strength.
Torshiro Davis, Shreveport Woodlawn DE/LB, LSU commit
Height/Weight: 6-3, 223
40 time: 4.56 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.39 seconds
Vertical jump: 34.2 inches
Power ball toss: 35 feet
SPARQ rating: 103.2
Comments: If Agholor failed to back up his athleticism on film with his testing, Davis absolutely backed up the freakish athleticism he shows on film with a fantastic day, posting great numbers across the board, particularly the three measures of pure athleticism -- his 40, his shuttle, and his vertical. In fact, those numbers are even impressive for a linebacker, the position at which LSU and Alabama are recruiting the Louisiana native. All in all, Davis showed why he's the last defensive end on the Texas board.
Landon Collins, Dutchtown S, uncommitted
Height/Weight: 6-0, 205
40 time: 4.50 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.44 seconds
Vertical jump: 43.6 inches
Power ball toss: 42 feet
SPARQ rating: 131.1
Comments: The Combine King and overall SPARQ national champion, Collins followed up his testing during the day with an almost unbelievable performance in the evening round -- a 4.42 40, 4.2 shuttle, 43.7-inch vertical, and 43-foot power ball toss. Those numbers basically speak for themselves. Unfortunately for Texas fans, the Longhorns appear to be all but out of the mix for Collins.
Trey Williams, Spring Dekaney RB, Texas A&M commit
Height/Weight: 5-8, 178
40 time: 4.37 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.38 seconds
Vertical jump: 35.5 inches
Power ball toss: 35 feet
SPARQ rating: 105.1
Comments: After posting a blazing sub-4.4 40 time, a higher shuttle time than his 40 was out of the usual. Overall, though, Williams showed why he is considered such a fantastic athlete, particularly with his straight-line speed.
Corey Coleman, Richardson Pearce ATH, Baylor commit
Height/Weight: 5-11, 173
40 time: 4.41 seconds
Agility shuttle: 3.88 seconds
Vertical jump: 37.6 inches
Power ball toss: 38 feet
SPARQ rating: 131.4
Comments: A player Texas evaluated during the recruiting process, Coleman showed off blazing speed and an extremely impressive agility time. Overall, he was one of the top performers at the event, even registering a slightly higher SPARQ rating in the initial round of testing than eventual Combine King and SPARQ national champion Landon Collins.
Daje Johnson, Pflugerville Hendrickson ATH, TCU
Height/Weight: 5-10, 180
40 time: 4.34 seconds
Agility shuttle: 4.01 seconds
Vertical jump: 40.8 inches
Power ball toss: 45 feet
SPARQ rating: 146.5
Comments: A central Texas prospect who has flown under the radar, even locally, Johnson set the record for highest SPARQ rating ever recorded -- that's among around 300,000 high school athletes tested. Johnson didn't set the record just by turning in a blazing 40 and excellent shuttle -- he did it with a vertical of more than 40 inches and a power ball toss that was the longest at the event, all at 5-10. Johnson hasn't been on the Texas radar, but if ever a single testing performance was enough to earn a look, the Hendrickson product earned at least a glance from the Longhorn coaches.