ESPN.com - WeAreSC Roundtable: Opening version

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Thursday, July 5, 2012
WeAreSC Roundtable: Opening version

By WeAreSC staff


	As the top West Coast offensive lineman participating in The Opening, Nico Falah will get a chance to prove if his rise up the recruiting rankings is legitimate.

Which five USC recruits, committed or uncommitted, are you most looking forward to following at The Opening?

Garry Paskwietz
CB Jalen Ramsey (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood Academy): There is a lot of buzz right now about the possibility of Ramsey becoming a Trojan. He made two visits to the USC campus in the last month and also took part in the recent Rising Stars Camp. This event will offer a real opportunity to see how he performs on the same field as some of the top West Coast corners such as Chris Hawkins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga).

OL Nico Falah (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco): This is a big step up for Falah, a newcomer to the game who has seen his stock rise this spring to the point where he is competing on this national stage. Look for him to show why he’s the only offensive lineman in the state to have an SC offer.

WR Eldridge Massington (Mesquite, Texas/West Mesquite): It’s going to be nice to see all three USC receiver commits in action at the same time. I’ve seen both Steven Mitchell (Mission Hills, Calif./Alemany) and Sebastian LaRue (Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica), so I’m looking forward to seeing Massington for the first time. There have been reports of his combination of speed and legit height and it will be good to judge him in person.

RB Ty Isaac (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic): This should be a great glimpse into the future of the Trojan tailback spot. I’ve seen Justin Davis (Stockton, Calif./Lincoln) but this will be the first look at Isaac as well as a chance to see them together. Isaac impressed a lot of people at the Nike Camp with his ability to catch the ball and this event could give him a chance to show those skills again.

WR Laquon Treadwell (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee): The Trojans already have three receiver commits but there’s a reason the coaches continue to show interest in Treadwell. Other commits such as Isaac and Hawkins have praised him as well.

Erik McKinney
QB Max Browne (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline): The quarterbacks are going to be front and center during the two-day, 7-on-7 portion of The Opening, and that will be Browne’s chance to show how he compares to his fellow quarterbacks.


	The WeAreSC panel is looking forward to seeing how Texas native Eldridge Massington looks alongside his fellow Trojans wide receiver commits.

WR Eldridge Massington: There are several big wide receivers in California, but the Trojans went into Texas to grab Massington. It should be fascinating to see how his combination of size and speed stacks up against the in-state wide receivers.

CB Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton): Last year Tracy Howard was the No. 1 cornerback from Florida. The Trojans were chasing and after watching him for about 30 seconds at The Opening, it was easy to see why. This year, it’s Hargreaves the Trojans are chasing and the cornerback will have an opportunity to prove that he is the top cornerback in the country.

DE Joe Mathis (Upland, Calif./Upland): Mathis was terrific at the Los Angeles Nike Camp and has been working hard this off season to get into better shape. He slid in the most recent ESPN 300 release and will have an opportunity to prove himself with that quick first step against some of the top offensive tackles in the country.

OL Nico Falah: Because the linemen are able to wear pads and helmets at The Opening, it gives a more realistic look at them as players compared to the usual camp setting. There is no shortage of defensive line talent this year, and while Kyle Murphy and Joshua Garnett announced the West Coast presence with authority last season, it will likely be up to Falah to lead the way this year.

Greg Katz
OL Nico Falah: I am looking forward to seeing the type of performance Falah has against some of the top-flight defensive linemen in the country. Having seen this kid at the Nike combine at Cerritos JC in the spring, it seemed he got better and better each rep. Now we’ll see how far he has taken what he has learned, and there is extra intrigue since he is considered a Trojans lean.

WR Steven Mitchell: Much has made about the standout summer that Mitchell is having, so, like Falah, let’s see what he does against some of the best defensive backs in the nation. You could also throw in fellow Trojans verbal Sebastian LaRue to find out if both he and Mitchell are as explosive as advertised, especially in separation.

DL Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, Calif./Placer): We’ll find out more about the hyped Vanderdoes. Vanderdoes has gotten a great deal of national publicity, so if Falah is the best offensive lineman in California and Vanderdoes the best defensive lineman in the state, let’s get it on and find out who’s the real deal. This certainly will be one of the camp highlights, especially for those that follow Trojans recruiting.

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QB Max Browne: For no other reason that there is great interest to see if Browne is the next Peyton Manning or Carson Palmer. We’ll get a special treat in watching Browne attack the best defensive backs he has faced, no doubt. If Browne lives up to his billing, you can bet his influence amongst the undeclared recruits will have even a greater impact.

WR Eldridge Massington: There seems to be a lot of conjecture on just how good this Trojans verbal is. Not only are we about to find out, but Massington will probably show what Trojans secondary recruits like defensive backs Jalen Ramsey, Tahaan Goodman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga), Priest Willis (Tempe, Ariz./Marcos de Niza), and Vernon Hargreaves lll are also all about.

Blair Angulo
QB Max Browne: The Opening will serve as a prelude to the upcoming Elite 11 competition in Redondo Beach, so it'll be interesting to see how Browne stacks up against the top-rated pocket passer in the 2013 class, Christian Hackenberg.

OL Nico Falah: An ankle injury didn't allow Falah to participate in last weekend's B2G Elite Camp, but now he has the opportunity to prove why his stock is so high.

WR Sebastian LaRue: I've maintained that, at least in the Los Angeles area, LaRue is the Bryce Treggs of this class. Treggs, a four-star receiver out of Bellflower St. John Bosco who signed with Cal, thrived at last year's event and LaRue is my darkhorse this weekend.

WR Laquon Treadwell: Treadwell unquestionably stood out at the B2G Elite Camp and told me he looked forward to showing why he's the nation's fourth-ranked receiver at The Opening.

DL Eddie Vanderdoes: The four-star lineman is labeled as "mean" and "violent," and this is the perfect event to showcase those attributes.