Friday @ The Opening: SPARQs Were Flying

Tomorrow is the beginning of the stuff I actually care about - specifically: linemen in full pads - but today recruits were tested in the short shuttle, 40, ball toss, and vertical leap and also did some position drills.

Combine phenom Mike Mitchell won the SPARQ national championship (41 inch vertical, tested between 4.39-4.45 40, 46/47 foot ball toss) with a score of 154.67. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe that's the highest score ever recorded. That Mitchell won the event should surprise no one and his senior year will be a fascinating study on whether film catches up to testing. I still hold that his college success is best found at DE or 3-4 OLB, not playing off of the LOS. Texas coaches feel similarly, but Mitchell is intent on being a traditional LB.

40 times of note from Longhorn commitments:

Raulerson 5.1

Robinson 5.1

Warrick 4.6

Swoopes 4.7

These are laser times, on athlete's movement. Generally slower than hand-timed, but the key is that you can compare apples to apples within the camp on the same surface. Too bad the Longhorns didn't bring Antwuan Davis to help the class average.

Most interesting piece of miscellany:

Derrick Henry, RB from Florida ran a 4.45 40, 4.12 shuttle, and had a 42 inch vertical. At 6-3, 240 pounds.

Much more on Saturday....