Tide commits, targets set to compete for SPARQ Rating Championship (ESPNU - 7PM CST)

[BAMANEWSBOT]

While star players Reuben Foster and Vernon Hargreaves went down early with injuries, Nike's elite training camp The Opening began Friday with preliminary competition for the SPARQ national championship.

SPARQ is a measurement devised by Nike to determine a player's speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness and a number of the athletes at The Opening that finished with a top 10 score have connections to Alabama.

Little Rock, Ark., running back Altee Tenpenny and Autauga Academy tight end O.J. Howard, both of whom are committed to Alabama, each finished in the top 10 in preliminary testing and will compete tonight live on ESPNU beginning at 7 p.m. for the SPARQ National Championship title.

Both Tenpenny and Howard will likely have to top another Tide target, Yulee, Florida running back Derrick Henry. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound back finished with the top score during prelims, testing in the 99th percentile of all athletes tested in all five SPARQ categories, including a 4.52 time in the 40-yard dash and a 41.9 inch vertical leap.

Stay tuned to al.com/recruiting all weekend for updates on Alabama and Auburn recruits at The Opening.

[bamaledge]

Wow, That is impressive. CNS knows how and who to recruit.

[TerryP]

I suspect every casual follower of recruiting will be all over the Henry bandwagon if he ends up with us. I'm watching him now and the kid looks as big as any kid I've seen.

BUT, word has it Altee is becoming a horse.

[planomateo]

^^ read some tweets today about altee today, he sounds like a monster.

[RTB Twitter Bot]

AndrewJBone: RT @TonyDiFrancisco: Final SPARQ results- 1. Mike Mitchell 154.47, 2. Altee Tenpenny 144.99, 3. Derrick Henry 144.60, 4. Peter Kalambayi ...

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[uagrad93]

Tenpenny was definitely no pushover!! 4.42 in the 40 at 209lbs. Lugenbill was making comparisons to Altee and Trent. Altee will have some big shoes to fill! The Henry kid was an absolute MONSTER!! 240lbs runs a 4.45 with a vertical of almost 42"!! Are you kidding me?

[TerryP]

AndrewJBone: RT @TonyDiFrancisco: Final SPARQ results- 1. Mike Mitchell 154.47, 2. Altee Tenpenny 144.99, 3. Derrick Henry 144.60, 4. Peter Kalambayi ...

More...

Who says you never remember who finishes second?

Last year, Landon finished first. This year, it isn't a Bama guy who finishes on top, but we're likely to have the #2 and #3 guys.

[TerryP]

^^ read some tweets today about altee today, he sounds like a monster.