Anderson headed back to The Opening this week
Frisco (Texas) offensive lineman Jack Anderson committed to the Red Raiders 10 months ago and has served as the unofficial leader of this Texas Tech 2017 recruiting class. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound prospect is considered one of the best lineman in the nation and committed to Texas Tech over 30+ other offers, including Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma, Stanford, Texas A&M, and several other programs across the country.
This time last year, Anderson was one of only a handful of underclassmen prospects invited to The Opening - a national invite-only camp held every summer at the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon that features some of the very best prospects in the nation at their respective positions.
Anderson competed in the regional camp earlier this spring in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and received his second invitation to The Opening, an accomplishment very few football players in the country have achieved.
To put this achievement into more perspective - there were 14 regional competitions held across the U.S. with 3,000 offensive and defensive linemen participating. Out of those 3,000 prospects, 21 offensive linemen and 21 defensive linemen were selected to compete at The Opening.
This year is different. This time around Anderson isn't the young guy. This time the majority of the prospects he will compete against will be fellow 2017 prospects.
The longtime Texas Tech commit believes the experience as a junior last year gives him an advantage going into the competition this week.
"I think it really helped me to know where I was at, plus my head won't be in the stars this time around," Anderson said. "Last year was a very good defensive line class and that was a huge learning experience for me. I believe that should pay dividends later this week.
"I also think it will slow down this time around because I'm committed. It should be a lot easier when it comes to the media with less guys wanting to interview me and all of that. I'm really just ready to prove myself and show what I can do. I have been going through my normal Mon-Thurs workouts and added in some extra cardio, but mostly just normal workouts."
Most people reading these recruiting updates are aware of The Opening and could probably provide some detail about the competition, the overall concept. However, how would Anderson describe the experience to a family member who is super proud of him, but has zero idea what The Opening really is?
"Everyone says it is 'Football Heaven' and I think that is spot on," Anderson said. "It's the best players in the country coming to compete. When we arrive, the group tours the Nike facilities and get the lay of the land. We have one day of combine testing on Friday, plus we have some one-on-one drills in t-shirt and shorts.
"On Saturday and Sunday, we put on the pads and that's when the real one-on-ones get started. They decide who makes the finals and that is who competes for the 'best of the best' on Sunday. It's really just the pinnacle of high school football, in my opinion."
The Texas Tech 2017 recruiting class more than doubled in size this past month, and Anderson shared his thoughts on the recent recruiting success for the Red Raiders.
"It was great, it was a crazy month," Anderson said. "I couldn't take a nap without something happening, someone else committing (laughs). I'm very happy with the guys we have added to this class. All of the guys we have tried to get have joined us so far.
"The offensive line is done, it's the rest of the defense that I'm worried about. Devodrick 'Buddy' Johnson is who we really want, and we are looking at other linebackers and I'm even talking with some of the 2018 prospects who received offers after the satellite camps. I recruit whoever the coaches are going after and the guys they really want."
Of the seven (7) new commitments in the month of June, four (4) of the prospects were offensive linemen. Anderson turned into recruiter immediately after his commitment last fall and really likes this 2017 offensive linemen haul.
"I think we have one of the best offensive linemen classes in the nation for 2017, it's hard for anyone to dispute that," Anderson said. "Me, Dawson (Deaton), Jared (Hocker), and Will (Farrar) are all graduating early and we are going to be living together. It should be interesting, because we all have different personalities.
"Jared is laid back and kind of a quiet guy, same with Will too. I have known Dawson forever, but I'm more outspoken and I'm the one always talking. I'm just excited to finish up this season and get started up in Lubbock."
Rated a 5.9 four-star prospect, Anderson is currently rated as the No. 2 overall center prospect in the nation and the No. 126 prospect on the latest Rivals250 national rankings. He earned District 9-5A All-District First Offense, APSE Class 5A All-State Offense honorable mention, and TSWA Class 5A All-State Offense honorable mention honors this past season.