USC football commit Ryan Hilinski getting a taste of ‘football heaven’
When South Carolina football commit Ryan Hilinski met with Super Bowl winner Trent Dilfer and the rest of the top quarterback recruits in his class Friday night, the former pro had a message for the young players.
Yes, at The Opening, a prestigious high school football event sponsored by Nike and held just outside Dallas, Texas, this year, they will be competing for the title of Elite 11 MVP. But if that’s the main reason they’re there, it’s not the right one.
There’s a chance for something larger, an experience, a camaraderie.
“It’s football heaven as they like to say,” Hilinski said. “We think it’s the same thing. It’s definitely a great experience to be around the greatest players in the nation, compare yourself to them.”
The four-star passer from Southern California, currently No. 73 in the 247 composite rankings, is in the midst of the whirlwind of events and competitions top recruits go through before their senior year. He was at the Elite 11, then the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta.
Now he’s at The Opening, a four day event of “dynamic training, coaching and competition,” according to its website. He earned the spot at the Elite 11, and the MVP for that competition is decided in the coming days in Texas.
He’s there with current Gamecocks commit Joseph Anderson, plus another recruit or two he’s planning on trying to convince to join up.
The 6-foot-4, 222-pound quarterback threw Saturday morning. He said he wants to see some old friends, make new ones and improve his leadership by learning from others.
He visited USC in the middle of June and then ducked home to work out with his high school team in California before hitting the road for his last two events. And he’s got four days ahead of him, working with the best in the country, aiming to put his skills on display and get what Dilfer called the experience of a lifetime.
“We’re out here at the Cowboys facility, at The Star,” Hilinski said. “Which is amazing. You can see what it takes, what you get at that next level.
“I’m excited to show what I have.”
This story was originally published June 30, 2018 at 4:03 PM.