Nolan Catholic 4-star DE enjoying his first appearance at The Opening in Frisco
NaNa Osafo-Mensah was in awe when he got the call that he was invited to The Opening Finals at The Star.
"I remember watching the finals last year on TV and YouTube, and thinking I wanted to be here," said the Nolan Catholic defensive end.
Osafo-Mensah, who's committed to Notre Dame, would find himself among the best high school football players in the nation during the four-day event in Frisco June 30-July 3.
The Opening Finals, presented by Nike Football, is four days of dynamic training, coaching and competition for the country’s most elite high school football players.
"It's been a lot of fun. There's so many good players out here. It's amazing to be apart of this," Osafo-Mensah said. "Being at The Opening Finals is something I always dreamed about so to be able to come here and compete is a really big blessing."
The 4-star prospect went with the Irish over Texas. He also had offers from TCU, Alabama, Baylor, Oklahoma and more.
He said he plans on attending the Stanford vs. Notre Dame game on Sept. 29.
"All the coaches even checked in on me before I competed, Osafo-Mensah said. "They all wished me good luck, even coach Brian Kelly."
Monday featured the first of two linemen sessions, capped off with a one-on-one challenge.
Among the offensive tackles were Texas A&M commit Kenyon Green (Humble Atascocita), Ohio State commit Harry Miller (Buford, Ga.), Oklahoma commit E.J. Ndoma-Ogar (Allen) and Evan Neal (IMG Academy, Fl.).
He got to share the experience too with other defensive linemen South Carolina commit Joseph Anderson (Siegel, Tn.), Georgia commit Nolan Smith (IMG) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oaks Christian, Ga.), the No. 1 player in the nation, per 247Sports.
"We all love football so we already had that connection," Osafo-Mensah said. "It's awesome to go against the best of the best in the nation. Competing in the big man challenge gives me a little insight on what's it going to be like in college."
Osafo-Mensah also got to meet NFL players like former Dallas Cowboy DeMarcus Ware and Solomon Thomas, who went to Coppell and is currently with the Niners.
"I've always looked up to Solomon," he said. "DeMarcus Ware is one of my favorite players so seeing him was a blessing. Seeing veterans like that come out and help is a really cool experience."
Osafo-Mensah has enjoyed his time in Frisco and has taken in every piece of advice from those around him.
"One piece of advice I received is working on different moves and moving my hands more," he said. "They know I have the speed and some of the power. They're excited for what I can be in the future because if I can develop more, it's going to be an unbelievable sight."