Parkinson earns Opening invite, still solid on commitment

MORE: Detailed recruiting and player notes from Junior Day and The Opening Oakland

Oaks Christian High School standout Colby Parkinson looked the part of the one of the nation's elite tight end prospects last Sunday at The Opening Oakland Regional. Not surprisingly, Parkinson earned an invitation to The Opening Finals following his sterling performance.

"It's surreal," Parkinson said. "I've been dreaming of this since I was a freshman. Being able to come out here and the get the invite, it's awesome."

As one might expect given Parkinson's abilities - he has a legitimate claim to the nation's No. 1 tight end position - schools have not given up on the Rivals100 prospect despite his commitment to Stanford. Alabama, for instance, recently offered, while others remain in pursuit.

Still, Parkinson is confident that his decision to choose Stanford was the right one.

"Coach Turner and Coach Alamar were down (at Oaks Christian) the other day and I'm just loving it," Parkinson said. "I'm loving being a commit. I'm 100 percent committed, not even looking at these other schools."

Parkinson is currently working through Stanford's admissions process with an eye on potentially getting the green light before the start of his senior year.

"I'm going to try to get the application in within the next couple of weeks and hopefully hear back by the summer sometime," Parkinson said.

"It's a long app - a lot of essays. But it's worth it, for sure, going to a school like Stanford."

Another one of the standouts at The Opening camp was fellow 2017 Cardinal commit Tucker Fisk. The two California natives, who will be spending plenty of time together in Stanford's tight end room over the next four or five years, have formed a strong relationship.

"I love Tucker," Parkinson said. "We're good buddies. I'm looking forward to being able to spend more time with him, especially at some camps at Stanford and then some visits and all of that."

Parkinson will return to Stanford next month to participate in the Cardinal's camp. He listed defensive back Darnay Holmes and offensive tackle Foster Sarell among his personal recruiting targets.