FRISCO, Texas — Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux got into his three-point stance against 6-foot-7, 391-pound offensive tackle Evan Neal.

Neal is one of the best offensive tackles in the 2019 class. And he was showing out.

He was whooping men in 1-on-1 drills at The Opening in such a bad way that his teammates sought to call out Thibodeaux on his behalf.

Thibodeaux is from South Central Los Angeles. He knew that he could not come home if he backed down. So he didn't.

On the snap, the nation's top defensive end showed a first step that is unmatched even at an event where over 160 of the best high school football player in the country attended.

“A lot of dudes can’t beat my first step—can’t stop it,” Thibodeaux said.

After he’d soundly beaten Neal, there were shouts from the offensive linemen watching.

“Yeah, he’s No. 1 for a reason.”

You know you played high school football when:

—Archie Eversole came on over the loudspeaker at The Star, and you went looking for eye black and pads.

—You want to know his LASER 40-time because all else is just lies.

—You get geeked by Kayvon Thibodeaux’s first step here: pic.twitter.com/ErP88dCnFy

— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) July 3, 2018

Thibodeaux isn't just the top dude at his position, he's the No. 1 overall player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

“He’s good. He’s good to me,” Ndoma-Ogar said. “He’s a really good athlete.”

But even the best get beat at an event where everybody is a great athlete. Thibodeaux was no exception.

“There were a couple times when I slipped and got caught,” he said. “And they’re some great dudes. So if you get caught slipping, you’re going to lose. I’ll give them their props it was a great battle.”

That one man? The one who caught him slipping a couple times? That'd be five-star offensive tackle Kenyon Green.

During the last two reps of the 1-on-1 portion of the camp, I thought the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Texas A&M commit dominated Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux saw things a bit differently.

“The first one I slipped. I ain’t gonna lie,” he said. “The second one he got me. I ain’t gonna hate. And he got me, and, hey, it is what it is.”

And what it is, is elite-level football.

On most days, against most teams, there’s little chance of a no-name player getting the best of Thibodeaux, regardless of the circumstance. But here—at The Opening—he was going to get beat.

That’s the nature of playing in an environment this rich with talent.

“You got the No. 1 player in the country to the No. 100 player in the country—all types of kids,” Ndoma-Ogar said. “That’s why I don’t get overwhelmed about it. You have to keep a good attitude about it.”

The No. 1 player in reference did just that. And, in the process, he impressed with more than just his ability as a pass rusher.