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10 Commitments, 10 Observations from the All-American Bowl
As college football prepares to crown a champion, the final All-American game featuring the next wave of Saturday stars took place with East vs. West at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
The event is known for its declarations and there were plenty to wet the recruiting appetite as 10 different recruits picked 10 different schools to attend in the 34-14 victory for the West. New coaching staffs at Miami, with pass rusher Cyrus Moss, as well as Lincoln Riley at USC added a new SI99 pass catcher in CJ Williams. But the story again shifted to Deion Sanders and Jackson State, winners of the final declaration of the day from No. 1 sot receiver Kevin Coleman Jr.
Sports Illustrated touches on each verbal commitment and breaks down prospects who flashed during contest at the Alamo Dome as well.
Verbal Commitments
RB Trevor Etienne - Florida
The Gators picked up the Clemson running back legacy recruit, signifying the latest run of momentum for Billy Napier's start at Florida. There hasn't been considerable volume headed to Gainesville, but the quality of the 12-man class stacks up with others from a pound-for-pound perspective. From a perception perspective, it's a big win over in-state LSU as well, always important in head-to-head SEC recruiting, even when two new staffs are among those in the race.
WR CJ Williams - USC
After Brian Kelly bolted Notre Dame for LSU, the local programs rose for Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei wide receiver CJ Williams. Like two of his Monarch teammates, though, it would be Lincoln Riley's Trojans over UCLA and all others for the polished SI99 wide receiver recruit. Williams had his ball skills and awareness on display early in the game, hauling in an over-the-shoulder touchdown in the back of the end zone to kick off the game's scoring.
OL Earnest Greene - Georgia
The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco Brave is the latest Californian to pick the Georgia Bulldogs on the trail. The No. 3 class in the country has plenty of trench talent within it, and Green becomes one of the most physically ready to compete at the point of attack. He has upside at either guard spot but also has the build to potentially develop into a right tackle down the line. This was a big, national win over Ohio State, Alabama and others for Kirby Smart and company.
DB Davison Igbinosun - Ole Miss
Ole Miss has a sneaky strong top 25 class and it will push towards the top 20 after another big addition in the New Jersey native. The secondary recruit said on the broadcast that the SEC is where he wanted to play, but Lane Kiffin and company had to beat out Tennessee and Kentucky, among others, for his pledge. Igbinosun has the length and football IQ to play cornerback or safety spots in the Rebel secondary.
RB Rayshon Luke - Arizona
Don't look now, but Arizona's top 25 class has more speed en route to Tuscon. Picking the program over UCLA, Louisville and others, the three-down back brings dual-threat ability to the backfield and legitimate track and field speed to the special teams operation. Jedd Fisch's latest commitment caught a touchdown on a screen play and exploded on a draw for a long score in the first half of the All-American Bowl.
LB Daniel Martin - Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt picked up the Marietta (Ga.) High School standout in a national battle and win for Clark Lea and company over Oregon and Florida State. Marin's pick of the Commodores, one he signified as a lifetime commitment, is the first VU pledge made during the more than 20 year history of the All-American Bowl. Martin has traditional off-ball value but has some space upside down the line.
DB Larry Turner-Gooden - Texas
Texas picked up another out-of-state addition for its top five recruiting class in the one-time Arizona State commitment. Turner-Gooden will provide safety depth in the class for Steve Sarkisian and company, balancing out the skill positions after amassing a strong haul on both the offensive and defensive lines.
DL Hero Kanu - Ohio State
Ohio State and Texas continue to battle for the No. 4 recruiting class in the country and Kanu's rise is one of the most intriguing of the cycle to date. The German prepped in California as a senior and became one of the best in the class on the interior, with pass-rusher upside as he fills out his frame. Like many of Saturday's picks, Kanu silently signed with Ohio State in December.
DE Cyrus Moss - Miami
The influence of the college football coaching carousel is most evident with Moss' pledge to Miami. The Las Vegas native was leaning Pac-12 for quite some time, with Oregon battling USC, Arizona State and others for the bulk of the cycle, but Cristobal's move to Miami changed everything. Moss even cut short a trip to L.A. in order to see Coral Gables up close and it ended up pairing with the longtime pitch from Cristobal to make a cross-country move to Miami. The Canes can now pair Moss with another late addition, Nyjalik Kelly, for a modern edge combination despite the coaching transition.
WR Kevin Coleman - Jackson State
Now for the shocker and somehow an indication of what is to come. The top slot receiver in the preseason SI99 rankings is off the board to Jackson State, as Coleman picked Deion Sanders' program over both Florida State and Miami. The surprise comes on the heels of No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter picking the HBCU program, already a popular transfer destination for Power 5 players. Now recruiting continues to follow suit and as expected, Sanders' smile can be seen through the social media spectrum.
Game Observations
1. The QB1 in the SI99 rankings is Cade Klubnik, and his first drive showed a lot of the reasons why. From great anticipation, timing and accuracy in taking what the defense gives him to pushing the ball down the field and winning with accuracy, even against great coverage. The first score of the game, in which he handled a bad snap and re-adjusted with ease, finished with the ball at the back pylon to USC commitment CJ Williams just before he ran out of real estate. Great coverage from future Georgia DB Julian Humphrey didn't matter with Klubnik's ball placement. Klubnik would toss three touchdowns and be named All-American Bowl Player of the Year before game's end.
2. On defense, Mykel Williams was the talk of practices all week and he lived in the backfield on Saturday, too, with an sack and tackle for loss early in the game. The sack was shared with fellow SI99 Georgia signee Marvin Jones, Jr., in a preview of the edge rush of the future in Athens. Williams has the frame to move inside later on, but his natural ability as a pass rusher will be tough to overlook.
3. All eyes were on Rayshon 'Speedy' Luke entering the day because of Arizona's late push for his commitment, which is secured, but his play and the speed at which he operates took over the storylines. Luke caught a screen that went the distance early on but the 70-yard draw in which he outran droves of All-Americans probably led to a surge in Google searches. After picking U of A, he admitted track was his favorite sport with aspiration of a 10.0 second 100-meter dash time to his name before being named the game's MVP. Get the ball in his hands, Coach Fisch.
4. SI99 offensive tackle recruit Kiyaunta Goodwin struggled throughout the week and it carried over into the game itself, allowing multiple sacks off the edge. While his weight loss story has been remarkable on its own, the technical aspect and finesse elements of his game may take more time to develop than originally considered. Goodwin's frame and floor suggest a move inside early on in Lexington.
5. CJ Williams, who kicked off the scoring with the over-the-shoulder TD grab, also flashed his overall ball skills and polish throughout the game. From storied Mater Dei High School, the moment is far from too big for the new USC Trojan, who uses his frame and the defender's momentum against him when the ball is up in the air. Williams runs great routes, competes at the apex and plays with more physicality at the top of the route than his frame would suggest.
6. Future Iowa pass rusher Aaron Graves owned the edge for most of his reps on the outside, kicking the game off with a sack and inducing movement on two others later in the first half. There isn't much wasted space with his movement skill and his hands made quick work of multiple blockers in the process. As Graves fills out, Hawkeye fans shouldn't expect him to wait very long to debut in the Big Ten.
7. DJ Wesolak had the hit of the afternoon against Georgia signee Gunner Stockton, to cap the first half. He worked at linebacker and pass rusher throughout the week, but our staff feels best about him adding to his frame and getting his hand in the first. Missouri's track record up front will only re-emphasize that perception.
8. Dani Dennis-Sutton made waves off the bus early in the week in San Antonio and he flashed with some easy pressure on Saturday afternoon. His hands worked over a left tackle for a second quarter sack and on the next play he bended out to cover a tailback in the flats with a pop to knock him off of his route. The SI99 recruit won't wait long to make an impact at Penn State.
9. SI99 Florida signee Devin Moore, a one-time Notre Dame commitment, capped off a great week with length and ball skills with a late second quarter interception. The future Gator flashed one-on-one cover skill throughout the week, making the staff curious about his future position despite a 6'3" frame. That's a great problem for Napier's first class.
10. The lack of elite quarterback pay resonated in the game and it could be an indication of the class as it heads into college football. Klubnik paces the group, one that was initially to have Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers within it, but the quality at the top of the class is shallow compared the the classes surrounding it. Relative to the class of 2021, which has multiple Power 5 starters having emerged, or early feelings for the class of 2023, it feels down. Expect a big next cycle at the position with Arch Manning, Malachi Nelson, Dante Moore and others already drawing tangible buzz.
