Army All-American Bowl Preview
SAN ANTONIO -- There will be plenty of excitement at the U.S. Army All-America Bowl on Saturday, with 15 of the nation's 27 five-star recruits taking the field. They'll showcase the talent that made them prized prospects, and several will announce their forthcoming commitments. Here's a viewer's guide to the action.
It's a chance to watch the nation's top-ranked prospect, Pleasant Grove (Calif.) two-way lineman Arik Armstead. The 6-foot-8, 285-pound Armstead projects best as an offensive tackle, but has remained adamant about staying on the defensive side of the ball during practice. Look for him to wreak havoc from either spot. A former USC commit, his current top three consists of Cal, Notre Dame and Oregon.
It's a glimpse of the future, particularly for Michigan and Oklahoma. Both programs have a game-high five commits playing in Saturday's contest, with the Wolverines boasting Erik Magnuson, Ondre Pipkins, Royce Jenkins-Stone, James Ross and Kyle Kalis, and the Sooners laying claim to Durron Neal, Derrick Woods, Taylor McNamara, John Michael McGee and Ty Darlington. Michigan and Oklahoma currently rank third and fourth, respectively, in 247Sports' team recruiting rankings for the class of 2012.
Texas A&M committed five-star back Trey Williams will be in action. Simply dominant during the fall, Williams rushed for an eye-popping 3,890 yards and 48 touchdowns at Dekaney (Texas), leading the Wildcats to a Class 5A Division 2 title. How will he fare against a star-studded defense? This much is telling: During practice, West coach Tony Severino compared the 5-foot-10 sparkplug to New Orleans Saints' running back Darren Sproles.
Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) sends the most players from one school in U.S. Army Bowl history. The Ironmen, a team that finished second in SI.com's national high school poll, offer four players in the San Antonio showcase. Five-star defensive end Darius Hamilton, five-star cornerback Yuri Wright, four-star safety Elijah Shumate and four-star wideout Leonte Carroo, a Rutgers commit, will all suit up for the East.
Barry Sanders Jr. will make an appearance -- and a commitment. In practice, Sanders showed some of the renowned elusiveness and cutback ability that his father once possessed with Oklahoma State and the Detroit Lions. He plans to declare between his father's alma mater and Stanford, and the latter -- unlike in the Fiesta Bowl -- holds a decisive edge.
WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Hillcrest (Mo.) -- The nation's top skill player, the 6-foot-6, 221-pound Green-Beckham set a national high school record with 6,356 receiving yards during his prolific career. His game (but not his attitude) is reminiscent of NFL All-Pro receiver Terrell Owens. Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas make up his top five.
OL D.J. Humphries, Mallard Creek (N.C.) -- The Florida commit has been the most impressive of any offensive tackle, outperforming Georgia-bound John Theus and uncommitted Kyle Murphy in practice. Humphries can hold his own against a talented East defensive front that features Darius Hamilton and Ohio State commit Adolphus Washington.
QB Gunner Kiel, Columbus East (Ind.) -- The recent LSU commit has the ability to compete -- and potentially start -- as a freshman in Baton Rouge next year. Kiel won over East coach Robert Weiner, someone that knows a thing or two about quarterbacks: He coached Alabama signal-caller Phillip Ely and Georgia starter Aaron Murray at Plant (Fla.).
WR Stefon Diggs, Good Counsel (Md.) -- The Maryland-area standout made some jaw-dropping plays during practice. Diggs is a home run threat every time he touches the ball, and is considering Auburn, Cal, Florida, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC and Virginia.
RB T.J. Yeldon, Daphne (Ala.) -- The Auburn-turned-Alabama commit recently earned Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game MVP honors by rushing for 116 yards and three touchdowns on Dec. 10. Look for Yeldon to come out strong again in this one.
Besides Sanders Jr., several other participants will announce commitments during the U.S. Army Bowl. Here's a list and the schools that they're considering.
