Formally known as the US Army All-American Game, the All-American Bowl has been around since 2000 and has introduced us to numerous NFL Draft selections. Recently, we’ve seen recruits like Sam Darnold, Nick Chubb, Derrius Guice, Joe Mixon, Sony Michel, and Curtis Samuels participate. Saturday will give us a glimpse into the college football and NFL Draft future.
Quarterbacks:
# Indicates 247 Composite Positional Rank.
#1 Bryce Young (Alabama), #2 DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson), #6 CJ Stroud (Ohio State), #8 Harrison Bailey (Tennessee), #17 Malik Hornsby (Undecided), #18 Evan Prater (Cincinnati), and #47 Tate Rodemaker (Florida St.)
The All-American Bowl touts the two highest-ranked QBs in the nation. You have the giant Uiagalelei listed at 6’4” 246lbs (Scouting Report) compared to Young at 5’11” 183lbs (Scouting Report). Uiagaleli has one of the strongest arms to come out of high school in the last five years. Young has good arm strength but is one of the most accurate QBs in this class. Both players have very high NFL ceilings, while Young might have more of a college fantasy upside. After the top two ranked QBs, it’s a bit of a drop off to the next tier. Stroud looks possessed to take over for the Buckeyes when Justin Fields departs after the 2020 season. Stroud has a big frame that will allow him to bulk up a lot. Good accurate passer with great pocket mobility.
Running Backs:
#2 Bijan Robinson (Texas), #6 Don Chaney Jr. (Miami-FL), #13 Jalen Berger (Undecided), #19 Jahmyr Gibbs (Georgia Tech..for now), #5 Athlete Sam Adams III (Washington), and #56 Casey Filkins (Stanford)
Robinson is just a monster at the high school level (Scouting Report). Over his final three years at Salpointe, he tallied 485/6658/99 for nearly 14 yards per carry. As a senior, he averaged 17.7 yards per carry. A step up in competition is the only concern for Robinson. Gibbs is one of the hottest names in recruiting since the start of his senior season (Scouting Report). Committed to Georgia Tech but has a lot of interested from Florida, LSU, and Ohio State. His senior season saw him rush for over 2,500 yards and 40 TDs. The odds of him sticking with the Yellow Jackets seem very slim at this point. Sam Adams is a very versatile athlete that could play any RB, WR, or even DB for the Huskies. The plan is to start him out at RB, Adams has excellent size for an RB and exceptional receiving ability. Filkins is a quick, agile back who excels in the passing game. Looks a lot like a Max Borghi coming out of high school. Berger will be announcing his college decision during the game, and he appears to be heading to Wisconsin. With the departure of Jonathan Taylor, he has the potential for early playing time. No other back on the Badgers has wowed enough to warrant shutting down the spot before he gets on campus if he does indeed pick Wisconsin.
Wide Receivers:
#3 Demond Demas (Texas A&M), #4 Jordan Johnson (Notre Dame), #5 Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), #9 Gary Bryant Jr. (Undecided), #10 Xzavier Henderson (Undecided), #11 Jalan McMillan (Washington), #12 Gee Scott Jr. (Ohio State), #17 AJ Henning (Michigan), #18 Kobe Hudson (Auburn), #22 John Humphreys (Stanford), #26 Javon Baker (Alabama), #28 Muhsin Muhammad III (Texas A&M), #31 KeAndre Lambert (Penn St), #36 Josh Downs (North Carolina), #37 LV Bunkley-Shelton (Undecided), and #99 Daniel Jackson (Iowa State)
Demas is one of the most exciting players in the nation. He was forced to sit out his senior year due to transferring high schools (Scouting Report). Athletic freak whose potential is unlimited. Ohio State signed the most talented WR class in the 2020 recruiting class. Two of those signees will participate in the All-American Bowl. Gee Scott Jr. (Scouting Report) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Report), both are excellent prospects with great futures ahead of them for the Buckeyes. Smith-Njigba had several highlights during his senior season flashing his hands and the ability to make freak catches. McMillan is great at creating separation with speed and footwork (Scouting Report). Josh Downs had a great week at the All-American Bowl practice. Was constantly getting open the entire week of practice. Downs ran a 4.47 40-yard dash in March along with a near 42” vertical leap. Notre Dame hauled in a 5-star receiver in Jordan Johnson. A big-bodied wideout with enough speed to keep defenses honest on the deep ball. Hudson will be an interesting watch during Saturday’s game, the final two years of his high school career he played QB so it will be a bit of a learning curve after two years away from the position going against the nation’s best corners.
Tight Ends:
#1 Arik Gilbert (LSU), #2 Michael Mayer (Notre Dame), and #4 Jalin Conyers (Oklahoma)
Gilbert – “He’s our highest-graded player in the country regardless of position.” – SEC Director of Player Personnel (Scouting Report). Gilbert has elite size and a frame that can even hold more weight on it. Gilbert has a chance to be special, even with his big size, he can flex out wide. As a senior, he tallied 81/1436/12. Notre Dame might have found Cole Kmet’s replacement in Michael Mayer. He has the size and strength to be an early contributor for the Irish if needed (Scouting Report). He’s physical after the catch and has the skills to feel out wide. Conyers is a very athletic and versatile athlete. He played a number of positions in high school, mainly receiver. Conyers will be bulking up a bit and converting to TE for the Sooners. Fits very much in the mold of previous TEs like Mark Andrews and Grant Calcaterra.
