There aren’t a ton of guarantees in life these days however one thing that’s pretty close to it is the amount of talent from the high school level that’s assembling at the Trop this evening for the 2012 Under Armour All-American game. Another thing is for certain; you’re going to see young men that will undoubtedly change the futures of your favorite college programs whether it’s on or off the field positive or negative. In other words, you should turn in and watch carefully. It’s going to a night of entertainment and limitless potential exposed I can promise.
Of the 91 players compiled on the two rosters all (except for BYU who is now an Independent) that have verbally committed to play at the next level will be playing at the BCS level. Some of those commitments are going to provide their services for the big guys in our own state as well. By my count there are 27 players that are undeclared at the moment and some of them will have direct impacts once decided and quite possibly as soon as this fall, but more on them shortly.
The teams are coached by Steve Mariucci (Team Highlight) and Herman Edwards (Team Blur) and will undoubtedly inject their own influence and personality into the game throughout the broadcast. I would expect them to be wearing microphones so whether you like them or not it will still make for a good watch. I know I’ll be down on the sidelines watching how the kids in turn receive it. Along with those two are Deion Sanders whose son Deion Jr. is playing in the game as well. Former Buc Keyshawn Johnson has also been giving the fellas some advice this week as wel and will be present like last year.
Team Highlight (Black Jerseys) has some of the best lineman in the country on it from both sides of the ball including 5 of them (2 DT’s, 1 DE and 2 OL) that are undecided. In fact, of the 27 undeclared players on the 44-man roster, 16 from this side have not decided where to attend school. The 5 that it shouldn’t be hard to find are DT Eddie Goldman (6-4, 310) from Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C. as well as Mainland’s own Leonard Williams at the DT position who measures at about 6-4, 265 pounds.
I cannot wait to see DE Jordan Jenkins (6-3, 235lbs) from Harris Co. HS in Hamilton, Georgia (a town of about 600 people located between Columbus and LaGrange on your maps at home) chase around Hueytown , Alabama QB Jameis Winston (6-3, 190) who happens to be an FSU Verbal Commit. Jenkins is undeclared as well as OL Avery Young (6-5, 292) from Palm Beach Gardens HS who appears to be a highly sought target for the Gators and OL Andrus Peat (6-6, 280) from Tempe, AZ who is getting just as much attention from the top guns on the West Coast.
The most notable name on this roster is a young man who’s unfortunately missing the game with a shoulder injury, but taking the right (and completely justified) steps towards being ready this fall is Berkeley Prep’s Nelson Agholor. Of course we would all love to see what our local guys can do since Anthony Chickillo was MVP last season, but it’s a bigger picture to him and that’s commendable that he would sacrifice the spotlight to look ahead.
The University of Texas dominates this roster for the most part. Of the 28 guys committed on the roster, 10 of them are Longhorn Verbal Commits with 9 of them being from the Lonestar State. Norland’s (and soon to be The U) Duke Johnson will also suit up for the side along with Leesburg High School’s Noor Davis (OLB 6-4, 225) who will join Plant’s Drew Madhu and head to Palo Alto to be a Stanford Cardinal this fall.
Team Blur (White Jerseys) coached by Herm Edwards features 6 verbal commits from FSU and UF a piece. Out of the 47-man roster only 9 of these young men have not declared their intentions to play somewhere this coming season. The Seminoles have as many as 4 players that could end up stealing the show and it won’t make the fans of the University of Alabama, LSU or Texas very happy either if it happens.
Two of Alabama’s own (QB Jameis Winston and DE Chris Casher 6-5,236) have said they’ll change their address to Tallahassee this fall and the third is from Texas. The fourth is from Ocala and I haven’t even alluded to Dante Fowler or Marvin Bracy who you may already know. When I think of Hueytown, Alabama I think of the Allison Family who happens to be one of the first families of NASCAR, not a town to produce a talent like Winston and Casher is from Mobile’s Davidson High School where the Tide and Tigers (Auburn and LSU) feel as though they should own year in and out. Not just the school, but the entire city.
Mario Edwards Jr. is from the DFW (Denton) area and is the son of former FSU standout Mario Edwards. He has said that his Top 3 are Texas, LSU and FSU…in that order…although he’s an FSU Verbal…moving on. Safety PJ Williams (6-0, 180) from Ocala Vanguard is a star in the making and that leaves Bracy (who could return a kickoff or two) and Dante Fowler who could be this year’s Chickillo if he decides tonight’s the night to show the world.
The Gators are not without their crop of potential studs with CB Brian Poole (5-9, 192) from Southeast in Bradenton and massive OL Jessamen Dunker tipping the scales at 6-6, 315 pounds. They’re in the hunt for Agholor’s services and they’ve got a verbal commit by the name of Colin Thompson out of Archbishop Wood in Warminster, Pennsylvania that’s 6-4, 255 pounds and will see time as a TE tonight. Looks like they’d like to try and create their own Rob Gronkowski for Jacoby Brissett or whoever plays at the QB position.
Notre Dame and South Florida each have a commitment on the roster with the Bulls actually getting a darn good TE named Sean Price (6-4, 215) out of North Marion High School. It’s still an SEC world though with Alabama, LSU and Georgia accounting for another 12 verbal commits and when you stack that with UF’s 6 you get (wait for it) 18 SEC dudes on one HS roster. Throw in the 6 from FSU and those 24 guys against pretty much the State of Texas and you’ve got yourself a nice little evening of football.