2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl: Cal Cleans Up In Recruiting, West Wins Big

Stanford has beaten out Fiesta Bowl foe Oklahoma State for the commitment of Barry Sanders, son of the great Barry Sanders. Sanders stars for Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City). He held offers from Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Stanford, and 30 other BCS schools.

Sanders isn’t quite the player that his dad was, but he’s still pretty good. Arguably the top player in Oklahoma, Sanders is widely considered one of the best 15 running backs in the country.

Jordan Payton, a top receiver recruit, has committed to the Cal Bears. Payton stars for Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.). He holds offers from California, Michigan and Notre Dame. Payton had long been thought to have favored the Golden Bears, and made it official today during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Payton had been committed to USC for some time, before making a switch.

At 6’2” and 200, Payton has excellent size for the receiver position. He is rated four stars by most major services, and is widely ranked as one of the top-20 receivers in the country.

Brown has a decent frame for an inside linebacker prospect at 6’2” and 230 pounds. His biggest strength is obviously his power. He excels at taking on blocks, shedding them and tackling the runner. Brown isn’t as good in coverage, but he certainly doesn’t struggle in that area, either. He’ll likely not be running with slot receivers down the field, but if used correctly, he will be able to be effective against the pass.

Brown will be expected to play immediately for Charlie Strong’s defense.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is owned and produced by All American Games, a New Jersey-based sport marketing and event management company. The U.S. Army is the title sponsor of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and American Family Insurance is the lead national sponsor and presenting sponsor of the telecast on NBC.

(SAN ANTONIO) Jan. 6, 2012 - The U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee has announced Dorial Green-Beckham as the 2012 U.S. Army Player of the Year, given to the nation’s most outstanding senior in high school football. The announcement was made Friday night at the U.S. Army Awards Dinner at the San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Green-Beckham, a wide receiver at Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Mo., was presented with the Ken Hall Trophy, which is modeled after Ken “Sugar Land Express” Hall, high school football’s all-time leading rusher.

“I want to thank God. I want to thank my family for all they have done for me. I want to thank my teammates and all my coaches, and finally I want to thank all of you for giving me the support to help make me the player I am today,” said Green-Beckham.

The top high school football players in the country will be on display in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1pm ET on NBC.