SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- As always, some of the most significant drama during the 2015 version of the US Army All-American Bowl will be during the game when a handful of top prospects announce their college choices at the Alamodome on Saturday.
2015 US Army All-American Bowl will feature 9 big commits
Which programs will receive big boosts at the high school all-star game?
The biggest possible announcement may or may not happen, as the nation’s No. 1 prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings, Apopka (Fla.) offensive tackle Martez Ivey, said during check-in day that he’s made up his mind, but doesn’t know whether the official decision will happen during the game.
[Update: Ivey has decided not to announce at the Army Bowl.]
Auburn and Florida are the two finalists, with the Tigers quite possibly holding an advantage because of the staff stability there and the fact that former Gators head coach Will Muschamp, who was attempting to recruit Ivey to Gainesville, is now on the staff at Auburn after taking the defensive coordinator position there.
However, the Gators remain the major leader in Ivey’s 247Sports Crystal Ball, holding 80 percent of the predictions there and receiving four of the five projections cast during the month of December. Suffice it to say that landing Ivey would be a major coup for new head coach Jim McElwain in the early days of of his tenure at Florida.
One recruit who has decided not to announce is Salem Hills (Utah) outside linebacker/defensive end Porter Gustin, who has pushed back his decision between USC and Arizona State. Right now, the Trojans are the overwhelming favorite to land the 6’5, 244-pounder, as his Crystal Ball is unanimous in the belief that he will pledge to head coach Steve Sarkisian when he eventually makes his decision.
Here are the nine prospects scheduled to announce and the respective order and quarter during which they will pledge:
- Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra wide receiver Stanley Norman (No. 4, second quarter)-- The nation’s No. 8 athlete will end his recruitment on Saturday in what looks to be a two-way battle between UCLA and Arizona State, though the Sun Devils have recently been trending his Crystal Ball.
- Towson (Mary.) Calvert Hall wide receiver Lawrence Cager (No. 5, second quarter) -- The big pass-catcher has already made his decision and the pick could be a bit of a surprise, as 247Sports national analyst Steve Wiltfong put in a prediction for Miami in Cager’s Crystal Ball after check-in day.
- Riverside (Calif.) Polytechnic wide receiver Ykili Ross (No. 6, third quarter) -- The speed wide receiver with excellent ball skills has taken a variety of visits this fall -- to USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Arizona State, and Oregon. However, the hometown Trojans are the heavy favorite with 94% of the predictions in his Crystal Ball and the Fighting Irish trailing with only one projection.
- Miami (Fla.) Booker T Washington tight end Devonaire Clarington (No. 3, second quarter) -- LSU and Florida are ostensibly in the mix for the nation’s No. 4 tight end, but this look like a Texas-Miami battle. Long considered the favorite, the Hurricanes made a mistake this fall by falling out of contact, which allowed the Longhorns to surge with Clarington after his official visit in November. Right now, it looks like he’s headed to Texas.
- Fairburn (Ga.) Hughes defensive end D’Andre Walker (No. 9, fourth quarter)-- Down to Georgia and Tennessee, the lanky pass-rusher has taken numerous visits to Tennessee and has also tripped to Athens several times during the last year. The Bulldogs are the major favorite over the Volunteers right now.
- Nashville (Tenn.) Hillsboro defensive end Kyle Phillips (No. 1, first quarter) -- Numerous visits to Knoxville helped Tennessee seemingly take a big lead with the strong side prospect, but LSU has been trending recently and Ole Miss could be a dark horse in his recruitment as it winds down.
- St. Catherine’s (Ont.) Canada Prep Football Academy defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (No. 2, first quarter) -- Though Gallimore’s participation in the game is in doubt because of an injury, he will still announce at the game. He’s down to five finalists, but Oklahoma and Ohio State seem to have the best shot, with some momentum for the Sooners after a mid-December visit to Norman.
- Encino (Calif.) Crespi Carmelite safety Marvell Tell (No. 8, fourth quarter) -- A recent official visit to Texas A&M may have given the Aggies an outside shot at the nation’s No. 3 safety since he was willing to go out of state during the early part of his recruitment. However, the better bet right now is that he stays in-state and decides between USC and UCLA, with the Trojans the most likely destination.
- Miami (Fla.) Westminster athlete Tim Irvin (No. 7, third quarter) -- A two-way star in high school who is expected to play safety at the next level, Irvin is down to Florida, Miami, Texas and West Virginia. Miami has long been considered the team to beat, but there has been momentum for Texas after the commitment of his friend Cecil Cherry, a linebacker from the Sunshine State.
As is typical at this event, this list is fluid and will be updated closer to game time.
