Top prospects prepare to commit at Under Armour, Army All-American games
By Corey Long
Published:
The 80-plus prospects who make up the Under Armour All-America Game are arriving in Orlando for the New Year’s Day game while the prospects for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl will head to San Antonio on Jan. 3 for their game on Jan. 7.
So as we prepare for the deluge of information from the All-Star games, here’s a quick primer of the Under Armour game (with one exception) and what could happen from a recruiting standpoint.
The Target: RB Cam Akers, 5-stars, Clinton (Miss.)
Akers, a U.S. Army All-American, will make an announcement Dec. 27 between Ole Miss, FSU, Tennessee, Georgia and a couple other programs. The general feeling is that it’s Ole Miss or FSU. Getting a commit from Akers would boost an otherwise stagnant Ole Miss class while FSU could begin their ascension to the top five or higher with this talented running back.
The Target: DT Marvin Wilson, 5-stars, Bellaire (Texas) Episcopal
Wilson will will announce his top five at the Under Armour Game. LSU, Ohio State and FSU are all considered near locks to be in the mix when he makes his decision on National Signing Day. But who else will make up Wilson’s top five? Apparently Tom Herman has made the in-state prospect DT a No. 1 priority. Alabama, USC and Oklahoma are also trying to get into the top five and get an official visit. LSU is probably the team to beat, but Ed Orgeron and staff will have to face a lot of competition.
The Target: S DeAngelo Gibbs, 4-stars, Grayson (Ga.)
Georgia has been on quite a roll in December, so it would be appropriate for the Bulldogs to land one of the top in-state prospects on the first day of 2017 when Gibbs makes his announcement at the Under Armour Game. But as decision day gets closer, Kirby Smart might have to fight off a late charge from Alabama while Auburn and Tennessee appear to be fading down the stretch.
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The Target: S Xavier McKinney, 4-stars, Roswell (Ga.)
McKinney has been tied to Clemson for quite a well and has a 100 percent prediction on 247Sports.com. But until a decision is made we never know. McKinney has taken officials to Ohio State and Georgia in the past month, and the one and only Nick Saban made an in-home visit earlier in the month, so maybe there might be some late drama here as he prepares for a decision at the Under Armour Game.
Even if Alabama can’t steal either of the two Georgia prospects or get into Marvin Wilson’s top 5 there will be eight Crimson Tide verbal commits playing in the Under Armour Game – the most of any program. LSU is second with six commits in the game. Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Florida will also be represented with commits in the Under Armour Game.
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
