This year is a unique year for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Scout.com
as a new challenger has emerged and players from all over the country now have
three big all-star games to choose from. Scout.com will provide in-depth
coverage of all three games.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl has lost some very good talent to the
UnderArmour/ESPN All-Star game, but never the less there is still a bevy of
talent headed to San Antonio this year. So without further ado lets take a
closer look at this years East team.
As with any team the focus here is the talented trio of dual-threat
quarterbacks led by five-star phenom Terrelle Pryor. Nobody comes into this game
with more to prove then the 6-6, 230-pound wunderkind then Pryor. All year long
he has heard people question his mechanics and the level of competition that he
faces, but all of those questions will be answered on the grandest stage of them
all. The Jeannette, Pa., athlete is fresh off of a (16-0) season that culminated
with his Jayhawks winning a state championship Pryor totaled more than 3,500
yards of offense and 60 touchdowns this season.
Star Jackson burst onto the scene during the Spring with an outstanding
performance at the Scout.com combine in Miami. The Alabama commit continued his
meteoric rise with strong summer camp performances and normally would be the
man, but it may be tough to get snaps with Pryor in town. Also providing depth
will be Indianapolis native MarQueis Gray. Gray missed most of his senior season
with an injury, but he is probably the best pocket passer of this very talented
trio.
The running back position should be wide open with three talented running
backs who are all evenly matched. Jonas Gray from Detroit, Mich., provides a
powerful inside running presence. Manassas, Va., native Ryan Williams has a
blend of power and speed and the wildcard will be Ohio State pledge Lamaar Thomas or "Flash" as he is referred to. A game like this is a perfect scene for
Thomas to showcase his running and receiving skills and his outstanding speed.
The Army game lost a number of talented receivers to the ESPN contest, but
they still managed to get a bunch of talented pass catchers at one of the
deepest positions in the nation this year. Ocean Springs, Miss., native DeAndre Brown and Aliquippa, Pa., standout Jonathan Baldwin could form a talented 1-2
punch on the basketball court as both players check in at more than 6-foot-5
tall and weigh-in at over 225 pounds. These two will be a serious match-up
problem for the West. Baldwin is also a very accomplished blocker and could see
time at tight end. Norcross, Ga., star Brice Butler and DeVier Posey from
LaSalle High in Cincinnati, Ohio are as good as any wide receivers in the
country. Notre Dame pledge John Goodman was the star of the three-on-three
action at last years Army Combine. Kenny Tate from DeMatha in Hyattsville, Md.,
has shown flashes of brilliance during his career. Now we see if he can do it on
a consistent basis over a week of practice. Tate is also very capable on defense
as well.
A pair of Ohio natives will be manning the tight end position led by
Cincinnati native Kyle Rudolph the nation's top prospect at the position and
Dublin-Coffman hybrid Jacob Stoneburner who have committed to Notre Dame and
Ohio State respectively. Rudolph cemented himself in the No. 1 tight end spot
with an incredible performance on national television this year against
Independence at the Herbstreit Challenge. Stoneburner one year ago was
destroying the competition in San Antonio at the combine.
The East offensive line should be formidable led by a pair of huge tackles
Mike Adams and Lucas Nix who are very nimble on their feet. Adams from
Dublin-Coffman is staying home and heading to Ohio State. Nix from Thomas
Jefferson, Pa., will head to Pittsburgh to play with his brother Nate. Armwood
High tackle Matt Patchan is considered by some to be the best tackle prospect in
the country. We'll see what the Florida native has to offer as he will battle
Marcus Forston in practice all week. Patchan had trouble at the Scout.com
combine with Patchan earlier in the year in Miami. Tennessee native Barrett Jones who is headed to Alabama is a versatile prospect that could play a number
of positions along the front. Kyle Long is intriguing because of who he is and
that is the son of former Oakland Raider star Howie Long and younger brother of
Virginia Cavalier standout Chris Long. Kyle turned down several big time
football offers to pursue a baseball career at Florida State.
The East team also features three very talented guards led by five-star
prospect and native of Parkersburg, W.Va., Josh Jenkins who recently opened his
recruitment back up. McDonough High star Lane Clelland is out to show why he is
considered as the top lineman in the state of Maryland. The jury is still out on
Jefferson County, Ga., standout A.J. Harmon and not because he can't play its a
matter of which side of the ball should he really be on?
The East squad will be without one of their best players as Edgewater, Fla.,
standout and Ohio State commit Mike Brewster suffered an injury and will not be
able to play in the game. That will be bittersweet for Mike Golic as the
Connecticut native and Notre Dame pledge should have a leg up on the competition
at center.
One area where the East team should be much improved in compared to last year
is on special teams with the kicking game. Ohio State commit Ben Buchanan and
Georgia pledge Blair Walsh give the East two very viable options