High School All-Star Games: Who & What To Watch

We're finally heading down the homestretch of the recruiting season with the all-star games finally here.  Some key recruits will be announcing, while other commits/recruits will be on the field to showcase their skills.  Who should you be watching for?  Well, have a look.

Under Armour Game (Jan. 2, 12 PM, ESPN)

Team Armour

Edwin Alexander, DT, Commit: An LSU commit since April of last year may get forgotten about with how long ago it was, but he is one of the elite talents.

Willie Allen, OT: Unsure if he will commit tomorrow or not, LSU leads this race with schools like Auburn, TCU, Georgia and Ole Miss trailing.

Deontay Anderson, S: Down to Ole Miss and LSU, the Rebels likely hold a lead, but a January visit to Baton Rouge could be huge.

Drake Davis, WR: Down to Ole Miss and LSU as well, Davis will be announcing sometime during the game and recent trends indicate the Tigers hold the advantage heading into the game.

Jean Delance, OT: Down to Texas, LSU and Michigan, Delance will also be announcing sometime during the game and is a tough one to read.  Could Grimes pull in a surprise once again?

Michael Divinity, LB: Once an LSU commit, Divinity will be announcing sometime after the game on ESPN, and the Tigers will likely receive good news once again with Divinity over Texas A&M.

Kristian Fulton, CB: Down to LSU, Arkansas and Florida, Fulton will take official visits to all three this month before announcing on NSD.  With his dad cooking for visiting recruits over the course of the season, all signs point to Corey Raymond pulling this one in.

Keion Joyner, LB: Yes, the mysterious Joyner does exist, and despite being kicked from his high school team, he is still playing in this game.  That departure has shied a lot of teams away from Joyner except for Florida State, but a strong performance in the game and the arrival of Dave Aranda in Baton Rouge could reignite the interest.  Joyner does have a lot of family in Abbeville, so the Tigers have that in their corner.

Shavar Manuel, DT: A number of issues with Manuel has dropped him down Orgeron's DT board to where in-state schools Florida and Florida State have taken the lead.  Maybe a strong showing can reignite some interest, but it seems he won't travel far for college.

Eric Monroe, S, Commit: Committed to LSU since June, Monroe has done nothing to lower his stock as one of the top safeties in this class.

Rahshaun Smith, LB: Down to Clemson, LSU and Maryland, Smith will be announcing at the game and appears to be re-committing to Clemson, and while a surprise may have happened, Dave Aranda will have his work cut out for him if Smith does go back to Clemson.

Saivion Smith, CB, Commit: One of the more significant commits LSU has had in some time, Smith is more than ready to get to LSU following this game.

Rahssan Thornton, DE, Commit: Thornton shrugged off any interest from the Longhorns this season to stay focused on the school that first offered him.

Team Highlight

Andre Anthony, DE, Commit: One of the more recent additions to this game, Anthony has been raved about during practices for his pass-rushing ability.

Devin Duvernay, WR: A Texas A&M de-commit, Duvernay may get attention if Drake Davis heads elsewhere, but is more just another player to watch for now.

Rashan Gary, DT: A battle that seems focused between Michigan and Ole Miss, Ed Orgeron is not going down without a fight and will continue to try and get an official visit from Gary this month.

Dwayne Haskins, QB: A soft commit to Maryland, Haskins is looking to go elsewhere after Mike Locksley was not retained, and with the departure of Franks, LSU has a huge hole to fill in this class and Haskins is one of, if not the top targets heading into February.

Dontavious Jackson, LB: Still uncommitted, Jackson will likely stay in the state of Texas, but he will likely get a second look from new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.

Brandon Jones, S: Jones will likely be another that will stay in the state of Texas, but if Raymond gets a read on Deontay Anderson soon, he may turn his attention to Jones for a late push.

Rashard Lawrence, DT: Out of the game with an injury, Lawrence will still be in attendance and is one of Oregeron's top targets, competing against Alabama.

Jeffrey McCulloch, LB: See Dontavious Jackson.  Will likely stay in Texas, but will be visiting LSU in January and new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda likes linebackers with speed, something McCulloch utilizes well.

Army All-American Game (Jan. 9, 11 AM, NBC)

East Team

Trayvon Mullen, CB: Down to Florida State and LSU, this one is a very close battle that will have Raymond working hard until NSD.

Nigel Warrior, S: Probably slightly ahead of Brandon Jones on the safety board, interest in him has recently increased and could really be amped up if Deontay Anderson heads elsewhere before NSD.

Brian Burns, DE: LSU has been put on the backburner for Burns, but Orgeron may continue to put up a fight until NSD.

Jaleel Laguins, LB: Still committed to Georgia, LSU got a surprise visit from Laguins recently, but with Steele departed, it remains to be seen as to what will happen with new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda at the helm.

West Team

Erick Fowler, DE, Commit: Likely a Kendell Beckwith replacement at MLB, Fowler will likely play DE in this game, and like with Thornton, has turned away the Longhorns all season long.

Raekwon Davis, DT: An Alabama commit, Davis is the top target of Oregeron for the big space-eating DT in this class, surpassing Ross Blacklock and the like for that spot.

Ross Blacklock, DT: Mentioned right above with Davis, Blacklock has fallen down the DT board and is likely Texas A&M bound.

Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl (Jan. 3, 8 PM, FS1)

Jamal Pettigrew, TE, Commit: LSU will have a slight fight with Texas to hold onto Pettigrew, but it appears he will be signing with LSU come February.

Caleb Roddy, DE, Commit: An LSU commit since June, Roddy could possibly move inside to DT for Orgeron depending on what he sees in him.

Obviously the Under Armour game is the one to watch of the three, but there are still some big names for the Army game as well the following weekend.  A lot of names there, a lot of commits and a number of recruits that could be a part of this class.