All-American Bowl: Who can earn a fifth star?

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Players arrive in San Antonio on Monday for the start of six days of preparation for the annual All-American Bowl (formerly known as the Army All-American Bowl). With an impressive collection of talent, there will be plenty of current five-stars on display. But which players can join the five-star club with a strong showing this week? We take a look at five candidates and have Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell weigh in on what he’s hoping to see from each prospect.

MORE: Five-teams watching All-American Bowl closely | Roster | Who could earn fifth star at UA All-America Game?

The situation: Clemson is no stranger to recruiting elite wide receivers, and Ladson is just the latest Florida-based receiver to make his way north to play for the Tigers. A matchup nightmare for opposing defensive backs, thanks to his height and length, Ladson has consistently worked his way up the rankings throughout the process and currently sits at No. 36 nationally. If he dominates in San Antonio, he could join fellow Tigers wide receiver commit Joe Ngata in the five-star ranks.

Farrell’s take: “Ladson has good size, but is he strong enough to handle the bigger corners who will be physical with him in San Antonio? He has great hands and he’s an excellent route-runner, but can he be shut down and pushed around a bit against better competition?”

The situation: Wilson’s status has been highly debated among the analyst team, and he’s been mentioned as a five-star candidate over the last two rankings updates. Each time he has come up just short and he currently sits right outside the five-star grouping at No. 33 nationally. Throughout the process, Wilson has saved some his best performances for marquee events and if he can do it again in San Antonio, it may finally put him over the edge to five-star status.

Farrell’s take: “Wilson is very fluid and a terrific route-runner and could have a big week. He has adequate size, but still needs to fill out and it will be interesting to see how he handles aggressive press coverage in San Antonio.”

The situation: At one point Crouch was the No. 1 overall player in the class, but he has since slipped down the rankings, mainly because of injuries. There is also some debate about where Crouch will fit at the next level. He has a prolific resume as a running back, but is likely to be a linebacker in college. Does the lack of a defined position hurt his rankings stock? After missing a portion of his senior season with an injury unrelated to the one that kept him out during the offseason, will a healthy Crouch return to form and take back his fifth star?

Farrell’s take: “Crouch has been injured quite a bit since the spring with different ailments, so we haven’t seen him at 100 percent in awhile. The former No. 1 player in the country has to show he’s dominant at the linebacker position in San Antonio and have a week like Dylan Moses did when he earned his fifth star his senior year.”

The situation: It wasn’t long ago that a Texas A&M defensive end commit came into all-star season and turned in a dominant performance that led to him jumping all the way to No. 2 overall. That former Aggie was Myles Garrett, who went on to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Many comparisons have been made between Garrett and Leal, who at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds is actually bigger than Garrett at this point in his career. After an excellent senior season led to Leal shooting all the way up to No. 38 in the rankings, is another move on the way? With a strong showing it’s very possible.

Farrell’s take: “Leal is big and long and has a very high ceiling, so we want to see how quickly he gets off the ball against elite linemen and if his power translates to the better competition level. He’s still raw, so if he has refined some of those edges he’s an interesting prospect to watch.”

The situation: An uber-talented athlete who makes plays at a number of different positions for his high school team, Whittington has been debated for five-star status several times by the Rivals analyst team. After leading his team to a state championship in Texas while setting records, Whittington’s stock has never been higher. Can he put to bed concerns about his high-end speed and show that his versatility makes him a special talent? He’ll have every opportunity in San Antonio.

Farrell’s take: “I’m a big Whittington fan because he could make an impact on offense or defense at the college level, but the question mark has always been speed. He makes plays on offense but doesn’t get consistent separation, which can make it hard for his quarterback at times. Has he added that extra gear?”