Published Dec 29, 2017
Army Bowl: Five teams that should watch with interest
circle avatar
Adam Friedman  •  Rivals.com
Rankings Director and National Transfer Portal Analyst
Twitter
@RivalsFriedman

Army All-American Bowl week is finally here and the star-studded roster is littered with the college football stars of the future. Here are five teams that really need to pay attention to the practices and game so they can see what their team is getting next year.

RELATED: Six teams that should pay close attention to the UA All-America Game

USC TROJANS

Advertisement

The Trojans have had an eventful week with their bowl game last night, five-star 2019 quarterback JT Daniels officially reclassifying to the 2018 class, and 2018 Rivals100 defensive back Talanoa Hufanga signing with USC. Linebackers Palaie Gaoteote, a five-star, and Raymond Scott, a Rivals250 prospect, will help Hufanga contribute to a very solid West defense.

Daniels, who was added to the Army game roster earlier this week, will be joining Rivals250 lineman Justin Dedich as USC's only two players on the offensive side of the ball. Five-star Amon-Ra St. Brown, the top wide receiver in the nation and Daniels' high school teammate, is scheduled to announce his decision during the game and the Trojans have a very good chance of landing his commitment.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Georgia, the No. 1 team in the recruiting rankings, has five five-star Army All-Americans. Running back Zamir White, who is recovering from an ACL injury, is the highest-ranked of the bunch followed by offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer, defensive end Adam Anderson, offensive lineman Cade Mays and running back James Cook.

Two additional Rivals100 and Rivals250 prospects will represent the Dawgs in San Antonio. Lineman Trey Hill and tight end Luke Ford should help on the offensive side of the ball while linebacker Channing Tindall will do all he can to try to keep points off the board. Like White, defensive end Azeez Ojulari is also recovering from an ACL injury.

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

There are a few teams that have more future players in the Army game but the Sooners and their fans have more reasons than most to pay attention to everything in San Antonio this week. On the offensive side of the ball, lineman Brey Walker will try to open some big holes for running back TJ Pledger. Both Walker and Pledger are Rivals100 prospects.

Ronnie Perkins, a Rivals250 prospect, and Ron Tatum, a four-star prospect, are just a few of the standouts on the west team's defensive line. The Sooners will also be looking to add some help in the defensive backfield. Five-star cornerback Brendan Radley-Hiles is scheduled to announce his commitment during the game on Jan. 6 and the Sooners are one of his top contenders.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Officially listed with nine Army All-Americans, the Buckeyes will be well-represented in San Antonio. Defensive back Tyreke Johnson is the lone five-star Ohio State commit in the game but Rivals250 defensive back Josh Proctor will also be in San Antonio. Buckeye fans should also keep an eye out for commits Taron Vincent, Tommy Togiai and Dallas Gant. All three will eventually major contributors in the Ohio State defensive front seven.

Offensively, Ohio State's only lineman at the Army Bowl will be Max Wray but running back Jaelen Gill and tight end Jeremy Ruckert should make their fair share of big plays. Wide receiver Kamryn Babb, who is recovering from an ACL injury, is an Army All-American but will not be participating this week.

CLEMSON TIGERS

The Tigers currently have 15 players in their 2018 recruiting class and eight of them are participating in the Army Bowl this week. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 prospect in the country, leads an impressive group that also features five-star defensive end Xavier Thomas and five-star offensive lineman Jackson Carman.

Rivals100 wide receiver Derion Kendrick hopes to provide some fireworks on offense while Rivals100 defensive back Kyler McMichael, four-star defensive lineman Justin Mascoll and three-star defensive lineman Josh Belk will try to keep offensive playmakers out of the end zone. Also keep an eye out for kicker BT Potter.