ORLANDO, Fla. - The annual Under Armour All-America Game is in the books, with Team Armour topping Team Highlight 24-21. As it does every year, the game featured dozens of the nation’s top prospects.
Below is a list of 12 players that stood out from the talented pack.
MORE: UA winners and losers | Full coverage | Video interviews | Former FSU star Sims reflects
There was little debate about which player should be at the top of this list. Thomas averaged almost 50 yards a catch and scored two touchdowns on three receptions. He looked much faster than the defensive backs that were trying to cover him, and his explosiveness was off the charts. Tennessee is Thomas' newest offer, but Illinois holds an edge.
The most dynamic running back on either team, Laborn made some eye-popping cuts to avoid defenders and getting tackled for a loss. He covers a ton of ground very quickly and runs with power, but is light enough on his feet to be able to hurdle defenders at a moment’s notice. The combination of Laborn, Cam Akers and Zaquandre White could give Florida State the best running back recruiting class in 2017.
Team Armour did a great job of getting pressure on the quarterbacks, and Chaisson was a big part of that effort. His stat line was very impressive - six tackles, three sacks, five tackles for a loss and a pass breakup. LSU and Texas are the final two for him, and both need his edge rushing abilities.
Even though his team lost, Mond was pretty clearly the best quarterback on the field. His poise and toughness was really impressive and should help him see early playing time for Texas A&M next year. Mond was a very smart runner and led all players in rushing yards. He did a great job of buying himself some time, and on one play rolled out to his right and fired a pass off his back foot to Brock Wright with three defenders bearing down on him.
Kaindoh lived up to his five-star rating on Sunday, turning in an impressive performance. The Florida State commit was tied for the most tackles on his team and was a constant presence in the backfield. Kaindoh batted down a pass when he couldn’t make it to the quarterback and fought through missed holding penalties to make tackles out on the edge.
The Team Armour perimeter players did a good job of funneling ball carriers back to the middle and into the waiting arms of Moses. The Alabama commit finished with a game-high 10 tackles, one tackle for a loss and one pass breakup. Moses cleaned up a lot of plays after the ball carrier was redirected towards him. He should be a tackling machine in Tuscaloosa.
Michigan needs Vilain to be a pass rusher off the edge, and that’s exactly what he did on Sunday. He didn’t end up with any sacks, but he had three hits on the quarterback and forced some bad throws. Vilain also made some athletic plays towards the sideline, keeping ball carriers from turning the corner and getting down the field.
Jones finished the game with five tackles and a hit on the quarterback, but he impacted the game in bigger ways than his stats indicate. He did a very good job of tracking down ball carriers towards the sideline and closed with authority. Jones, a very sure tackler, is going to be a really big linebacker once he gets to a college training program. Florida, Florida State, Texas A&M, UCLA and USC are battling for his commitment.
Much like Moses, Brooks finished off a lot of tackles after ball carriers were forced to turn back inside. He was very good at playing between the hashes and was physical enough to shed would-be blockers. Maryland held an edge for Brooks, but Notre Dame is coming back into the picture.
Smith did a good job of keeping his man in front of him in pass protection and showed impressive lateral quickness. He played various positions along the offensive line and could do so when he arrives at Tennessee. Smith’s strong punch stunned defenders and when he got the on the ground he didn’t let them up.
Ford has been claiming he’s been overlooked for a long time now, but the Rivals100 safety opened a lot of eyes on Sunday. The Pittsburgh commit put a big-time hit on Laborn along the sideline and added three other tackles before the game was over. Ford made it really difficult for quarterbacks to throw down the field, and he did a good job of cutting off receivers before they could make a play on the ball.
Wright was the safety valve for his quarterbacks and led the team in catches and receiving yards. The Notre Dame commit knew how to get open on intermediate routes and will be a good end-line end in South Bend. Wright capped his performance with a catch for a two-point conversion.