UA All-America Game: Top stories to follow as the week unfolds

With all due respect to the surprisingly relevant Early Signing Period this month, it shouldn’t be forgotten that All-America season has long been one of the most anticipated times of the year in the realm of football recruiting. Getting that one last look at top players going head-to-head continues to be a crucial part of player evaluation. Even after a number of top-tier recruits announcing commitments and signing on Dec. 20, there are still a number of players gearing up to make their announcements at the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4. In the middle of all that, there are still plenty of other things to keep an eye on during the week in Orlando, as well.

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The most unique story of this year’s Under Armour game is the inclusion of U.K. rugby player Tyrese Johnson-Fisher, the first such player to try his hand at the All-American game. His calling card is his speed, and he’s expected to play running back - which would likely be the easiest position to pick up on the fly. Johnson-Fisher has been a standout player for several rugby academies in his home country, but has been quoted as saying that he’s had his sights set on football for some time. He certainly has the build of a player destined to shine at running back, and if his rugby highlights are any indication as to how he’ll handle the transition, he seems as likely to run a defender over as he is to break away from him.

One of the country’s best defensive backs, B.J. Foster, seemed as though he was on track to earn a fifth star during his junior season before a major knee injury kept him out of action through most of the following summer. He showed flashes of his old self in limited action heading into this past fall, but he primarily played on offense for his Angleton team during his senior season. He’s slated to work at safety while at Under Armour, and Texas fans and coaches will be eager to see how he looks against some of the nation’s best receivers throughout the week. Foster has always shown great natural instincts in pass coverage, but all eyes will be on how that holds up after not spending much time in the secondary this year.

Florida athlete Justin Watkins is expected to make his next - and potentially final - commitment during the game and his story potentially will end where it began, with a pledge to LSU. His first commitment was to the Tigers in April of 2015, but he’s since committed - and decommitted - to Florida State and Texas. He’s only taken official visits to Alabama and LSU to close out the year, so it’s a reasonable expectation that those are the two front-runners in his upcoming decision. Regardless of what team he chooses, there’s still a month before National Signing Day in February. Just saying ...

Rankings are undoubtedly subjective and vary depending on the source, but there are a pair of players on Under Armour rosters currently ranked as two-star prospects by Rivals: Caleb Okechukwu and Justin Hall. Both of those players will have all the opportunity to show that they’re underrated throughout the week, but a number of three-star prospects will have a good shot at a fourth star, as well. Players with a Rivals Ranking of 5.7 seem the most likely, and that list includes: Sevyn Banks, Jaelyn Duncan and Dawson Jaramillo on Team Highlight and Byron Hanspard, Robert Hicks and Tevailance Hunt on Team Spotlight.

Despite being a national showcase, several high schools and academies have several players selected to play in this year’s game - perhaps the least surprising of which is nearby IMG Academy, which has six players competing. Furthermore, the Ascenders' head coach, Kevin Wright, will handle quarterback coaching duties for Team Spotlight. Other teams with more than two players participating in the game are St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and St. John’s College High School (Washington D.C.) with four players apiece and Las Vegas-Bishop Gorman with a trio of players.