UA Game: Ranking colleges by their commitments' performances

ORLANDO, Fla. – Saturday’s Under Armour All-America Game featured high school players, sure, but the interest goes far beyond the surface level. Team Highlight’s 27-0 win over Team Armour mattered little on the national stage. Still, plenty of major colleges had future players participating in the event, and fans of those schools had reason to pay attention.

Rivals.com ranked the college programs by how their committed prospects performed in the game.

Dionte Mullins made the game’s best catch, a one-handed touchdown grab in the second quarter. Mullins, who also had a drop in the game, capped off a tremendous week of practice with a two-catch, 25-yard performance that included the highlight-reel touchdown. Quarterback Jack Allison threw the touchdown strike to Mullins and finished the contest with 17 yards on 3 –for-7 passing. Sam Bruce’s impact on the contest was defined by a 46-yard kickoff return.

Levonta Taylor closed strong and showed an impressive change of direction to make a pass breakup in the opening quarter. He also exploded for a 41-yard punt return, but was beaten deep on what could have been a miscommunication late in the game. Malik Henry turned in the day’s best quarterback performance. Henry showed off good arm strength, incredible touch and decent accuracy as he completed 9-of-12 passes for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Offensive line commit Baveon Johnson looked solid in pass protection but struggled snapping the ball accurately at times. Johnson will likely play guard during his freshman season at FSU.

Chauncey Gardner made a number of nice plays that offset some not-so-stellar moments in the opening quarter. Gardner muffed an attempt to pick up a punt, which resulted in a turnover. He was also beaten soundly for a touchdown early in the game. The four-star defensive back righted the ship, though, as he used his superior size and quickness to make key plays in the second quarter and beyond. Wide receiver Josh Hammond was quiet on game day despite a nice week of practice.

Benito Jones had good days and bad days at practice, but notched a sack early in the second quarter and had a strong showing on most gameday reps. He was one of the most consistent players on either roster and finished the day with five tackles, including four for a loss. Greg Little was solid in protection and looked as steady as any offensive lineman on either roster.

Ed Oliver turned in a hyper-impressive performance and routinely beat other top-level prospects including Alabama commit Deonte Brown. Oliver finished with five tackles, including two for a loss. Tyrie Cleveland, The Cougars’ other commit in the game, finished without a catch but was responsible for a 25-yard kickoff return. He also dropped two passes in the contest.

N'Keal Harry was targeted twice on the game’s opening drive and made catches on intermediate routes on both occasions. He finished the contest with a game-high five catches for 32 yards. Harry has impressive size and used Under Armour All-America week to show consistency and help justify his lofty ranking. ASU offensive line commit Cohl Cabral struggled to shine against elite competition.

Running back commit B.J. Emmons showed nice hands and impressive agility catching the ball out of the backfield. He made defenders miss and created extra yards where there seemed to be none. Emmons finished the game with two catches for 13 yards. He also carried the ball 10 times for 16 yards. It was a rough day for offensive lineman Deonte Brown, who struggled to match power with opposing defensive linemen at times.

Despite an uneven week of practice, wide receiver Eddie McDoom beat Rivals100 defensive back Chauncey Gardner for a 12-yard touchdown grab in the first half. The catch was McDoom’s only grab of the game, but it certainly played a massive role in the contest’s outcome.