Jordan Hamm
New Year’s festivities usually entail dressing up, sentimental Instagram posts (#NewYearNewMe) and counting down till the clock strikes midnight. For some of the best high school football players in the nation, it’s all about going head-to-head on the field and, for a few, making their college decisions while attending various All-American bowls. The depth of talent in the state of Arizona has risen steadily over the past few years, and the Grand Canyon State is well represented in this year’s series of bowls:
Under Armour All-American Bowl – January 2nd
N’Keal Harry, Chandler Wide Receiver
The Chandler wide receiver and ASU commit has proven he is among the nation’s best in UA practices all week. Standing at six-foot-four 210 pounds, the wideout has used his size and speed to push around defenders, and scouts have called him a “pleasant surprise” through the first few days of workouts. And we can’t forget about his hands. Take a look at this video taken by ESPN’s Erik McKinney from a workout earlier this week:
#ASU commit N’Keal Harry can shatter backboards and make catches like this look easy during #UAAllAmerica practice pic.twitter.com/QDRXuQuBt2
— Erik McKinney (@EMcKinneyESPN) December 29, 2015
Turner Bernard, Mountain Ridge LS
Not often does a long-snapper receive an offer, but Turner Bernard has proven he is among the nation’s best, earning himself an offer from San Diego State. The Mountain Ridge senior committed on December 21st to the Aztecs.
Other Ties To The Valley:
Honolulu Offensive lineman Michael Eletise is committed to the Arizona Wildcats, and the four-star recruit holds over 40 offers.
Cohl Cabral from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, is an ASU commit. The three-star offensive tackle recruit held offers from multiple schools in the Pac-12.
Elk Grove, CA, athlete Lamar Jackson took official visits to both Arizona and Arizona State earlier this year. The four-star recruit also has been getting looked at by Nebraska, Michigan, Utah and USC.
Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl – January 3rd
Kyeler Burke – Hamilton High School Athlete
Burke had a decorated career at Hamilton High School, becoming Steve Belles’ first player to start on both sides of the ball in school history. The WR/DB will have one more chance to play in front of his coach at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, as Belles is the head coach of the West team. The athlete has picked up offers from Air Force, Army, Navy, Idaho and South Dakota State.
Other Ties To The Valley:
ASU fans will have an interest in this game as two Sun Devil commits are playing: quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole and tight end Jared Bubak. Bubak, one of Nebraska’s top prep stars, is an early signee and will be participating in spring camp with the Sun Devils. Todd Graham has had success bringing in big-name quarterback recruits like Manny Wilkins, Brady White and Bryce Perkins. Sterling-Cole, a dual-threat four-star prospect, is the next talented signal-caller to pledge to the Devils.
U.S. Army All-American Bowl – January 9th
Byron Murphy, Saguaro WR/DB
Four of the top players in the state will be in San Antonio a few weeks from now. Headlining the group is Saguaro WR/DB Byron Murphy, who many consider the top player in Arizona. Murphy has not made his college decision yet, and there was a time where he was going to make his announcement at this game. Now, he will make his college decision after an official visit at USC on January 15. Washington, Texas A&M and ASU are also at play for this seasoned playmaker.
Chase Lucas, Chandler RB/DB
Lucas is hoping he can lure the above-mentioned Murphy to ASU along with him and N’Keal Harry. Lucas spent a good chunk of his senior on the sideline with a torn ACL, but he came back with the same explosiveness he has displayed in past seasons. The plan right now for Lucas is he will be in the secondary for Todd Graham, but could have opportunities on offense to break off runs like this.
Connor Culp, Desert Vista K
The big leg out of Desert Vista High School showed why he is among the country’s elite kickers. The LSU commit went 12/15 on field goals his senior year with a long of 50 yards. He also had 58 kickoffs with just nine of them being returned. Being able to shorten the field for the offense and limit the opponents’ field position has to have LSU head coach Les Miles excited for this recruit.
Garrett Rand, Hamilton DL
Rand is a big guy with a bigger appetite for tackles for loss (see below). He was a nightmare for opposing offensive linemen and found himself in the backfield often over the years. The Wisconsin commit will try to show why he is ready to take on some of the best offensive lines at the next level.
Other Ties To The Valley:
The son of former Arizona Cardinal running back Mike Pittman, Michael Pittman Jr., is a monster at wide receiver and a USC commit.
So time to spend the next few weekends kicking your feet up, breaking those New Year’s resolutions, and watching the guys that will be headlining bowl games over the next few years.
