U.S. Army All-American Bowl 2012: Top Recruits and Commitment Predictions

The U.S. Army Bowl is one of the very best high school football All-Star games in the land. It's almost viewed as the Senior Bowl for high school football, as many evaluators love to see the practices all week long.

As I mentioned with the UA game, the focus on Saturday will be on the commitments/announcements of several big-name players. It's always fun to finally learn where these guys are going, so Saturday should be a treat.

Read further to see who's expected to announce and where I think they'll be going.

7. Deon Bush, DB

Bush is a 6'1", 185-pound DB prospect that likely will become a safety in college. He's got great speed on the back end and flashes solid ball skills.

On the recruiting front, the Florida native has an array of offers but has narrowed it down to the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Miami. Purdue has fallen behind.

I think Bush announces for Auburn on Saturday.

6. Brian Nance, LB

Nance is a speedy second-level defender with great range. He stands 6'3", 210 lbs and shows the potential to be an excellent blitzer. He'll easily be a three-down 'backer in college due to his agility and athleticism in coverage.

Nance looks to be down to Arkansas, Baylor and UCLA and will be announcing on Saturday.

I'm calling that the Texas native chooses to stay in-state and play at Baylor.

5. Jordan Payton, WR

At 6'2" and 190 lbs, Payton is a productive receiver with natural skills. He shows strong hands, good route running and natural ball skills.

His recruitment has been a bit crazy as he was a USC commitment for a good while, but he has backed off that and has been linked to schools like SMU, Michigan, Penn State, Arizona State and Notre Dame.

Now comes word that Payton is strongly considering UCLA. With that said, Cal has remained a constant presence, and I think Saturday he announces for Berkley.

4. Tyriq McCord, DE

McCord is an uber-athetic DE prospect from Florida that stands 6'3", 225 lbs. Some argue he has no true position, while others say he can be a combo OLB that rushes from the edge as a sub-rusher on third downs.

He's down to a final five of South Carolina, Florida, USC, Georgia and Miami. Dante Fowler told Scout.com last month he has no idea what McCord is going to do.

I think McCord heads to Florida.

3. Elijah Shumate, DB/OLB

Shumate plays strong safety right now, but he has been getting snaps at OLB this week at the Army game. He' a 6'1", 200-pounder with good instincts, play speed and athleticism to go along with his big-hitter status.

Shumate has just now gotten more focused on recruiting, as he played for the No.1 team in the nation in Don Bosco Prep out of New Jersey.

Rutgers has been recruiting Shumate hard, so has South Carolina, but I think Saturday Shumate announces for Notre Dame. 

2. Johnathan Bullard, DE

Bullard is a great edge defender at DE who stands 6'4", 250 lbs on the hoof. He flashes great strength to set the edges along with a solid first step to get around OLs.

South Carolina, Florida and Clemson are the final three and many can see Bullard signing with any of them. However, I think the family feel at Clemson wins out on Saturday.

1. Shaquille Thompson, DB

Thompson is a 6'2", 210-pounder who will line up at safety in college. He has very good play speed and athleticism to combine with solid instincts on the back end.

Thompson has very good range and is not looked off easily. He's quick to decipher route combos and has the leaping ability and ball skills to produce interceptions.

On the recruiting front, the five-star prospect is down to Cal, UCLA, Notre Dame, Washington and Oregon. As I've been saying for most of the year, Cal will land him.