Alabama Football: Players to Watch in High School All-American Games

As the Alabama football team is in the thick of the inaugural College Football Playoff, a lot of the team’s future will be on display shortly after in the top two high school football All-Star games.

The 2015 Under Armour All-America Game will take place the day after the Sugar Bowl, on January 2 at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2. A day later, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be played at noon CT on NBC.

Those two games showcase the nation’s top high school talent. Because Alabama has recruited at such a high level under coach Nick Saban, a lot of its 2015 commits and remaining targets will be playing in these games.

To make things easier for you, here are some big names to keep an eye on in these contests, both committed and uncommitted.

Blake Barnett and Calvin Ridley

USA TODAY Sports

Game: Under Armour

Could this duo be the future of Alabama’s offense? It certainly looks that way.

Blake Barnett is a dual-threat quarterback from Corona, California. Calvin Ridley is an electric receiver from Pompano Beach, Florida. Both are 5-star prospects committed to Alabama.

Both will enroll at Alabama for the spring semester, but before they come from opposite sides of the country to Tuscaloosa, they’ll pair up on Team Highlight to put on one last show.

Dallas Warmack, Lester Cotton and Richie Petitbon

USA TODAY Sports

Game: Army (Warmack), Under Armour (Cotton, Petitbon)

If Barnett and Ridley are the future at the skill positions on offense, Dallas Warmack, Lester Cotton and Richie Petitbon might be the ones protecting them.

Warmack is a 4-star guard from Atlanta. He is the younger brother of Alabama alum Chance Warmack, who was a unanimous first-team All-American, team captain and eventual first-round draft pick at UA. The younger Dallas will look to continue that legacy.

Cotton is another 4-star prospect who played tackle at Central High School, just across the railroad tracks from the Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.

Petitbon hails from Washington, D.C., and is also rated a 4-star, including the top player in the D.C. area.

Each member of the trio is an Alabama commit who will add plenty of mass and talent to the Crimson Tide’s offensive line in 2015.

Minkah Fitzpatrick and Deionte Thompson

Game: Under Armour

On the other side of the ball, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Deionte Thompson are Alabama’s top-rated defensive players.

Fitzpatrick is a 5-star cornerback from Jersey City, New Jersey. At 6’1”, 198 pounds, he fits the mold of a prototypical Saban corner.

Thompson is a 5-star safety from Orange, Texas. With the expected departures of Landon Collins, Nick Perry and Jarrick Williams after this season, Alabama might need Thompson sooner than later.

Regardless, both Alabama commits appear to have bright futures in Tuscaloosa.

Daron Payne and Kendall Sheffield

Game: Under Armour

Four-star defensive tackle Daron Payne and 5-star cornerback Kendall Sheffield remain two of Alabama’s premier uncommitted targets. The Crimson Tide won’t have to wait much longer to know their futures.

Both players will be making their decisions at the Under Armour All-American Game on national television.

Payne is a local prospect from nearby Shades Valley in Birmingham. Payne, naturally, will make his decision between Alabama and Auburn. The Tigers’ hiring of Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator could throw a wrench in his decision.

“I grew up an Auburn fan, so I’ve been wanting to play for them all of my life.” Payne told Bleacher Report’s Sanjay Kirpalani earlier this year. “Then I got the Alabama offer, and then (it’s like) everybody wants to play for ‘Bama.”

Sheffield is expected to decide between Alabama and Texas A&M but won’t rule anybody out publicly.

“It’s still all 37 (schools). I have made my decision, but it’s between all 37. I haven’t told the coaches yet. I will probably tell them the night before," Sheffield said, per 247Sports’ Shane Youngblood. "“No one knows except me and my family, and it was a decision I made at the beginning of my senior year. Education and how I built my relationship with the position coach are my biggest factors.

“I have one more official visit and I am taking it to Alabama in January, but I don’t know the exact date. It’s a good school. Coach Saban is known for DBs, and if I go there I will have to work and compete. I talk to Tony Brown about everything and he said once he got there it is tough and you have got to have tough skin and go out there and compete everyday.”

Damien Harris and Chidi Valentine-Okeke

Game: Under Armour (Harris), Army (Valentine-Okeke)

Five-star running back Damien Harris and 4-star offensive tackle Chidi Valentine-Okeke are two of Alabama’s other top uncommitted prospects. However, neither of them are set to commit at their respective All-Star games.

Instead, they’re going to wait just a little bit longer.

Harris, from Berea, Kentucky, will decide between Kentucky, Ohio State and Alabama at a ceremony at his school on January 9, per 247Sports’ Luke Stampini.

Valentine-Okeke is a unique prospect compared to many of the others playing in these All-Star games. He only began playing football last year, when he moved to America from Nigeria. At 6’6” and 305 pounds, he quickly became a top college prospect.

Per 247Sports’ Ryan Bartow, Valentine-Okeke will choose between Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and LSU. He says he will commit shortly after his LSU official visit on January 16.  

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.