Blue-Grey All-American Bowl 2015: Date, TV Schedule, Rosters and More
Some of the nation's best high school recruits entering the world of college football will compete in Saturday's Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.
The 2015 edition of the event takes place at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium, and it's a chance to see some future household names on a big stage for the first time. While these players have everything in front of them as they finish deciding where to sign, Saturday marks a golden opportunity for nationally renowned players to show fanbases what they're made of.
There may not be five-star talent dripping from the walls like in the U.S. Army and Under Armour All-American events, but Saturday's game includes plenty of players guaranteed to make early impacts at their future schools.
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Here's a look at everything you need to know for the Blue-Grey All American Bowl.
2015 Blue-Grey All-American Bowl
When: Saturday, January 10
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida
Start Time (ET): 8 p.m.
TV: Live stream available via Fox Sports Prep Zone
Blue-Grey All-American Bowl Rosters
| Clayton Oliver | Skylor Clinton |
| Will Pyburn | - |
| Tunde Akindele | Roman Andrews |
| Michael Davis | Dominic Struckhoff |
| Shane Simpson | KiJon Washington |
| Darrell Adams Jr. | Ardell Brown |
| Kyle Cotton | Austin Daniels |
| Darick Holmes Jr. | Vinny Papale |
| Narquise Benton | Kyle Carroll |
| Deante Fortenberry | JoJo Henderson |
| Brandon Pierce | Kory Wilson |
| Sam Westby | Hunter Young |
| Voshon McCray | - |
| Nick Faulkner II | Michael Poulter |
| Dillon Rork | Malik Thompson |
| Michael Warren | Brett Zanotto |
| Jared Brugmann | |
| Clayton Dry | Zakk Ryherd |
| Austin Clark | Anthony Forte |
| Dominic Fredrickson | Brad Harless |
| Noah Herington | Chris Lindstrom |
| Sam Raywood | Scott Rucci |
| Logan Slaughter | - |
| Brandon Bly | Matthew Carr |
| Fyn Anderson | Daylen Neece |
| Shawn Orchard | Tyler Robinson |
| Simon Smith | Brandon Pahl |
| Tristan Schroeder | Jesse Beckwith |
| Vince Pospisil | Charles Okpala |
| Steve Johnson | - |
| Brad Mayes | Shane Bucenell |
| Jeff Smith II | Keith Washington |
| Stephen Charron | Mon Denson |
| Karan Higton | Bryce Jefferson |
| Willie Parker | T.J. SImmons |
| Sam Vrinios | - |
| Mock Adams | Kelvin McKnight |
| Connor Messer | Jalen Marsalis |
| Brenden Hadley | Tavares Martin |
| Connor Ratcliff | |
| Bradford Ballash | Dominic Cameron |
| David Gardner | Marquavis Gibbs |
| Stephen Gibbs II | Christopher Moseley |
| Christopher Licea | Patrick Sneed Jr |
| Stephon Williams | - |
| Cody Endris | Velvario Faulkner |
| Bruce Holloman | Carson Pearlman |
| Brandon White | James Barnett |
| Donte Abraham | - |
| Clarke Miller | - |
| Keelan Lewis | Kelvyn Martin |
| Bryce Benjamin | William Coffin-Schiavon |
| Cody Cox | Anthony Enriquez |
| Hunter Rodriguez | Orlando Victor |
| Jake Ellis | Tarron Hampton |
| Defensive Linemen | |
| Nathan Hale | Isaiah Frame |
| Ricky Franklin | Brentavious Glanton |
| Trevor Keener | Desmond Logan |
| Tyler Clark | Marlon Gonzalez |
| Kyle Cerge-Henderson | Ryan Lefevers |
| Spencer Moore | - |
| Mason McLean | - |
Note: Rosters and other information courtesy of BlueGreyFootball.com.
Top Players to Watch For
T.J. Simmons, RB, South (Committed to UCLA)
There may not be a more dangerous player in Saturday's showdown on either side than stud running back T.J. Simmons.
Simmons is a 3-star prospect ranked as the 31st running back nationally by 247Sports' composite rankings, but his offer sheet does the talking. He committed to UCLA in June despite offers from Auburn, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, USC and in-state schools Florida and Miami.
Like most playmakers who hail from Florida, Simmons has impeccable speed to burst through holes and break open long runs. At 5'11", he remains low to the ground to absorb contact well but makes most of his impact in open space.
Don't be surprised if—despite his immense talent—Simmons' playing time is monitored closely. He missed most of his senior season at Lakeland Christian due to a broken ankle, per Jamie Newberg of Scout, but he is almost six months removed from surgery now. And of course, coaches will inevitably split carries pretty evenly in a high school showcase game.
If Simmons is a full go for Saturday's game, though, there's a chance he'll take over when he's in.
Marlon Gonzalez, DL, South (Committed to South Florida)
It takes a lot of backbone for a player to spurn some of the nation's most prestigious programs for an underrated school such as South Florida.
But that's exactly what defensive line standout Marlon Gonzalez did before the 2014 season began. The nation's 45th-ranked strong-side defensive end, per 247Sports' composite rankings, decommitted from Florida State—the defending national champions—and joined USF, spurning other offers from Tennessee, Arizona and Boston College.
When he told head coach Willie Taggart of his decision, Taggart's reaction said it all, per Corey Bender of Scout:
Gonzalez's impact on the field jumps off the page. At 6'4" and 260 pounds, he possesses the strength to rip open from burly linemen and the quick feet to get around the edge and bring down the quarterback. Already built like a college football player, Gonzalez will continue to develop into a player capable of stuffing run plays with brute force.
With a wealth of defensive linemen on both teams' rosters, there should be no player in the trenches who gets more burn than Gonzalez.
Karan Higdon, RB, South (Committed to Iowa)
Karan Higdon is a speedy running back out of Sarasota, Florida, who should be watched closely by Iowa fans hoping for him to make a quick impact in 2015.
He's a 3-star running back who comes in at No. 39 among the top rushers in the class, per the 247Sports' composite rankings. As a small back at 5'10" and 190 pounds, Higdon has incredible speed and figures to act as a change-of-pace back behind a big Iowa offensive line.
After a big-time senior season, Higdon has generated some more interest around college football, but 247Sports' Andrew Kulha found out some falsities were going around:
Iowa has traditionally been a team that thrives on its top running backs, but that facet was lost in 2014. Mark Weisman (a 240-pound back) led the team with 812 yards on just 3.8 yards per carry.
Higdon's skill set represents what has been missing in the Iowa backfield over the last few seasons, but it's often too much to ask of a recruit to come in and make an immediate impact. The Blue-Grey All-American Bowl will be a big first step in proving he can be an impact freshman.
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