Under Armour All-America Game 2016: Score, Recruit Commitments and Reaction

The 2016 Under Armour All-America Game showcased the nation's best high school talent, with Team Highlight dominating Team Armour 27-0 on Saturday. 

Even though the Armour squad was overwhelmed, this game is not about the result. College coaches and talent evaluators are hoping to see prized recruits show off their raw tools and provide some sparks. 

Defensive tackle Rashan Gary, who is the nation's top-ranked recruit for 2016, won MVP honors for Team Highlight. The New Jersey native finished with three sacks and provided a small insight into his thinking, per Yancy Porter of Scout:

Jimmy D. Smith of the Times-Picayune also had high praise for Gary's character and talent:

In a losing effort, Houston commit Ed Oliver took MVP honors for Team Armour. The defensive tackle prospect earned particularly high praise from ESPN's Derek Tyson:

Oregon commit Eddie McDoom had a terrific game, highlighted by a fantastic route on this early touchdown catch, per David Furones of the Miami Herald:

That reception came on a pass from quarterback Malik Henry, who will give Jimbo Fisher a potential starter next season at Florida State. 

Staying with Florida State recruits, cornerback Levonta Taylor was one of the clear standouts from this game. He had a 41-yard punt return and did outstanding work that caught the attention of Safid Deen from the Tallahassee Democrat:

Someone else who's taken notice of Taylor's potential is a fairly prominent Florida State alumnus named Deion Sanders. The Pro Football Hall of Famer told Kevin Flaherty of 247Sports he is expecting big things from Taylor very soon. 

“Let me tell you something: I expect him to walk in there Day One and learn the game and to be able to play and contribute,” Sanders said. “He has the attitude. He has the swagger. He has the work ethic. And academically, he’s sound. So this guy’s going to make a difference in someone’s life.”

If anyone can evaluate talent and swagger, it's Sanders. The Seminoles won 10 games this season with questions at quarterback, so things are looking up in Tallahassee for 2016. 

Even though McDoom started the scoring for Team Highlight, the real highlight of the game was provided by another wide receiver, Dionte Mullins. 

A 4-star recruit committed to the University of Miami, Mullins scored on a one-handed catch that was thrown behind him between two defenders, per Furones:

There weren't a lot of things that went right for Miami this season, despite an 8-5 record, so seeing a talent like Mullins shine in the spotlight has to give the Hurricanes and new head coach Mark Richt reasons to be optimistic about the future. 

Showcase games are often fantastic indicators for what a player can turn into, especially when an elite talent like Gary shines on this stage. Fans and coaches want to see how players respond playing against talent that is equal to them. 

Even though not everyone got a chance to shine Saturday, these are all young athletes who are still growing into the men they will become.

College football is in an excellent place right now with such fantastic depth across the country, and the future looks bright with the incoming talent that was on the field in the Under Armour All-America Game. 

Commitments

The big story whenever the Under Armour All-America Game takes place is the recruits who give their verbal commitment to a school. It's a huge day for the players and coaches who can boast about landing high-impact talent to other recruits on their radar. 

Guard Terrance Davis, who is rated as a 4-star prospect, kicked off the commitment extravaganza by choosing to stay close to home at the University of Maryland, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren. 

Without specifically using Davis' name due to NCAA rules, new Maryland head coach D.J. Durkin expressed his excitement on Twitter:

Durkin's hiring seems to be paying immediate dividends for the Terps, with VanHaaren noting Davis moved them atop his list when Durkin took over as head coach. 

Running back Devwah Whaley, the fourth-ranked player at his position and a 4-star prospect, gave the Arkansas Razorbacks' recruiting class a boost, per ESPN's Gerry Hamilton:

Whaley's commitment is a huge coup for the Razorbacks, not just because of his prestige as a recruit, but he's not usually the caliber of running back they typically land, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema now has 17 total commitments for next season, including six rated at 4-stars after Whaley's decision. 

Not to be outdone by an SEC opponent, the LSU Tigers got their own major commitment Saturday, with wide receiver Drake Davis announcing it on the ESPN broadcast, per Shea Dixon of 247Sports. 

According to ESPN's Tyson, Davis' presence will provide a huge boost to an LSU passing attack that lacked weapons on the outside in 2015:

LSU head coach Les Miles endures his share of criticism for not always producing on the field, but he knows how to recruit. The Tigers currently boast the nation's top class for 2016 after landing Davis.

Another coach who's endured his share of criticism is Charlie Strong at Texas, but he got a big commitment, literally and figuratively, per VanHaaren:

The Longhorns are still building their recruiting class for next season, currently ranked 34th overall, but Strong's impact is starting to be felt, with talent like Delance giving him a foundation-type player on the offensive line. 

One team that seems unable to do anything wrong at this point is Clemson, which is getting ready to play for a national title on Jan. 11. The Tigers were able to score an early win for next season, with 4-star linebacker Rahshaun Smith giving a verbal pledge to the program during the game, per Rob Cassidy of Rivals. 

Clemson is loaded on defense right now, but ESPN Stats & Info pointed out there will be a lot of spots opening up for talent like Smith soon:

Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has turned the program into one of the nation's best, with recruits gravitating his way now that the team is consistently competing for conference and national championships. 

Even though five schools were given a big recruiting boost Saturday, this is just the beginning of a commitment deluge that will culminate on national signing day on Feb. 3. 

There is still plenty of elite talent still on the board, highlighted by Gary, so Saturday was just the tip of the iceberg as every program around the nation seeks to boost its roster for the future. 

Recruiting rankings per 247Sports