Under Armour All-America Game 2017: Top 5 Players to Watch

The annual Under Armour All-America Game will regain its spotlight on New Year's Day, as dozens of top college football prospects prepare to compete in a nationally televised contest. Action kicks off at 1 p.m. ET in Orlando, Florida, providing a final look at elite recruits before they depart for collegiate campuses.

The game takes center stage exactly one month before national signing day, offering fans an opportunity to glimpse future program difference-makers among their premier peers. Past event participants include more than 120 NFL draftees—a list that features Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper, Houston Texans defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney, New York Giants safety Landon Collins and Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones.

Many of the game's latest participants will face immense expectations during the next phase of their football careers, and several should put themselves in position to make an impact at the professional level. Here's a quick rundown of the five top-rated members of this year's roster, according to Scout.com rankings.

OT Alex Leatherwood

Credit: Scout.com

High School: Booker T. Washington (Pensacola, Florida)

Scout.com Ranking: No. 3 offensive tackle; No. 18 overall

Recruitment Status: Committed to Alabama on June 2, 2015

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has enjoyed unmatched recruiting success this decade when it comes to elite offensive linemen. Alex Leatherwood, committed to the country's top-ranked team since shortly after his sophomore year, is the latest example of this enduring trend. 

Leatherwood, who stands 6'6" and weighs 315 pounds, is a bully in the trenches. Versatile enough to provide an anchor at multiple positions along the offensive front, he has the makings of a long-term bookend at tackle.

He will be challenged by blue-chip defensive linemen throughout practice sessions prior to the Under Armour All-America Game and during the event itself, but his track record suggests he will be up to this task. Plenty of squads—especially Florida—will continue to give chase until Leatherwood's letter of intent is signed, sealed and delivered to Saban's desk.

CB Lamont Wade

Credit: Scout.com

High School: Clairton (Clairton, Pennsylvania)

Scout.com Ranking: No. 3 cornerback; No. 17 overall

Recruitment Status: Committed to Penn State on Dec. 17

The Nittany Lions enjoyed a tremendously successful season, narrowly missing out on College Football Playoff inclusion after claiming the Big Ten title. Penn State also made a major splash on the recruiting trail in December with multiple high-profile pledges.

None carry more clout than prized in-state prospect Lamont Wade, who was named Pennsylvania's Class 1A Player of the Year, per Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Though he is considered one of the 2017 cycle's most complete defensive backs, he also showed off his offensive potential during a dominant prep career.

Wade gained 2,368 yards on the ground this season, pushing his high school total to more than 7,000 rushing yards, per White. He tallied 117 career touchdowns and helped clinch a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League championship for Clairton High School in late November with an 83-yard interception return for a score—his third straight game with a pick-six, according to White.

ATH Deangelo Gibbs

Credit: Scout.com

High School: Grayson (Loganville, Georgia)

Scout.com Ranking: No. 2 athlete; No. 13 overall

Recruitment Status: Uncommitted; options include Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee

An SEC-heavy recruiting showdown will conclude Sunday, when Deangelo Gibbs is expected to announce his collegiate intentions. A mainstay on both sides of the ball for Peach State powerhouse Grayson High School, Gibbs is capable of competing for instant reps at the university of his choice.

Plenty of programs have eyed his talents in the defensive backfield, where he perhaps offers the most promise at safety. Gibbs created a rare blue-chip secondary tandem with 4-star South Carolina commit Jamyest Williams, shutting down passing efforts while totaling 47 tackles and two interceptions, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

He added 28 catches for 454 yards and six scores as a wide receiver. Gibbs, a cousin of lauded 2016 Tennessee signee Nigel Warrior, is projected to pick Georgia by an overwhelming majority (90 percent) of experts in 247Sports' crystal ball, though Alabama's presence in this pursuit shouldn't be overlooked.

CB Stanford Samuels III

Credit: Scout.com

High School: Charles W. Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, Florida)

Scout.com Ranking: No. 2 cornerback; No. 10 overall

Recruitment Status: Committed to Florida State on June 16

The Seminoles secured a crucial legacy pledge this summer when Stanford Samuels III revealed plans to follow in his father's footsteps to Tallahassee. His dad, Stanford Samuels Jr., lined up at cornerback for Florida State during the first few years of this century.

The younger Samuels showcased an arsenal of elite skills in July while competing at The Opening, an invite-only showcase held at Nike's world headquarters in Oregon. Even the most highly regarded receivers and quarterbacks struggled to solve his coverage, and that tight defense resulted in a highlight reel of sensational pass deflections and interceptions.

Standing 6'2", Samuels possesses the length and range to shut down a variety of opposing pass targets and will again put his abilities to the test in Orlando while lined up across from marquee receivers. Expect him to vie for immediate responsibilities in the Seminoles' star-studded secondary as a true freshman.

"I've been playing football since I was born," Samuels told Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani in March. "[My father] put a football in my hands. Since I was born, that's what I've loved to do. I always expected to be here because that was what was expected of me growing up."

LB Dylan Moses

Credit: Scout.com

High School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Scout.com Ranking:  No. 1 linebacker; No. 6 overall

Recruitment Status: Committed to Alabama on Oct. 2

Easily among the most highly publicized high school players in history, Crimson Tide commit Dylan Moses will fittingly wrap up his prep career in front of a national audience. A Louisiana native and former LSU pledge, he started landing scholarship offers from America's most prestigious programs prior to his freshman year—when he was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine as the hype mounted.

Such early accolades didn't derail Moses' focus, and he developed into the 2016 Butkus Award winner as the top linebacker in high school football. His gaudy background includes being the first freshman ever to earn an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game, an opportunity that arrived following a 2013 campaign in which he made 176 tackles at University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Moses completed his final prep campaign at Florida heavyweight IMG Academy. Spearheading a defense stocked with blue-chip recruits, he recorded 147 tackles and two sacks this fall, according to Kevin Connell of Gridiron Now.

Tyler Donohue is a national recruiting analyst for Bleacher Report. Prospect ratings courtesy of Scout.

Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.