De'Anthony Thomas and the Top Invites to the 2011 U.S. Army All American Game

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is one of the most important events in college football recruiting. Not only is it one of prime locations for commitment announcements, but it's also a chance for scouts from all over the country to see the nation's best talent matchup up against each other. 

The game is a who's who of high school football, and while an invitation is expected by the elite, it's an honor for anyone else. 

37 players have been extended invitations so far, with defensive tackle Michael Bennett becoming the latest invite on Monday. 

With the game not to be played until January 8, there's still a ton of time for the rosters to form, but for those of you curious, here's a breakdown of the top talent that will be in attendance. 

You can check out the full rosters here. 

10. Victor Blackwell, WR

Roster: West

Commitment: USC

Blackwell's greatest asset is without a doubt his hands. The ball just sticks to some guys when they go up for it and he's one of them. 

Blackwell has USC written all over him; it's a perfect fit. He's a 4-star receiver with great change of direction ability, acceleration, and has perhaps the best body control of any receiver in the 2011 class.

9. Michael Bennett, DT

Roster: East

Commitment: Ohio State

He's got a nasty side to him you love to see in linemen and has an attacker's mentality that allows him to thrive in the trenches and push his body around with intensity.

Bennett is one of the strongest DTs in the class and does a great job of staying low and getting underneath his opponent. Scouts see him as a raw prospect who would need time to develop though.

8. Ishaq Williams, DE

Roster: East

Commitment: Uncommitted 

Ishaq Williams is an athletic freak with the potential to be a superb outside linebacker or strong safety on top of his skill along the defensive line. 

He's long and rangy, runs a deceptively fast 4.7-second 40-yard dash and is one of the most intense players you'll ever come across.

7. Colt Lyerla, ATH

Roster: West

Commitment: Uncommitted

Lyerla plays both tight end and outside linebacker in high school, but his future looks like it'll be on the defensive side of the ball as a very versatile outside linebacker.

He's very athletic and displays some of the most fluid movements of any defender of his size in the country. At 6'5" and 225 lbs., he moves like a wide receiver with the hitting ability and aggressive tendencies of a linebacker. 

6. Charone Peake, WR

Roster: East

Commitment: Clemson

Peake will join Mike Bellamy at Clemson to form a scary one-two punch on the offensive side of the ball. The five star receiver is quick off the line and one of the best deep-ball threats in the country.

Peake will score on you at almost any time and has the speed and height to go over the top of defenders with elite ability. He's grown tremendously more consistent over the last year and will have the chance to be one of the top impact freshman in the country.

5. Jeoffrey Pagan, DE

Roster: East

Commitment: Florida

Pagan didn't even start playing the position until this past season, and immediately, he looked like a natural out there who'd been doing it his whole life.

He's strong and athletic and gets into the backfield in a hurry. He's still very raw and needs to be polished, which means a redshirt year might be in his best interest, but the potential is there.

4. George Farmer, WR

Roster: West

Commitment: Uncommitted

He has the speed to get past pretty much anyone and the size to ward off stronger defenders without much effort. Farmer has an ideal combination of skills and natural ability, but needs to fine tune his game some.

He'll make the spectacular catch, but then drop an easy one. Some scouts question his level of concentration and desire to go all out on every play; that's troubling. If he can improve on his consistency though, Farmer has the goods to be a special talent.

3. Herschel Sims, RB

Roster: West

Commitment: Oklahoma State

He's the definition of a home run hitter and is one of the most exciting players to watch in the country. It seems like he only plays better the bigger the stage is and gains momentum throughout a game rather than wearing down like some backs.

Sims is on the small side at a generous listing of 5'9" and 190 lbs, but when you're drawing comparisons to LaDainian Tomlinson, that isn't something to be too worried about.

2. Malcolm Brown, RB

Roster: West

Commitment: Texas

Brown is the premeire rusher of the class and a near-ideal prospect for the position. He's a powerful rusher that will put his shoulder down and punish defenders, wearing them down as the game goes on.

He won't wow you with his speed, but as a downhill rusher, he's about as impressive as they come. Brown explodes into defenders, has great vision, subtle but quick movements, and breaks tackles at an eye-popping rate.

1. De'Anthony Thomas, ATH

Roster: West

Commitment: USC

Thomas' future is at cornerback first and running back second. At 5'9" and 170 lbs, he might not have the size to hold up as a running back on the college level, but he definitely has the skill-set to be a force. 

He's a legitimate 5-star prospect on either side of the field. Thomas' vision, speed, elusiveness, balance, and surprising power make him one of the most dangerous rushers in the country. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see him play both ways on the next level.