U.S. Army All-American Bowl: Ranking the Top Invites so Far

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is perhaps the premier high school football post-season all-star game in the country. It's basically what the Senior Bowl in Mobile is for the NFL Draft, for high school football recruiting.

This time around, we have the same star power that we get every year. Big names. Big talents. Big announcements that will be made.

Come inside as I tell you and rank the top invites as they have trickled out so far.

15. Justin Shanks, DT

Shanks is a defensive tackle who I like a lot. At 6'4", 295 pounds, he has the potential to play end in a 3-4, but he could also stick as a 4-3 tackle. Shanks is also athletic enough to trim down a bit and play strong-side end in a 40 front.

He shows good snap quickness, strength at the point of attack, anchor ability and quickness to slip blocks. Shanks is a solid DL prospect who has a high ceiling. 

Committed to Florida State.

14. Barry Sanders Jr., RB

At 5'9", 190 pounds, Sanders actually does remind you a bit of his dad when you watch him on tape. He has excellent elusiveness and quickness in the open field and just enough long speed to get to the house.

He displays great balance to take hits and shoves in the box and he can still stay on his feet and get up field. He won't wow you with his stature, but he will with the ball in his hands.

Oklahoma State, Alabama, Florida State and UCLA are some suitors to name.

13. Gunner Kiel, QB

At 6'4" and over 200 pounds, Kiel has re-opened his recruitment from Indiana.

He is one of the top prospects at the moment and has a great arm, mobility, accuracy and solid vision. Kiel also flashes some athletic ability inside the pocket, and just seems in total command of his offense. 

Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan, LSU and Indiana have all been linked to Kiel.

12. Travis Blanks, DB

The only thing keeping me from moving Blanks way up in my DB rankings is I'm not sure if I should list him as a safety or corner. He wants to play CB, but safety may be his best spot.

The Clemson commit is a 6'1", 195-pounder with excellent athleticism, size, speed, transition quickness and loves to support the run. He had over 100 tackles as a junior and uses his length to bully WRs in press coverage on the flanks.

11. John Theus, OT

At 6'6", 295 pounds, Theus excels at drive blocking and has the ability to finish.

Solid in pass protection, I think Theus' best spot is right tackle.He moves targets off their marks with ease, has quick feet and plays physical at the point of attack.

He's bound for Georgia.

10. Jabari Ruffin, LB

Ruffin is a 6'4", 235-pound monster. He's got size, length, athleticism and toughness.

Not sure what Scout.com is missing or not seeing, but a big, mobile and athletic LB that can man the Sam spot or even play TE is welcome on my team any day of the week.

He's headed to USC.

9. D.J. Humphries, OT

The natural comparison for Humphries' game seems to be Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and rightfully so.

At 6'6", 270 pounds, Humphries is a left tackle through and through and is likely the best athlete in the trenches in the country. He can shadow rushers on the edges, has great snap quickness, bends well and can adjust, slide, mirror and wash very well as a pass protector.

Headed to Florida.

8. Shaq Thomspn, DB

Thompson is a 6'2", 210-pound safety prospect who can also play running back and a little bit of cornerback as well. He has excellent range on the back end, speed and can play the run like a LB.

In fact, Thompson can also double as a zone/boundary corner in a pinch for a secondary. His skill set projects him to be an elite college player.

Washington, Oregon and Cal seem like the main three.

7. Arik Armstead, DE

At 6'8", 280 pounds, Armstead has been talked as the top prospect in the country. He can play defensive end, defensive tackle and also shows the feet and balance to play left tackle.

The brother of current USC defensive end Armond Armstead, Arik is a mammoth who isn't just a big man; he's an excellent athlete as well.

Armstead has backed out his USC pledge is also looking at Notre Dame, Alabama, Michigan and Cal.

6. Eddie Goldman, DT

Goldman is a 6'5", 305-plus pound defensive tackle that has "special" written all over him. He has the quickness to jump blockers at the snap, strength to toss and shed, and anchor ability to stop double teams in their tracks and make a mess in the middle.

He wants to play 4-3 tackle, but some teams like him at 3-4 nose. He can play both well in my opinion, and could even play 3-4 end. He isn't a wow-you type of athlete that will chase in pursuit, but Goldman does have a bit of range.

FSU, Cal, Alabama, Clemson, Miami, Auburn and Maryland are standouts for him.

5. Stefon Diggs, WR

Diggs is a player that can factor as a receiver or safety. I could move him onto the ATH board or DS board, but in the end, he is simply too good with the ball in his hands not to play on offense in my opinion.

At 6'1", 190 pounds, he is a quicker than fast athlete, but he does have tremendous speed. His RAC ability is amazing, and he is likely tops in this category in the country for 2012. Diggs can shake, bake and clean the dishes routinely.

Florida, Miami, Auburn, Maryland and Cal are some schools to mention for Diggs.

4. Noah Spence, DE

Spence is the top pure pass rusher in the country and easily has the quickest first two steps in America. He flies off the ball and gets after the QB with tenacity, passion and sheer speed.

At 6'4", 245 pounds, Spence has excellent athelticism and could play 3-4 OLB. He has great speed to hawk plays down from the backside and his length allows him to stay clean from power and mass when he rushes.

Penn State, USC, NC State, UNC, Notre Dame, Florida and Maryland are in the race.

3. Kwon Alexander, LB

At 6'2", 210 pounds, Alexander is a fantastic linebacker prospect. He has tremendous play speed and range and will be a three-down defender in college.

He projects well at Will, but I think he can also play Sam in a 4-3 scheme due to his ability to carry tight ends around the field in coverage.

He could make his announcement at the game, and it's between Alabama, Auburn, LSU, FSU and Oregon.

2. Johnathan Gray, RB

Gray is the top running back in the country on my board, as the 5'11", 195-pounder's production is that of three backs.

He has over 6,000 yards and 109 touchdowns over the past two seasons alone. Gray has elite vision, feel, instincts, elusiveness, speed and quickness.

Texas is where he will tote the rock.

1. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

Yes, we will see the top prospect in the land, "DGB", playing in the Army game. 

6'6", 220 pounds, Green-Beckham has the hands, separation quickness, catch-in-crowd ability and playmaking talent to become a dominant receiver in college. I'm not going to spend much time on scouting info on him since I've given you so much over the past few months.

Missouri, Alabama, Texas, Auburn, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Arkansas are in it.