Tag: All-American Game

Texas commit Tre Johnson shines in McDonalds All-American game

Tre Johnson showcases three-point range in McDonald’s All-American game.

Texas guard commit Tre Johnson is a threat from the three-point line. That much is evident from his performance at the McDonald’s All-American game.

In the game, Johnson stepped into a fast break three-pointer off the dribble to sink the long range basket for his team. The shot prompted the broadcast crew to comment on his long range shooting ability. The broadcaster gave the following analysis.

“He has an NBA scoring package. He knows how to get to his spots, he’s got great footwork, he’s got range, he’s got the pull-up.”

The above description of the Houston prospect bodes well for a Texas team that needs all of the above qualities from its wing players next season. The Longhorns lacked those qualities on the court in 2024. Johnson will likely need help from veteran portal additions to improve Texas from its last campaign, but has the skill set to make an impact for the team right away.

Texas will determine the right role for the Houston native as he works with the team this offseason.

Two future Tar Heels nominated for All-American game

The All-American Game is the most prestigious, high school All-Star basketball game. A pair of future Tar Heel hoopsters may play in it.

Ever since the UNC women’s basketball team played UConn before Christmas, winning has been easy to come by in Chapel Hill.

Before Thursday night’s loss at Florida State, another ranked ACC program, Carolina had won five straight. The Tar Heels took down Western Carolina, Oklahoma, Clemson, plus ranked Notre Dame and Syracuse on the road.

UNC is led by star senior duo Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby, but also reinforced by a trio of transfers in Maria Gakdeng, Lexi Donarski and Indya Nivar. Kelly, Ustby, Donarski and Gakdeng all average double-digits, while Nivar just reached the 10-point mark for the second-consecutive outing.

Kelly and Ustby are graduating this Spring, while Donarski’s eligibility runs out.

What Carolina loses in these three, it gains in a pair of studs next

5-star Bianca Thomas and 4-star Jordan Zubich, UNC’s two committed recruits in the Class of 2024 cycle, were recently announced as McDonalds All-American Game nominees.

The McDonalds All-American Game, if you aren’t familiar with it, is arguably the greatest All-Star high school basketball contest.

Thomas, a star center for the Charlotte (NC) Catholic Cougars, is averaging a double-double in her senior season. Charlotte Catholic is atop the 4A Southwestern conference now with a 12-2 (5-0) record, winning its first ten games.

Zubich, a high-scoring guard for the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers, is averaging 26.2 points per game over her past three varsity seasons. She’s sporting a career-best 26.6 PPG this season, with her team holding a 13-2 (2-0) record barely into conference play.

The future is bright in Chapel Hill for the UNC women’s basketball program.

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Jordan Shipp heading to prestigious high school All-Star football game

Jordan Shipp, a 4-star, 2024 UNC football commit who totaled nearly 3,000 receiving yards in high school, will play in one more game.

The UNC football team has no shortage of offensive firepower, which is evident by this year’s squad and some of the future recruits coming in.

Drake Maye is Top 10 in FBS passing yards, while Omarion Hampton finished the regular season fifth in rushing yards. Both were a major part of why Carolina has eight wins – if it weren’t for a few overall team slip-ups, that pair might’ve led UNC to more.

One of the incoming recruits is a North Carolina native whom UNC has major plans for in its offense. That young man is Jordan Shipp, the 3-time state champion from Providence Day School in Charlotte, who finished his high school career with 2,949 receiving yards and 37 receiving touchdowns.

Shipp gets a chance to play one more high school game in January – the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 1 p.m. EST.

The purpose of this bowl is to showcase some of the country’s top high school talent. Some of the past MVP’s are pretty well-known in the football world – former UCLA quarterback Dante Moore (2023), current Carolina Panthers starting quarterback Bryce Young (2023), Florida quarterback Graham Mertz (2019) and current Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon.

Who knows – will Shipp be this year’s MVP?

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How many All-American game recruits believe LSU has a top-tier facility

LSU voted among the 10 best facilities in the country.

One of the benefits of the LSU Tigers football program is its facilities. When hosting potential recruits, it can be a driving force when it comes to the final decision. Where does it rank among the best in the country?

According to a vote held by 247Sports’ Collin Kennedy, LSU finished tied for eighth with a total of three votes. The same number as Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, and Texas A&M. 247Sports polled All-American game recruits for how they view the top facility.

Call it good timing. LSU’s first season in 2019 inside its new year-long makeover of its football ops building paid off in a huge way for the Tigers, who won a national championship that season. Featuring state-of-the-art upgrades, the Tigers have everything from a nutrition center for student athletes to a futuristic locker room that features customizable player pods at the cool cost of $28 million. Part of that came from a donation via former LSU All-American Tyrann Mathieu. New coach Brian Kelly has a lot to work with here.

The top spot belongs to the Oregon Ducks, who have the backing of Nike’s Phil Knight. Next is the Georgia Bulldogs and then Brian Kelly’s former team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Plenty of SEC teams made the cut with the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 4.

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Michigan State football recruit Jaden Mangham to play in All-American game

Jaden Mangham is heading to the All-American game!

Michigan State wrapped up the early signing period in December signing a top-25 recruiting class for the 2022 cycle. One of the four stars that headlined that recruiting class was Birmingham Groves safety Jaden Mangham. Mangham is a safety that could be an impact player as a freshman the minute he steps on campus.

One of the highest honors a high school football recruit can receive is being invited to one of the All-American football games. The All-American games showcase the top high school football recruits and Jaden Mangham will be one of those players playing in the game.

Mangham has already been honored as a US Army All-American and will now be playing in this game.

The game will air on NBC and will take place on January 8th in San Antonio.

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ESPN Names Notre Dame’s 2020 Breakout Player

ESPN has weighed in on the 2020 college football season releasing their version of the “way too early rankings” where Notre Dame checked in at number ten.

Incoming freshman Chris Tyree is as anticipated of running back that Notre Dame has successfully signed since Brian Kelly took over as head coach after the 2009 season.  The look for a running back with this amout of hype may go even years beyond that as some have said he’s the most exciting running back since Julius Jones made his arrival to South Bend decades ago.

ESPN has weighed in on the 2020 college football season releasing their version of the “way too early rankings” where Notre Dame checked in at number ten.

This week ESPN named the “2020 Breakout Player” for those 25 teams and Tyree took the honor for Notre Dame.  Here is what ESPN had to say about the Chester, Virginia native and why they’re so high on him:

Notre Dame’s leading rusher, Tony Jones, is off to the NFL, and the Irish don’t have any running backs on the roster who ran for more than 200 yards last season. The running back room needed a boost anyway, and it’s going to get it from Tyree, an ESPN 300 recruit in this 2020 class. Tyree is shifty, elusive and versatile, and he has speed that this offense could use early on. He has a very good shot to come in, earn playing time and make a big impact in this offense. — VanHaaren

Tyree was listed as the top all-purpose back in the 2020 recruiting class by 247Sports and shined at the Under Armour All-American Bowl earlier this month.  With an offense that has been largely dependent on being able to run the football and throw to backs like Notre Dame has in recent years it’s easy to see why they chose Tyree.

Who to you will be the breakout talent for Notre Dame in 2020 that must have a big year in order for the Irish to return to the College Football Playoff?

 

Watch: Tyree and Pyne Shine in Under Armour All-American Game as Notre Dame Future Looks Bright

At the end of the day it’s just an All-Star game but if you’re a Notre Dame fan that has been waiting for some next-level type talents, especially in terms of speed, you can’t help but get excited about what you saw in Orlando tonight.

Much of the talk this week in Orlando in regards to Notre Dame has been about running Chris Tyree and understandably so.

Tyree is the highest rated running back to choose Notre Dame in what seems like ages and he kept making headlines as he was a captain, the second fastest man and the winner of the shuttle competition between players.

Tyree wasn’t the only future Fighting Irish offensive player to turn heads during the week however as quarterback Drew Pyne of New Canaan, Connecticut did well for himself, too.

Pyne and Tyree teamed up with future Irish long-snapper Alex Pietsch on the Savage team in Thursday’s Under Armour All-American game and gave Irish fans everywhere reasons to get excited.

Pyne finished the night 9 for 11 passing for 124 yards, highlighted by a 42 yard touchdown pass to Ohio State-bound Julian Fleming.

Pyne’s Notre Dame teammate Chris Tyree didn’t let his big week go without one last flash either, scoring on a one yard run in the game on a hand-off from none other than Tyree.

At the end of the day it’s just an All-Star game but if you’re a Notre Dame fan that has been waiting for some next-level type talents, especially in terms of speed, you can’t help but get excited about what you saw in Orlando tonight.

240 days until Notre Dame vs. Navy in Ireland in case you were wondering.

WATCH: Ohio State commit Julian Fleming catch long TD pass in All-American Game

Ohio State wide-receiver commit Julian Fleming hauled in a 42-yard touchdown pass in the Under Armour All-American Game. Watch it here.

Ohio State just might have its best wide-receiver group in the history of the program coming in next year. With four of the top fifteen receivers in the group, the competition will be fierce. Such incoming talent will combine with what’s already in the cupboard to make next year awfully exciting in the passing game.

The crown jewel of that group, and the Ohio State recruiting class in general is no doubt five-star Julian Fleming. He’s tall, physical, and deceptively quick. He can go up and high-point the ball in traffic, yet run past DBs and take the top off the defense.

You can watch him in action too. He is playing in the All-American Bowl Thusday night and just ran past the corner to haul in a long touchdown pass from Notre Dame recruit Drew Pyne.

Watch it in action below thanks to the @SportsDGI Twitter feed.

Notre Dame Football: How to Watch Four Future Fighting Irish on Saturday

Although not loaded with future Fighting Irish football stars you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of four signees who will begin their Notre Dame careers in 2020.

Saturday brings us the start of the NFL’s postseason as Wild Card weekend gets underway but before the ball goes in the air in those games some of college football’s next stars will participate in the annual All-American Game in San Antonio.

It’s one of multiple all-star games for high school football’s biggest stars to participate in before they join the college ranks.  We’ll fill you in on the All-American Game first before looking at other all-star contests

This year’s game, the first that I can remember not being sponsored by the US Army, can be seen on NBC this Saturday afternoon.

Although not loaded with future Fighting Irish football stars you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of four signees who will begin their Notre Dame careers in 2020.

Representing the East will be wide receiver Jordan Johnson of St. Louis, tight end Michael Mayer of Kentucky and offensive tackle Michael Carmody of Pennsylvania.

Offensive tackle Tosh Baker of Phoenix is Notre Dame’s only representative on the West.

 

 

Notre Dame Football: Four-Star OT Tosh Baker Signs with Irish

The monsterous Baker commited to Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish squad back in May and is ranked by 247Sports as the 67th best prospect in the country and third best offensive tackle in the entire class.

Longtime Notre Dame commit Tosh Baker was among the future Fighting Irish that made things official by signing his National Letter of Intent this morninig.

The monsterous Baker commited to Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish squad back in May and is ranked by 247Sports as the 67th best prospect in the country and third best offensive tackle in the entire class.

Baker chose Notre Dame while having offers from many of the biggest programs in college football including Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, USC and plenty of others.

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The Scottsdale, Arizona product checks in at 6-8, 275 pounds.  You can catch Baker in action on January 4 when he will participate in the annual All-American Bowl in San Antonio.