All American Bowl: Stock up, Stock down

Image Credit: 24/7 Sports

College footballs future all stars got their final chance to show out in Saturdays All American Bowl. In the end it was the east squad blowing out the west 48-14. In this article i will highlight the players who stood out and those that stood out in the wrong way.

Stock Up

1. Graham Mertz, 4* QB (committed to Wisconsin): The clear cut MVP of the game. The east squads Graham Mertz threw for a bowl record 188 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was precise and accurate all game long, and looks like a day one starter for the badgers once he gets on campus.

2. Dominick Blaylock, 5* WR (committed to Georgia): In what was a phenomenal performance for Blaylock, he accounted for 3 Touchdowns on the day. He caught two and threw for another on a trick play. With Georgia losing one of their top receivers in Riley Ridley, the bulldogs will be looking for Blaylock to be an immediate contributor next season.

3. Jadon Haselwood, 5* WR (committed to Oklahoma): Haselwood had the play of the game on Saturday. He scored on a 75 yard touchdown after he mossed a defender on a jump ball, stayed on his feet, and out ran the defense to the end zone. Haselwood is going to a be dangerous weapon in Lincoln Riley’s offense.  

4. Cornelius Johnson, 4* WR (committed to Michigan): Johnson is third wide receiver from the east squad on this list. After recording zero receptions in the first half, Johnson caught two in the fourth quarter. He displayed smooth route running that allowed him to get wide open on both touchdowns. According to multiple outlets, Johnson also had a great week of practice leading up to the game and should see a bump in his recruiting rankings shortly.

5. Spencer Rattler, 5* QB (committed to Oklahoma): Finally the west gets on the board! Rattler, who at times tried to do too much due to being behind, also managed to throw for two touchdown passes. His arm strength is elite and the way he was able to get out of the pocket and make difficult throws was very reminiscent of Patrick Mahomes. I wouldn't be surprised if he became Oklahoma's third Heisman winner in as many years.

Honorable mention:

Nolan Smith, DE, (Georgia). Wandale Robinson, ATH, (Kentucky). Garrett Wilson, WR, (Ohio State).

Stock Down

1. The West defense. It would be unfair to single out individuals players on a defense that gave up 48 points. Instead i will do an overview of the west defensive effort on the day. From the first drive of the day it was clear that they were over matched by the offense from the East. In all they gave up 6 passing touchdowns on the day and couldn’t generate any semblance of a pass rush. Indeed, it was a rough day for the defense as a whole, but they all have their whole college careers to show that this is not the norm for them.

By Russell Muhs