ORLANDO, Fla. -- Every year at the Under Armour All-America Game, prospects make a splash, prompting us to make up some silly names and apply them to the recruits who stood out and made an impression. Here are our superlatives for the 2015 game:
'Hi, I'm Chucky. Wanna play?': Who would have thought defensive end Byron Cowart, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the nation, would draw his inspiration from a Chucky doll? Cowart arrived in Orlando with an edge, and he proved his worth from Day 1. He said the doll reminds him to be violent as a player. Regardless of his motivation, Cowart made a huge push for the top overall spot in the final ESPN 300 rankings.
Mr. Irrelevant: Ever heard of wide receiver Brandon Martin? If you said yes, we doubt your sincerity. The transfer this fall into Prime Prep in Dallas came out of nowhere and when we saw him on film, he jumped out and earned an invitation. Now, he has some work to do in the classroom to become academically eligible, but he is a physical specimen to say the least. Big, physical, fast and with great ball skills, Martin could be the top sleeper WR in the Class of 2015.
The Human Blur: Ronald Jones II is a flash, in fact he might be “The Flash” as the one running back out of the four in this year’s event who could make the earliest splash in college. Given his commitment to USC during the Under Armour Game telecast, there is no doubt that Trojans coach Steve Sarkisian envisions Jones as a Reggie Bush/Demarco Murray-type player who provides versatility to the offense. Jones is a scatback with every-down size.
Raise The Roof: Coming into this event, offensive tackle Abdul Bello was one of the most exciting prospects -- from a developmental standpoint -- that we have had in the game since Texas Tech OT Le'Raven Clark in the 2010 class. While Bello outperformed expectations, we realize that his ceiling is still so high that we have to raise the roof. This kid has played only two years of organized football, and his blend of size, agility, range and foot quickness is impressive. We expect his stock to soar.
The Pitching Machines: This group of six quarterbacks has the best delivery mechanics of any group in eight classes of the Under Armour Game. Deondre Francois, Kyler Murray, Blake Barnett, Jarrett Stidham, Deandre Johnson and Brandon Wimbush can flat stroke the football. All players performed as advertised and showed the competitive traits we like.
The Hawaiian Water Fowl: Defensive end Canton Kaumatule is for real, and he might have thrust himself into the top 10 of the final ESPN 300 rankings. The prized recruit of Oregon's class gives the Ducks a dominant player along the defensive front that they have not seen since DT Haloti Ngata was playing in Eugene.
The Punisher: Yes, we are making reference to safety Derwin James' mentality being that of the iconic Marvel comic book character. This guy is physical and fast, to say the least. He plays in the defensive backfield now, but his biggest upside might be at linebacker, similar to Washington defender Shaq Thompson. James loves to run the alley and can be a headhunter both in run support and pass coverage.
Stock Up: A bit of an every-down surprise, inside linebacker John Houston Jr. really emerged this week with range and inside run plugging. He is athletic and was all over the field. We expected him to perform well in coverage -- which he did consistently -- but it was his physical nature between the tackles that made an impression.
The Complete Package: Cornerback Iman Marshall might very well have catapulted himself into the top overall spot at cornerback after his performance this week. This kid is a baller who can do anything needed on the field, including taking great pride as a special-teams player. He has all the measurables needed in a corner with a safety mentality and the range to play all over the field.
Mr. Downtown: There has not been a 6-foot-4 vertical receiving threat in the Under Armour All-America Game who runs as well as George Campbell since A.J. Green in 2008. The knock on Campbell has been consistent ball skills, but all he did was pluck the ball nicely and take the top off the defense. Campbell falls out of bed in the morning and runs a sub-4.4 40-second dash, and he will be a nice complement to the more physical, stoutly built Da'Vante Phillips.