By Johnny Curren
With a focus on Trojans commits and targets, here is a quick rundown of the three major upcoming high school all-star games.
* Under Armour All-America Game
Location: Orlando Citrus Bowl (Orlando, Fla.)
Date: Sunday, Jan. 1
Kickoff: 10 a.m. PST
T.V.: ESPN
USC commits
OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O’Dowd) – Team Armour
USC targets
OL Calvin Ashley (Washington D.C./St. John's College) – Team Highlight
CB Tre Brown (Tulsa, Okla./Union) – Team Highlight
DE Markaviest Bryant (Cordele, Ga./Crisp County) – Team Armour
DE K’Lavon Chaisson (Galena Park, Texas/North Shore Sr.) – Team Armour
TE Josh Falo (Sacramento, Calif./Inderkum) – Team Armour
DE D.J. Johnson (Sacramento, Calif./Burbank) – Team Armour
DE Ryan Johnson (Mobile, Ala./St. Paul’s) – Team Armour
LB Levi Jones (Austin, Texas/Westlake) – Team Highlight
OL Alex Leatherwood (Pensacola, Fla./Booker T. Washington) – Team Armour
S Isaiah Pola-Mao (Phoenix, Ariz./Mountain Pointe) – Team highlight
DT Marvin Wilson (Bellaire, Texas/Episcopal) – Team Armour
Notes
Vera-Tucker, who recently helped guide Bishop O’Dowd to a state title, will serve as the lone USC commit in this game, but there are plenty of other prospects whom the coaching staff is still definitely heavily involved with. Jones, who is likely to visit at some point in January, is certainly included in that list. He’s also considering the likes of Florida, Florida State, UCLA and Texas A&M. D.J. Johnson, a Miami commit, took an official visit to USC in late November, and the Trojans are still in the hunt for his signature as well. Leatherwood, an Alabama commit, and Wilson are thought to be long shot targets, but both prospects are scheduled to visit on the weekend of Jan. 20, and each player has already taken an unofficial to USC in the past. Pola-Mao is another player expected to come in that same weekend, while Chaisson will visit on Jan. 27. The staff is also working hard to get Brown, Bryant, Falo and Ryan Johnson on campus at some point in January as well.
* U.S. Army All-American Bowl
Location: Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 7
Kickoff: 10 a.m. PST
T.V.: NBC
USC commits
RB Stephen Carr (Fontana, Calif./Summit) – West
DE Hunter Echols (Los Angeles, Calif./Cathedral) – West
OL Brett Neilon (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) - West
USC targets
S Bubba Bolden (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman) – West
OL Wyatt Davis (Bellflower, Calif./St. John Bosco) – West
RB Najee Harris (Antioch, Calif./Antioch) – West
CB Darnay Holmes (Calabasas, Calif./Calabasas) – West
OL Austin Jackson (Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon) – West
S K.J. Jarrell (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) – West
CB Greg Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif./Hawkins) – West
CB Deommodore Lenoir (Los Angeles, Calif./Salesian) – West
WR Joseph Lewis (Los Angeles, Calif./Hawkins) – West
OL Foster Sarell (Graham, Wash./Graham-Kapowsin) - West
DT Aubrey Solomon (Leesburg, Ga./Lee County) – East
DT Jay Tufele (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham) – West
Notes
This game will provide Trojans fans with an opportunity to get a good look at a trio of USC commits in Carr, Echols and Neilon. It should be especially interesting to see how Carr performs as he puts his skills on display against some of the best defensive talent that the nation has to offer. Bolden will announce during this game. He’s down to USC and Ohio State, but the Trojans have gained a lot of momentum with the standout safety in recent weeks. Two more players set to decide in San Antonio are Holmes and Sarell, although it would be somewhat of a surprise if either pick the Trojans. That’s particularly the case with Sarell, who is thought to be leaning to Stanford and Washington ahead of Nebraska, Notre Dame and USC. Holmes, meanwhile, is down to Nebraska, Ohio State, UCLA and USC. There is definite reason to watch the action in the trenches in this contest, and it all begins with Jackson. USC is doing very well with the big offensive tackle, although ASU and UW are also still in the picture. At defensive tackle, Tufele released a top 5 on Monday that included USC along with BYU, Michigan, Ohio State and Utah. He will visit the Trojans on the weekend of Jan 20, while another defensive line target, Solomon, will come in the weekend prior. Jarrell, Johnson and Lenoir are also expected to visit in January. Can USC get Davis and Lewis on campus that month as well? It definitely isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
* Polynesian Bowl
Location: Aloha Stadium (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 21
Kickoff: 4 p.m. PST
T.V.: ESPN3
USC commits
LB Juliano Falaniko (Pago Pago, American Samoa/Leone)
LB Tayler Katoa (Layton, Utah/Layton)
OL Brett Neilon (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic)
USC targets
OL/DL Popo Aumavae (Stockton, Calif./St. Mary’s)
TE Josh Falo (Sacramento, Calif./Inderkum)
RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio (Mountain View, Calif./Saint Francis)
RB Sione Heimuli-Lund (Salt Lake City, Utah/Brighton)
CB Greg Johnson (Los Angeles, Calif./Hawkins)
LB Anthony Pandy (Harbor City, Calif./Narbonne)
DT Brandon Pili (Portland, Ore./Westview)
S Isaiah Pola-Mao (Phoenix, Ariz./Mountain Pointe)
DT Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (Kapolei, Hawaii/Kapolei)
DT Aliki Vimahi (Kahuku, Hawaii/Kahuku)
Notes
In addition to Neilon, two key Trojans linebacker commits are scheduled to play in this game in Falaniko, who will likely play on the outside, as well as Katoa, an early-entrant who projects to the inside. USC made a big impact on Pili during his November visit, but Oregon State is still very much in the mix, and the defensive tackle prospect will visit Washington and Ole Miss in late January before making a decision. Tagovailoa-Amosa visited USC on the same weekend as Pili, and he also had a positive experience. Georgia Tech, Oregon, Navy and Vanderbilt are others competing for his signature. USC is competing with ASU and UW for Pola-Mao.