USAAB Player Rankings

The Scout.com recruiting team ranks the top five players in the East and West from the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

WRITTEN BY BOB LICHTENFELS & CHRIS FETTERS
ADDITIONAL EVALUATIONS FROM CHRIS POOL & BRANDON HUFFMAN

East Rankings

1. Chris Wells – It’s no surprise that the Akron, Ohio native came out with guns blazing today in the Alamodome. Wells was impressive all week at practice and continued his strong showing today. Wells showed the ability to break tackles, make the defenders miss in space and he also showed his willingness to block by delivering a big blow in the first quarter on West linebacker Anthony Lewis. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound, future Buckeye earned MVP honors as he scored three touchdowns today.

2. Maurice Evans - The Scout.com No.1 player in New York represented his state well as he harassed the West quarterbacks all day long. Evans spent more time in the West backfield then we spent at the County Line BBQ joint on the Riverwalk this week. Evans also made news when he made his college choice and chose the Penn State Nittany Lions over Virginia.

3. Raeshon McNeil- “Mack Daddy” covered everyone like a glove all week and today’s game was no exception as he made play after play from his cornerback position. McNeil provided a pivotal play to aide in the East’s victory as he scooped up a blocked field goal and took it to the house from 65 yards out.

4. Brandon Graham - “Smiley” as he was nicknamed this week by the Scout.com recruiting team for his charismatic and cordial personality. Strap a helmet and shoulder pads on and this kid is meaner than a junkyard dog. Graham recorded several tackles and blocked a field goal which was returned by teammate Raeshon McNeil for a 65-yard touchdown.

5. Andre Smith - “Dre” decimated was touted as one of the West teams strengths its defensive line. Two of Chris Wells three scores were from the left side behind Andre Smith and tight end Nate Byham. Gerald McCoy and Al Woods made their share of plays, but “Dre” made more. Smith showed why he is ranked by Scout.com as its No. 1 offensive lineman in the nation.

West Rankings

1. Jevan Snead - Of all the west quarterbacks, the Texas-bound Snead looked the most comfortable in the pocket, which wasn't easy for the West offense. Didn't have a ton of time to throw, especially with east defensive ends Maurice Evans and Robert Rose supplying heat often, and was the victim of way too many dropped balls. Finished the game with two throwing touchdowns and 133 yards through the air.

2. Devin Ross - Despite a big advantage in talent, the east receivers were held to no touchdowns for the game, and Ross - the cornerback from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. - was one of the main reasons why. He played well, didn't get beat, had a couple of deflections, and all the while giving up a bunch of inches in height to East receiver Chris Bell. He also supported well on the run, finishing the day with four tackles.

3. Ken Beasley - Beasley is one of the best pure athletes in the entire country. He didn't disappoint the entire week of practices and he certainly didn't disappoint in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Beasley - who is headed to Texas this fall to play for Mack Brown - helped put the west's first points up on the board with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Snead. The scary part? We never got to see him play corner, which is what he's going to be doing for the Longhorns.

4. Gerald McCoy - How can you not watch this game and see how dominant Gerald McCoy is on the defensive line? Sure, his stats are pretty modest - 3.5 tackles and two sacks - but he really made life difficult for east quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Zach Frazer. Combined, they went 6-for-18 for 102 yards. Whoever lands the 6-foot-4, 305-pound McCoy is going to be getting a future first-rounder in the NFL - he is a game-changer in the trenches.

5. Al Woods - While Gerald McCoy was the flash on the west defensive line, Al Woods was all substance. Woods' stat-line included three tackles - including one tackle for loss - but what it didn't show was just how much havoc he was causing inside with fellow defensive tackle McCoy. Woods will be a run-stuffer extraordinaire for the Tigers of LSU, following in the footsteps of some great Tiger defensive tackles - Claude Wroten, Kyle Williams and Chad Lavalais being the most recent.

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Commitment Tracker
Updated Team Rankings