On Tuesday in Orlando, over 100 of the top Senior football players from around the country played in the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game.
The game was interesting not just because of the action on the field, but some notable recruiting news also happened while it was going on. Here are some highlights, two standouts and four notable commitments during the game.
Edgewater (Fla.) 5-star RB Cedric Baxter Jr.
This matchup was mostly a defensive slugfest, with Team Phantom beating out Team Speed 14-7. Nevertheless, a few offensive skill players did manage to stand out. The first of them to make an impression was Edgewater (Fla.) five-star running back Cedric Baxter Jr., who scored the first touchdown of the game by bouncing this 13-yard run outside and into the end zone.
“IT’S MY CITY THOUGH!” 🔥
Cedric Baxter Jr. (@c4era_) opens the scoring in the Under Armour All-America game with this TD run‼️
Orlando native and Texas signee #HookEm🤘Phantom on top 7-0@UANextFootball | #UANext pic.twitter.com/BLrvA78loY
— The Underclassman Report (@TheUCReport) January 3, 2023
Baxter is the composite ranking No. 1 running back in the class of 2023 and has signed his letter of intent with Texas.
Bishop Gorman (Nev.) 5-star WR/KR Zachariah Branch
The play of the day was this thrilling 93-yard punt return from Bishop Gorman (Nev.) wide receiver/kick returner Zachariah Branch.
Turn on the JETS 💨‼️ @zachariahb03#uanext pic.twitter.com/eqhcWNwKKn
— All-America Game (@UANextFootball) January 3, 2023
Branch is ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver in this class and was named MVP for his efforts. He has signed his letter of intent with USC.
Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Texas A&M DL David Hicks and unsigned Athlete Nyckoles Harbor were among the other players who drew recognition for their performance during the week leading up to the game.
In the recruiting department, four prospects made their college decisions:
Cy Ranch (Texas) 4-star DL Ashton Porter: Signed with Oregon
Porter (6-foot-3, 255 pounds) joins a strong 2023 class for the Ducks, which ranks just outside the top 10 in the country. He had offers from 33 other programs, including Michigan State, Northwestern and Texas.
St. Frances Academy (Md.) 3-star RB Durrell Robinson: Committed to Charlotte
Robinson (6-foot-0, 195 pounds) committed to the Charlotte 49ers. He is ranked No. 51 at his position and No. 12 overall in the state of Maryland. He had 22 offers, including one from the Terrapins.
IMG Academy (Fla.) 4-star EDGE Cameron Lenhardt: Signed with Nebraska
The biggest prize of the night went to the Cornhuskers in the form of Lenhardt (6-foot-3, 250 pounds), who is ranked No. 56 overall in Florida and No. 37 at his position. Lenhardt chose Nebraska over 16 other schools.
Roswell (Ga.) 3-star CB Ethan Nation: Signed with Nebraska
New head coach Matt Rhule got another recruiting win by signing Nation (5-foot-10, 165 pounds). Nation had a remarkable 50 other offers to choose from, including one from Alabama.
With these two on board, Nebraska’s 2023 recruiting class is now up to No. 31 in the country.
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