Mixed Bag For Notre Dame Commits At Army Bowl

Notre Dame commits participated in an extremely entertaining 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The East squad rallied late in the 4th Quarter with some explosive plays.

Notre Dame target Ykili Ross selected USC during the broadcast.

Here is a brief rundown on how Notre Dame commitments and targets performed in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl:

Josh Barajas — Linebacker — Merrillville, IN (Andrean)

Barajas made solid contributions in all three phases of the game. He played Linebacker, Fullback and on special teams. He pursues well on the Defensive side of the ball. Rivals listed him as one of ten players who improve their stock during the week. Rivals wrote:

"Playing in northwest Indiana Barajas really has never been tested against this level of competition, but the Notre Dame commit stacked up well in the Army Bowl. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker had a fairly quiet game with just two tackles, but was impressive with his range and athleticism all week in practice and now sets up a very interesting discussion between he and Darrin Kirkland Jr. about who is the top prospect in the state of Indiana."

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Asmar Bilal — Linebacker — Indianapolis, IN (Ben Davis)

Bilal played the majority of the game at Outside Linebacker. Although he plays fast, he look more like a Safety than a Linebacker. Bilal will need to bulk up before taking the field on Defense for Notre Dame. However, he may be able to make a contribution on Special Teams in his first year.

Nicco Fertitta — Safety — Las Vegas, NV (Bishop Gorman)

Fertitta started at Strong Safety for the West team. He could be used as a Nickel Cornerback. Despite a lack of size and athletic ability, Fertitta has great instincts. He was in position to make plays on two trick plays but failed to make them. This summarizes Fertitta well. He may be overwhelmed athletically but he should be able to contribute on Special Teams and Defense.

Jordan Cronkrite — Running Back — Miami, FL (Westminster Christian)

The East coaches used Cronkrite sparingly. He was mainly utilized as a “scatback”. Cronkrite fumbled during the game.

Alize Jones — Tight End — Las Vegas, NV (Bishop Gorman)

The West coaches did not put Jones in a position to utilize his skills as a Tight End. Jones was used inline for the majority of the plays. He may be best used in the future as a detached Tight End. Rivals listed Jones as a player who saw their stock go down at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. They wrote:

"Overall it was not necessarily a poor performance in San Antonio from Jones, it just was not up to the level we expect from the class’s No. 2 tight end and No. 70 player overall. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound UCLA commit has a decent release from the line of scrimmage and is a big target down the field, but his downfield speed, body control and hands are all pretty average. Jones did not record a catch during the Army Bowl game."

Jerry Tillery — Offensive Line — Shreveport, LA (Evangel Christian Academy)

Tillery started at Guard for the West team. Throughout the game, he played at the Tackle and Guard positions. Tillery looks lean and very athletic for his size. This is likely why he is being moved from Offensive Line to Defensive Tackle. Even though he did not play as a Defensive Tackle in the game, the skills should translate to the Defensive side of the ball.

Tristen Hoge — Center — Pocatello, ID (Highland)

Hoge, the nephew of former NFL player Merrill Hoge, started at Center for the West team. He played most of the game at Center. Hoge looks extremely think but well built. He will need at add weight before he can contribute at Notre Dame.

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Film Review: A Mixed Bag For Notre Dame Commits At The U.S. Army All-American Bowl

By Andrew Hall | Jan 12, 2015