A big change is coming to the All-American Bowl. Starting in 2025, juniors will be able to participate in the nation’s premier high school sporting event. That means the top prospects from the class of 2026 will get a chance to suit up alongside some of the top prospects in the class of 2025.
“Given the changing landscape at the collegiate level, our senior participants are graduating high school earlier and enrolling in and attending college as early as December. As a result, the All-American Bowl is pivoting to now include top juniors for the upcoming 2025 All-American Bowl,” said Jon Miller, President, Acquisitions and Partnerships of NBC Sports, owner-operator of the event. “This change will allow more top juniors to make their college declarations on network television.”
For the past two decades, the All-American Bowl has served as a showcase for top seniors, but with recruits starting college earlier and earlier, some of the nation’s top talent has started to opt out of the week-long event to instead participate in bowl practices. That trend is expected to only keep growing with the College Football Playoff expanding to a 12-team field this upcoming season.
While seniors will still have an opportunity to play in the all-star game, the inclusion of juniors should only ramp up the level of competition, especially in an era where Name, Image and Likeness is so prevalent. Select 11th graders will not only get a chance to be evaluated by college programs and recruiting services in a best-on-best type of setting, but also elevate their brand with the game being broadcast annually by NBC Sports and Peacock.
“With the two national championship teams encouraging early enrollees to travel with them, it left us scrambling for equally talented replacements as late as the week of the actual game,” said Erik Richards, National Recruiting Director for the AAB on NBC. “This is a way to bring on some of the top juniors and see how they measure up on the field against the class in front of them. All while boosting their stock & NIL value before signing a LOI.”
The introduction of juniors to the game should also recreate plenty of recruiting buzz. The All-American Bowl has had a number of high-profile announcements over the years, but with over 70 percent of the Top247 committed before they start their senior seasons, there hasn’t been as much drama as of late.
The 2025 edition of the All-American Bowl is set to be played Saturday, January 11th inside the AlamoDome in San Antonio.
Some of the prospects from the class of 2026 that have already been invited to participate in the All-American Bowl include: top-ranked quarterback Jared Curtis out of Nashville (Tenn.) Christian School, Nixa (Mo.) offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, Los Angeles Loyola cornerback and USC commit Brandon Lockhart, Reidsville (NC) tight end Kendre Harrison, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep wide receiver Jabari Brady, Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic running back Trent Mosley and Miami Northwestern wide receiver Calvin Russell.
New Orleans St. Augustine defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County athlete Aaron Gregory, Detroit Cass Tech athlete CJ Sadler, Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage wide receiver Malachi Toney, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson linebacker Tyler Atkinson, Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s Episcopal linebacker Anthony Jones, Buford (Ga.) defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright, Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove wide receiver Devin Carter and Mobile (Ala.) Cottage Hill Christian Academy linebacker Shadarius Toodle have all also been invited.
The All-American Bowl has featured future Heisman Trophy winners and several hundred NFL players over the years, including San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and 2020 Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
