Two USC commits set to play in UA All American game in Orlando

The roster has been set for the Under Armour Next All-America Game and there will officially be two USC commits taking part in the prestigious honor in Orlando, Florida.

Long Beach (Cal.) Millikan four-star wide receiver Ryan Pellum and Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International four-star interior offensive lineman Jason Zandamela are the pair that will represent the USC Trojans in the game. Which they team will they each play for, Team Fire or Team Ice, have yet to be announced.

WeAreSC will be in Orlando for the week of the game to watch Pellum and Zandamela compete against some of the nation’s top talent.

About the Under Armour Next All-America Game

Over its 15-year history, the Under Armour Next All-America Game has produced many of football’s best collegiate5and professional players. NFL Pro Bowlers have routinely played in the game, including No. 1 overall selections Jadeveon Clowney (2011), Jameis Winston (2012), Myles Garrett (2014) and Kyler Murray (2015). More than 300 alumni of the Under Armour Next All-America Game have been selected in the NFL Draft, including 84 first-round draft picks. The 16th Under Armour Next All-America Football Game will once again feature more than 100 of the nation’s best senior high school football players on January 3, 2024 in front of a national audience live on ESPN. 

Pellum’s HS Career

In his final season at Millikan, Pellum finished with 55 receptions for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 14.9 yards per reception and 91.2 yards per game. 

His best performance of the year was a 200-yard, 4 touchdown game. The yardage was the second highest of his career. His four touchdowns set a new personal record. 

In his three-year varsity career, Pellum caught 152 passes for 2,581 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also added 112 yards and four more touchdowns in the running game. In that span, he averaged 17.0 yards per receptions and 95.6 yards per game. 

He scored exactly 10 receiving touchdowns in his all three seasons he was a starter. 

Between his receiving, rushing, and special team returns, Pellum totaled 3,271 yards and 38 touchdowns. 

The 5-foot-11, 169-pound pass-catcher is the No. 127 overall prospect and No. 23 wide receiver in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 12 player in California.

Zandamela’s development has been elite

Following his senior season, I caught up with Clearwater Academy’s offensive coordinator, Dan Meyer to get his thoughts and input on how Zandamela fared. 

“I thought he was fantastic,” Meyer started on the USC commit. “He added the weight in the offseason we thought was necessary to be able to physically dominate like we knew he was capable of doing. His technique and comfortability came a long way in terms of playing center because it’s so different than any other spot.” 

“His biggest area of growth though was in terms of his mental development. He really learned what defenses were trying to do and how to communicate it all to the group with his ID calls, doubles, stunts, blitzes, etc. We faced every type of look imaginable and he handled it all better than I ever could’ve expected.”

“…The sum of all those things combined with his physical gifts, coachability, and work ethic are why we strongly believe he’s the most elite interior lineman in the country. He’s capable of doing some special things!”

Zandamela is the nation’s No. 87 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the cycle and the No. 15 player from Florida.