Cesar Ruiz (Photo: Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press)

In the days leading up to the Under Armour All-America Game, USA TODAY High School Sports will be checking in with a number of players for their accounts of the events and activities in Orlando. This entry is from Michigan commit Cesar, the No. 1 center in the country who is from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).  Before he transferred to IMG, Ruiz attended Camden (N.J.). Camden had the sixth highest murder rate of any city in the United States in 2016. 

RELATED: Nation’s top center commits to Michigan

Being from Camden helped mature me. I realized there were a lot of different things around me and the dangers out in the world and how bad my neighborhood really was. It helped me develop into a young man.

It was sort of a hard decision to leave for IMG. You hear that saying the grass is not always greener on the other side. I felt like I was in an OK situation. I was already being recruited. I didn’t want to leave and put myself in a situation where it affected me in a negative way, but I also didn’t want to be that guy who didn’t take advantage of an opportunity. At the end of the day, I made the best decision for myself and have no regrets at all.

My football skills definitely went up at IMG. I got stronger, faster, smarter. IMG has helped me develop into a dominant football player. I think that’s showing according to the reports from the and the video here and at The Opening over the summer.

(One report said he was the most dominant interior lineman here.) I agree with that, not from a cocky standpoint but from a confidence standpoint and a reality standpoint.

It’s definitely been really competitive in practice. I’ve had a lot of fun and it’s good competing with the top guys in the country. I’ve been holding my ground in one-on-ones and feel like I’ve been really dominant. It’s not as many as I like, but I’ve still gotten a lot of reps. In the team periods — full speed and real game situation — I’ve been holding my ground there too, making the line calls and making sure everything is right.

I learned the playbook extremely fast. The offensive line knows it, too. When the guards or the other guys have a question, they can ask me. It goes from there. It isn’t hard playing with these dudes. I basically knew everyone before we got here through all of the camps. We grown a stronger bond here, but there wasn’t a need to get to know each other.

As far as the other Michigan recruits, me, Luiji Vilain and Jaylen Kelly-Powell communicate a lot and have gotten to know each other. We’re all in a group chat but meeting them in person before we get to campus definitely helps so we’re already used to each other.

Coach Harbaugh didn’t really approach me in any sort of unique way.  He approached me in a way that a coach should approach a player. He made it clear that he really wanted me. Every time I was there, he made it fun. He made me feel real comfortable and did a good job recruiting me.

Below, courtesy of Hudl, is a few of best Hail Mary passes from the 2016 season.

MORE: Top one-handed catches | Hail-Mary passes

MORE: Top pick-6’s | Luckiest Bounces | Trick Plays

Below, courtesy of Hudl, are the top one-handed catches from the 2016 season.

MORE: Top one-handed catches | Hail-Mary passes

MORE: Top pick-6’s | Luckiest Bounces | Trick Plays

Team Armour won three of the seven competitions to beat Team Highlight in the American Family Insurance Skills Challenge on Friday at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex as part of the Under Armour All-America Game.

Twenty-two players who will participate in the Under Armour game were entered in the competition.

AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE QB PASS ATTACK

The quarterbacks were given six chances to hit moving targets and then one ball to test their arm on distance.

1.  Kellen Mond (Highlight), IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) – 222 pts

2. Myles Brennan (Armour), Saint Stanislaus (Long Beach, Miss.) – 220 pts

3.   Tommy DeVito (Highlight), Don Bosco (Ramsey, N.J.) – 210 pts

4.  Kasim Hill (Armour), St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) – 184 pts

5.   Avery Davis (Armour), Cedar Hill  (Texas) – 180 pts

 AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE OBSTACLE COURSE

Running backs

Toneil Carter (Highlight), Langham Creek (Houston) – 27.1 seconds defeated Todd Sibley (Armour RB), Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) – 32.3 seconds

Linebackers

Anthony Hines III (Armour), Plano East (Plano, Texas) – 29.3 seconds defeated Nathan Proctor (Highlight LB), Lackey (White Plains, Md.) – 33.5 seconds

AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE LINEMAN STRENGTH COMPETITION

Offensive linemen

Robert Hainsey (Highlight), IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) – 28.4 seconds defeated Alex Leatherwood (Armour), Booker T. Washington (Pensacola, Fla.) – 36.0 seconds

Defensive linemen 

Marvin Wilson (Armour), Episcopal (Bellaire, Texas) – 28.5 seconds defeated LaBryan Ray (Highlight DL), James Clemens (Madison, Ala.) – 31.7 seconds

U.S CELLULAR SPEED KICK COMPETITION

Kickers had one minute to kick seven field goals from increasing distances to earn a point.

1. Andrew Mevis (Armour), Warsaw (Ind.) – 7 of 7

2. Anders Carlson (Highlight), The Classical Academy (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – 6 of 7

UNDER ARMOUR ILL SPEED COMPETITION (DBs, WRs)

1. Jaylon Redd (Armour CB), Rancho Cucamongo (Calif.) – 14.25 seconds

2. Jamyest Williams (Highlight CB), Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) – 14.39 seconds

3. Jalen Reagor (Highlight WR), Waxahachie (Texas) – 14.72 seconds

4. Jerry Jeudy (Armour WR), Deerfield Beach (Fla.) – 14.77 seconds

5. Daniel Wright (Highlight S), Boyd Anderson  (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) – 16.03 seconds

6. Christopher Henderson (Armour CB), Christopher Columbus (Miami) – 17.81 seconds

Zion Williamson has taken the nation by storm, drawing huge crowds wherever Spartanburg (S.C.) Country Day plays.

The Farm Bureau Insurance Classic at Dorman High School in South Carolina was no exception.

What the fans got was an incredible show over three nights and Williamson putting up big numbers with flair.

RELATED: How Zion Williamson grew into a hoops star

The totals for three games: 129 points, 43 rebounds and eight blocks. Perhaps the craziest number: 76 percent shooting. Yes, 76 percent on 42 for 55 from the field.

His high was 42 points in the opener against Pelham on 18 for 20 from the field and some spectacular dunks.

In the semifinals against Keenan, he had 36 points on 14 for 21 shooting with 17 rebounds. Spartanburg avenged a loss to Keenan in the Chick-fil-A Classic last week.

In Friday’s title game of the Bojangles Bracket, Williamson had 31 points on 10 for 14 shooting with 14 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Spartanburg lost to Newtown (Ga.), the top-ranked team in the state, 73-64.

Williamson was named the tournament MVP.

IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) has added another star player to its roster as Brendan “Bookie” Radley-Hiles, the No. 6 cornerback in the Class of 2018, announced that he is transferring from Calabasas (Calif.). He announced his decision Friday on Twitter.

Radley-Hiles is ranked as the No. 36 player overall in the 247Sports Composite.

A four-star prospect with 22 reported offers, Radley-Hiles scored 11 touchdowns (10 receiving) along with his responsibilities on defense for Calabasas (14-1). He already has accepted an invitation to the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

He played his sophomore season for Super 25 champion Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) before returning home to Southern California for his junior year.

The Under Armour All-America Game is Sunday, featuring many of the nation’s best high school seniors. Here are five players to watch from Team Highlight:

POLL: Who will be MVP for Team Highlight?

Trey Smith: The Tennessee offensive tackle commit will have a lot of eyes on him, given the varying opinions from the major recruiting sites. As noted by Rivals.com’s national recruiting director Mike Farrell, “Trey Smith here to live up to some rankings and improve others.” He made an strong early impression in practice, physically dominating smaller opponents and moving bodies.

Kellen Mond: The Texas A&M quarterback commit set passing and rushing records for a quarterback during an undefeated season at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). Mond will be surrounded by some of his teammates in the Under Armour Game and should get the chance to show off his skills. Among them is receiver Jhamon Ausbon, his roommate at IMG who also will be attending Texas A&M.

Robert Beal: The Georgia commit defensive end began the season at IMG Academy before he returned to Peachtree Ridge in Georgia. While all the players have experienced a layoff, Beal’s was longer than most. Beal, who plans to visit Florida State in January, remains committed to the Bulldogs. At 6-3 and 230, he has speed to get around the edge but will be challenged by the massive size of the offensive tackles in the Under Armour game.

Jalen Reagor: The TCU commit wide receiver from Waxahachie, Texas, has been a bit under the radar during practices at least in terms of media attention. Reagor seemingly had a new highlight-reel player every week early this season for his high school team. Could he bust out another jaw-dropper on the national stage?

Toneil Carter: The Texas commit from Houston became the first player to join new coach Tom Herman with the Longhorns, flipping his decision from Georgia. Carter, an early enrollee who is ranked as the No. 7 running back in the class, has shown some sweet moves in practice. Given the focus on the pass, it sometimes is hard for running backs to make an imprint in showcases like this, but Carter should get his share of touches.

Myles Brennan (Photo: Intersport)

The Under Armour All-America Game is Sunday, featuring many of the nation’s best high school seniors. Here are five players to watch from Team Armour:

POLL: Who will be named MVP for Team Armour?

Marvin Wilson: The defensive tackle from Bellaire, Texas, is a game-changer in the interior of the defense and has shown his competitive side in practice. In drills, he has gotten pressure on the quarterback and also been able to bat down passes. A number of college fan bases will be watching Wilson, who announced a top five of LSU, Oklahoma, Florida State, Ohio State and South Florida this week. He plans to announce on National Signing Day. Wilson is ranked as the No. 1 defensive tackle and No. 3 player overall by the 247Sports Composite. A strong performance could help him stake his claim to being No. 1 overall.

Jerry Jeudy: The Alabama commit wide receiver from Deerfield Beach, Fla., Jeudy got a lot of attention this week on social media for route he ran in practice in which he made a hard cut that made the defender fall down. Jeudy, ranked as the No. 1 receiver in the nation, had more than 1,000 yards receiving, but also impressed with his versatility, playing some at cornerback and contributing in a big way on special teams.

Anthony Hines III: The tackling machine at inside linebacker from Plano East in Texas, Hines is a Texas A&M commit. Hines says his ability to study film and be in the right place is what has led to his massive tackle totals. With no film to go on in an All-America game, Hines will need to rely more on his natural physical instincts and inherent smarts to make plays.

Dylan Moses: The Alabama commit linebacker from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) impressed his teammates with an interception in the middle of the field during Thursday’s practice and is an imposing physical presence at 6-2 and 235 pounds. Moses, who will enroll at Alabama next week, has been on the recruiting radar since he was in eighth grade and his play has been heavily scrutinized since. He comes to the end of high school football career Sunday.

Myles Brennan: Focus in all-star games is often on the quarterbacks and Brennan, an LSU commit, will get a lot of attention. While Brennan will be playing behind a stellar offensive line and with big-play receivers, the defensive players aren’t All-Americans for nothing. The all-time leading passer in Mississippi history, Brennan impressed in practice this week with his mobility as well as his ability to make all the throws.

La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), the top-ranked team in the Super 25, made their journey to South Dakota a successful one with an 88-43 victory against Aberdeen Central in the Mike Miller Classic at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.

The Lakers jumped out to a 16-2 lead and led 51-8 on the way to a 58-17 halftime edge.

Brian Bowen led LaLu with 21 points. Jordan Poole had 19, Jaren Jackson Jr., Isaiah Coleman-Lands and Jacob Epperson each had 10.

La Lumiere hosts Villa Angela-St. Joseph next week before traveling to faec Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.).

Below, courtesy of Hudl, are the top return plays from the 2016 season.

MORE: Top one-handed catches | Hail-Mary passes | Hang time | Jukes

MORE: Top pick-6’s | Luckiest Bounces | Trick Plays

Michael Porter Jr. showed his complete game, filling the box score and making a key defensive play, as No. 13 Nathan Hale (Seattle) downed No. 2 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 67-65 in the finals of the Les Schwab Invitational Friday night in Portland.

Porter, the Washington signee who is ranked No. 2 in the Class of 2017 by ESPN, had 27 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and three assists. He made a layup with 17 seconds remaining for the winning points, then forced Marvin Bagley III to turn the ball over on the other end. Keegan Crosby sealed the win with two free throws with seven seconds remaining.

Bagley, ranked as the nation’s top junior, was named the tournament MVP and had 22 points and 10 rebounds in the title game.

Hale trailed by as many as 11 — and nine entering the fourth quarter — but roared back for the victory. The team shot 6-for-32 from the arc overall, including 1-for-13 in the third quarter.

“This team’s never been in a big national tournament, and when I told them we were going to play in one, they were excited about it,” Hale coach Brandon Roy, the former Trailblazer who was returning to Portland, told The Oregonian. “Our whole school, they were supporting us, people have been texting me all day say, try to win it.  It’s great for these kids to go back to school Monday with a championship. The team was 3-19 last year, and they beat one of the top teams in the country.”

Below, courtesy of Hudl, are the top return plays from the 2016 season.

MORE: Top one-handed catches | Hail-Mary passes | Hang time | Jukes

MORE: Top pick-6’s | Luckiest Bounces | Trick Plays

Kirby Bennett. (Photo: 247Sports)

Four-star running back Kirby Bennett is leaving Allen (Texas) for Las Vegas, where he plans to enroll at three-time Super 25 champion Bishop Gorman, he announced Saturday on Twitter.

Bennett, who has a list of more than 40 reported offers, is ranked as the No. 11 running back in the Class of 2018, according to the 247Sports Composite.

He cited his mother’s job as the reason for the move to Nevada. He told USA TODAY High School Sports that he intends to enroll at Gorman in January.

Bennett ran for 808 yards on 127 carries with six rushing touchdowns last season for Allen (14-1) and also had two receiving touchdowns. He shared the rushing load with Brock Sturges, who had 160 carries and scored 16 rushing TDs.

ANALYSIS: What’s next for Bishop Gorman?

Gorman won its third consecutive Super 25 title and ran its winning streak to 54 games this season. Among the Gaels’ losses heading into next season is leading rusher Biaggio Ali-Walsh, who is heading to Cal. Ali Walsh was the Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year as a junior before ceding the 2016 honor to Gorman quarterback Tate Martell, who is heading to Ohio State.

Five players will announce their college choices during Sunday’s Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando ( 1 p.m. ET)

Here are the five players, when they are scheduled to announce and finalists:

Before the game:

• Outside linebacker Nathan Proctor, ranked as the No. 11 player at his position, is down to Virginia Tech, Penn State and Pitt.

First break of the second quarter:

• Safety Xavier McKinney, ranked as the No. 8 player at his position, could leave Georgia for Clemson. The Roswell star has 13 reported offers and Nick Saban and assistant Derrick Ansley made an in-home visit before the dead period began. He took officials to Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Auburn. He is a former Alabama commit.

Halftime:

• Inside linebacker Breon Dixon, ranked as the No. 11 player at his position, will announce between Louisville and Ole Miss. He is a former Georgia commit.

First break of the third quarter:

• Safety Deangelo Gibbs, ranked as the No. 3 player at his position, is expected to remain in his home state and pick Georgia. The star for Grayson (Loganville) who has 32 reported offers also visited Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina.

First break of the fourth quarter:

• Athlete Markquese Bell, ranked No. 7, has taken official visits to Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Maryland, Rutgers, Florida and Michigan. His final two are Maryland and Ohio State. He is an early enrollee.

Outside linebacker Nathan Proctor, ranked as the No. 11 player at his position, committed to Virginia Tech on Sunday before the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando.

Proctor, from Lackey High in Maryland, citing the defensive scheme and the offense under coach Justin Fuente, who just finished his first year in Blacksburg.

MORE: Previewing commitments at Under Armour All-America Game

He said he plans to visit Penn State and Pitt this month before National Signing Day in February.

Proctor had 30 reported offers. He had only taken one official visit, to Virginia Tech on Dec. 9.

Tate Martell will be on the Ohio State campus next week after he plays in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. And the Buckeyes’ 31-0 loss to Clemson on Saturday night did not deter any of his enthusiasm.

Martell did not lose as a starter during his career at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), the three-time Super 25 champion, and was named the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Offensive Player of the Year.

After the first shutout of Urban Meyer’s career, the coach said Ohio State will be taking a hard look at its passing game. Ohio State averaged 3.8 yards per passing attempt

“We will become a good passing team,” Meyer said. “We will. Next year.”

Ohio State has as many as 19 starters returning in 2017, it could struggle to get back to national championship contender level without changes. Meyer recognizes that, which is why he promised “a hard look at some things” upon the team’s return to Columbus.

“I think we have a bunch of good players, a bunch of good guys,” Meyer said. “And our anticipation is to get back here next year and take a good swing at it.

“Ohio State is not used to this. I’m not used to this, and we will not get used to this. That’s not going to happen again. So we’ll get things worked out.”

Martell echoed the coach’s thoughts on a quick return.

Team Armour wide receiver Jerry Jeudy runs past Team Highlight cornerback William Poole III (Photo: Matt Stamey, USA TODAY Sports Images)

Jerry Jeudy has been the social media star of the week at the Under Armour All-America Game.

Jeudy, an Alabama early enrollee at wide receiver, made a move in practice that led to the defensive back falling to the ground. The video was captured by an Alabama recruiting site and a tweet with the video was liked nearly 2,000 times and retweeted nearly 1,400.

“You get beat,” says, Jeudy, a five-star recruit. “They have to come back and get me back. Those guys are really good at DB. I just made the nice move there that took him off his feet.”

The defensive back immediately became the target of insults on Twitter.

“One bad play doesn’t mean they are bad,” Jeudy says. “People shouldn’t criticize him off that one play. It happens to all DBs.”

In Sunday’s game in Orlando, Jeudy had two catches for 16 yards and had a kick return for 16 yards in Team Armour’s 24-21 victory. He also drew a pass interference penalty.

Jeudy enrolls at Alabama on Tuesday.

“It’s been a very good experience,” he said of the week. “These coaches were able to teach me new stuff, and I was learning new route running and getting better at what I do.”

Jeudy spent a lot of his time with fellow Alabama commit Daniel Wright, a defensive back from South Florida, and also had the support of his family who made the trip from Deerfield Beach in South Florida.

It has been a difficult period for the Jeudy family.

Jeudy’s 7-year-old sister Aaliyah passed away while Jeudy was playing in Deerfield Beach’s quarterfinal playoff victory against Delray Beach, with the receiver being informed of the loss shortly after the final whistle. Jeudy reacted with the grief that would be expected from anyone, and followed with a Tweet in which he essentially dedicated the rest of his football career to Aaliyah, who lived her entire life with breathing tubes and severely limited motility and speech, and his mother. Jeudy has changed the wallpaper on his Twitter page to an image of his sister.

“It’s just made more focused and more humble to get where I can go to help my family,” he said.

This is an interesting way to attempt to curry favor with your future head coach.

Baron Browning, a five-star linebacker from Kennedale (Texas) and recent Ohio State commit, says prior to announcing his commitment to the Buckeyes he called Urban Meyer and said he was headed to Alabama.

RELATED: Incoming QB Tate Martell defends Ohio State after loss

A short time later, he announced on Twitter he’d be a Buckeye.

Below, in the video from 247Sports, Browning relays how he trolled his soon-to-be head coach and Meyer’s reaction.

Georgia continued its recruiting surge Monday morning.

Monty Rice from James Clemens (Madison, Ala.) has flipped from LSU to Georgia.

He announced Dec. 12 that he would enroll early at LSU, although he said at that time that he had chosen the Tigers over Georgia and Auburn that morning.

“When I committed to LSU, I was still considering Georgia, and now I have decided that is the school for me,” Rice told Scout.  “I just feel Georgia is a safe selection for me.”

He will leave for Athens on Monday and enroll early at Georgia.

Rice is the No. 21 inside linebacker in the Class of 2017, according to the 247Sports Composite. He had 137 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries this season, according to AL.com.

Rice’s flip follows the addition of Tray Bishop, he No. 4 overall athlete prospect according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He committed Sunday after he arrived in San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Earlier in the day, DeAngelo Gibbs, the No. 10 player overall in the ESPN300, committed to Georgia at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando. Gibbs’ commitment means Georgia has pledges from the top three prospects in the state and six of the top eight.

Georgia has the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, according to ESPN, behind Alabama.

After Rice flipped, coach Kirby Smart posted this tweet:

And the recruits in the class are keeping close watch on who else is coming aboard.

Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) star Jaylen Hands needed 11 points to break the scoring record set by Stephon Marbury 22 years ago at the UA Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines, Calif.

He got 38.

The UCLA signee averaged 36 points per game in five outings, including 42 in his team’s semifinal win.

Foothills Christian won the tournament’s National Division with a 61-57 victory against St. John’s College (Washington D.C.).