A rare commitment
Top defensive end picks UCF, reveals it on national stage
UCF secured a rare pledge on the high school football AllAmerican stage Thursday night at Camping World Stadium.
Tre’Mon Morris-Brash, a defensive end out of Washington, D.C., used the annual Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando to commit to the Knights live on ESPN2 before the start of the second quarter.
“I’m headed to the best team in Florida,” Morris-Brash said during the TV broadcast before pulling a UCF hat from a bag and putting it on. “It’s everything you can ask for. Academics. They win. It’s only right.”
It’s the first time UCF has secured a commitment from a player at an Under Armour or U.S. Army All-American game. Morris-Brash’s college finalists were UCF, Maryland, Florida, Michigan and Kentucky, according to UCFSports.com, the Knights’ Rivals.com affiliate.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound standout recorded a pair of tackles and a sack of 14 yards on Texas A&M signee Zach Calzada in the first quarter before making the announcement.
“I’m going to be in Orlando for four years, so it’s only right that I let the people know where I’m going while I’m in their hometown,” Morris-Brash said after the game. “When I went on the official visit, the first thing they showed me was the academics, so it just shows [UCF] really cares about their students graduating.”
Texas wide receiver Arjei Henderson made his live commit-
ment to UF between the third and fourth quarters. Shammond Cooper, an outside linebacker from St. Louis, committed to Illinois before the start of the game.
The state of Florida was represented by 20 high school seniors, including defensive tackles Tyler Davis of Wekiva and Jaquaze Sorrells of Winter Park. Davis, who signed with Clemson, earned Orlando Sentinel defensive player of the year honors for the second time last month.
Sorrells, a Winter Park transfer from Largo, got the starting nod and assisted on two tackles for Team Ballaholics, coached by Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
Team Ballaholics defeated Team Flash 28-27 in the 12th annual game. Team Flash was coached by former NFL head coach Steve Mariucci.
“It was pretty cool getting to play with Tyler [Davis]. Everything we did [this week] we did it with each other, and I was able to learn some stuff from him and create good habits being around him,” said Sorrells, who will make his college decision next month. “I feel like I grew up as a football player today.”
Davis began rotating into the game on the Ballaholics’ first drive and tallied two solo tackles. He pressured Calzada into an interception that was returned 33 yards for a touchdown by Northwestern signee Michael Jansey Jr. midway through the third quarter.
“To know that I was a part of that great play, with him taking it back, it was a great experience to get to celebrate that,” said Davis. “It’s always a great opportunity when you get a chance to play against the best.”
Wekiva’s Rian Davis, a Georgia signee, was also selected to the game but suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in September.
Florida State signee Raymond Woodie III intercepted a tipped pass near the goal line in the third quarter.
Under Armour records
Ole Miss commit Jerrion Ealy set the Under Armour All-American Game rushing record and tied the rushing TD mark in a losing effort when he scored on a 38-yard carry in the third quarter.
Ealy finished with 16 carries for 119 yards to surpass the 110 compiled by Damien Harris in 2015. Ealy’s two touchdown runs tied Maurice Washington’s mark from 2018.
LSU signee Cade York booted two field goals in the first quarter, the second of which went for a record 59 yards. The old mark of 47 yards was set in 2015 by Justin Yoon.
Hagerty’s Jeff Driskel and Seminole High’s Andre Debose still hold individual records in the Under Armour Game.
Driskel’s 63-yard touchdown run in 2011 is the game’s longest. Dubose caught a 92-yard touchdown pass from Russell Shepard in 2009 for what remains the longest reception and offensive scoring play.