St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders running back Michael Epstein (26) runs with the ball against the Bishop Gorman Gaels during the second quarter at Fertitta Field in a game last Friday. Hurricane Matthew has forced Aquinas to cancel its game this week with Deerfield Beach.. (Photo: Joshua Dahl/USA TODAY Sports).
Two of the nation’s best teams take the field Friday in Texas in hopes of ending their season on a very high note, and staking a claim as one of the nation’s top-5 teams in the process. While both South Florida power St. Thomas Aquinas, currently ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Super 25, and No. 12-ranked Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) can chalk up a significant portion of its success to impressive depth of talent, both teams also feature standout stars who are worth keeping a close eye on as Friday’s faceoff unfolds.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.):
Through the first third of the season, STA games were all about stalking wide receiver Trevon Grimes, an Ohio State commit and the consensus top wide receiver in the Class of 2017. Then he tore the ACL in his left knee and the Raiders had to adjust. Luckily, Florida quarterback commit Jake Allen has emerged as one of the state’s best passers, often connecting with wide receivers Kyshaun Bryan, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound South Carolina commit who is a constant threat downfield, and West Virginia commit Mike Harley, a U.S. Army All-American who has made huge strides toward filling the void left behind by Grimes’ injury. The Raiders’ impressive aerial attack is balanced by a sturdy threat on the ground, thanks to 1,500-yard rusher Mike Epstein, a 6-foot, 185-pound dynamic force who plans to take his talents to the University of Illinois.
Senior linebacker Tyler Dunning leads the Raiders defense, a 6-foot, 220-pound force of nature who is a natural ball hawk. He fills in behind a stalwart defensive line that includes defensive tackle Kivon Bennett (6-foot-3, 255 pounds, committed to Tennessee) and Kedonis Haslem, the eldest child of longtime Miami Heat star Udonis Haslem.
Of course, the most notable think about Aquinas’ talent is its stunning depth. The Raiders may have more Division I football recruits in the Class of 2017 than any other school, with 22 (yes, 22!) different Aquinas stars holding at least one Division I scholarship offer. Considering the fact that not every Aquinas starter is a senior, that means there are players with Division I offers sitting the Aquinas bench just waiting to make it on the field. That makes for a lot of versatility, no matter who gets injured or is having a rough day.
BINGHAM (South Jordan, Utah):
It’s not every day that a team’s clear-cut stars are up front in the trenches, but that’s clearly the case for Utah’s stable football superpower. Defensive tackle Jay Tufele, all 306 pounds of him, and linemate and recent Oregon commit Langi Tuifua have played a huge role for Bingham’s dominant defense. Meanwhile the Miners’ offense has been driven by Vanderbilt commit Cole Clemens and Tavian Myers. Clemens and Myers in particular have set the stage for Bingham’s road-grading rushing attack and, in turn, the success of the team’s passing game amidst relatively limited ambition behind quarterback Matt Degn.
If Degn passes for more than 150 yards, that’s probably not a sign that things are going as Bingham would like.
