High school notebook: Westside's Jordan Hall lands U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection

With the conclusion of the FBU Top Gun Showcase in Naples at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex came some good news for one Northeast Florida athlete.

After three days of high-level competition with some of the top high school prospects from across the country, Westside defensive tackle Jordan Hall secured his spot in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on January 7, 2023, in San Antonio. The game will air live on NBC.

Hall, a four-star recruit and the No. 2 defensive lineman in the state on the USA TODAY Florida Network top 100, knew entering the Top Gun Showcase what his goal was.

End of the road: Takeaways from 2022 spring football around Northeast Florida

Sounds of spring: Coaches and players talk spring football and more around Northeast Florida

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive lineman, who holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and many more power programs, was a force all weekend long, wreaking havoc in the trenches.

“It’s a dream come true,” Hall said. “As a kid watching the Under Armour game and watching the Adidas game, looking at that and watching everyone commit in those games, it's something everybody wants to do.”

In addition to the All-American Bowl invites being presented, 11 athletes were invited to The National Combine, which takes place during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Week in Texas and features the nation’s top 600 underclassmen.

Jonas Duclona (Naples), Olsen Patt Henry (First Baptist Academy), Kenric Lainer (Decatur), and TJ McWilliams (North Central, Indianapolis) were also selected to the All-American Bowl from the weekend's event.

Frier, Guarnera, Trujillo on ESPN 300

It's never too early to begin the countdown to 2024.

Three Northeast Florida players made the list for ESPN's top 300 prospects in the 2024 recruiting class, released over the weekend — and one followed up on Monday by confirming a significant transfer.

Wide receiver Camdon Frier, already committed to Florida State, came in at No. 216 in the list after an excellent 2020 freshman campaign (25 catches, 254 yards at Suwannee). On Monday, Frier changed his Twitter bio from Suwannee to Columbia, on the opposite side of the Old Oaken Bucket rivalry, and Columbia's football Twitter account issued a post acknowledging his arrival.

Limited to five games on the football field last fall, he returned to action in baseball this spring and batted .340 as the Bulldogs reached the state final four.

Ponte Vedra guard Jake Guarnera, whose recruitment has been rapidly gaining momentum over the spring and summer, entered the list at No. 249. Florida, Florida State and Penn State are among the 290-pound rising junior's offers.

Bartram Trail's dual-threat quarterback Riley Trujillo also earned an ESPN 300 selection, at No. 274. Trujillo passed for 978 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 62.5 percent of his throws and rushing for 323 yards during his sophomore year with the Bears.

Commanders' Harris chosen All-State

White wide receiver Tremesha Harris led three Commanders selections as the Florida Athletic Coaches Association announced the annual All-State squads for high school flag football.

Harris, a senior who caught 96 passes for 1,484 yards and 21 touchdowns, earned first-team honors for Class 1A. Second-team Class 1A selections were Middleburg's Brooke Swenson and White's Sydney Brown, while the Class 1A third team included Clay's Annalee Harbison and White's Endia Maxwell. 

In Class 2A, Fleming Island junior MaKayla Maddox made the second team as an

athlete after leading the Golden Eagles to the final four.

Honorable mention selections included Oriana Fiffer (Atlantic Coast), Semila Brdarevic and Charlotte Minnon (both Baldwin), Dakota Hills (Clay), Jazmen Thompson (First Coast), Gabi Musa (Fleming Island), In'dreanna Bargeron, Leah Fulton, Adayja Gadsden and Jasnea Hall-McDowell (all Jackson), Ashley Smith (Mandarin), Desiree Hall, Kaylee McWatters and Laura Palagyi (all Middleburg), Ashley Purdy (Sandalwood), Destine Fair (Westside) and Brianna Henderson (White).

Around the area

Yulee rising senior wide receiver Zack Drawdy named UConn, Central Michigan and Colorado State as his finalists. ... Brunswick athlete Jayden Drayton committed to Harvard football. ... University Christian running back Alvonte Toliver committed to Virginia University of Lynchburg football. ... Bishop Kenny junior pitcher and infielder Jack Newman committed to North Florida baseball. ... Ponte Vedra junior defenseman Mack Gray committed to Dickinson men's lacrosse. ... Oakleaf pitcher Scotty Wrye signed with Trinity Baptist College baseball. ... Orange Park center William Mosbach signed with Trinity Baptist College men's basketball. ... Potter's House center Ezekiel Joseph-Mullings committed to Dodge City Community College men's basketball. ... Suwannee forward Brian Fuery committed to Murray State College men's basketball. ... Former Ponte Vedra and University of North Florida guard Beau Beech signed with FMP Meridian, a professional basketball team in Belgrade, Serbia. ... The National Federation of State High School Associations announced that jewelry will no longer be prohibited for players in high school baseball, provided that it does not pose a risk of injury or harm to an opponent.

Clayton Freeman covers high school sports and more for the Florida Times-Union. Follow him on Twitter at @CFreemanJAX.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Football: Jordan Hall, Westside defensive tackle, chosen for All-American Bowl