BYU football: Bowl game features Y. recruits, Heimuli

A few players with local ties will showcase their talents in today's U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Quarterback Jake Heaps out of Skyline High in Sammamish, Wash., and wide receiver Ross Apo from Oakridge School in Arlington, Texas — both of whom have already enrolled at BYU this semester — will be joined by Brighton High defensive lineman Ricky Heimuli on the West team in the prep all-star game (11 a.m., NBC).

Heimuli, who has not verbally committed to any school yet, has scholarship offers from BYU, Utah, Utah State and numerous Pac-10 schools. He has taken official trips to Oregon and Oregon State and plans to visit UCLA and Washington, as well.

Here's what the USAAAB selection committee said about each player on the bowl's Web site:

On Heaps: "This guy has ice water in his veins; the ferocious pass rush does not phase him; he goes through his progressions easily, reads defenses well and can hit his receivers on the numbers just about every time."

On Apo: "He competes for the ball in flight and is at his best in tough situations. He can hurt you in underneath zones; he's the consummate wide receiver who does whatever it takes to improve his game."

On Heimuli: "Heimuli is one of the best defensive players to come out of Utah in quite some time. He's impossible to block with his bull rush and strength that is unmatched by anybody in the nation. He's also a very intelligent defender and knows what it takes to make the big play at key times."

e-mail: jeffc@desnews.com