This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah again is represented as the attention of the high school football world turns to this week's two national prep all-star games.
Highland defensive tackle Bryan Mone will participate in the Under Armour All-American game, played Thursday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The game represents a chance for the Michigan commit to show off for a national audience, as the game will be televised on ESPN at 2 p.m.
"Anytime you have a kid thats invited to play in a game like this, it's huge," Highland coach Brody Benson said. "I have been coaching at Highland for 12 years and haven't had anybody play in one. It's definitely a good thing for Highland and obviously a good thing for Bryan."
Mone, who Benson said enrolled early at Michigan and will begin classes next week, is the latest in a string of Utah stars who have earned invites to the two prestigious high school football All-American games — the other being the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Past players who participated in one of the two games include Cottonwood's Cooper Bateman, Bingham's Harvey Langi, American Fork's Ryker Mathews, Timpview's Bronson Kaufusi and Brighton's Ricky Heimuli.
"It's a huge honor," Benson said. "I think they picked the right kid. He did great things for us, and I think he's just scratching the surface of what he's capable of. I think he's going to have a great career."
Mone, a 2013 All-Tribune Team honoree, is one of the most highly regarded players in the country. ESPN ranks him No. 75 overall in the national class of 2014 and the No. 5 defensive tackle. He is considered one of the jewels of a Michigan class ESPN ranks as the 11th best in the nation.
— Bubba Brown