The U.S. Army is looking for a few good men.

No enlisting will be necessary. Military brass only ask that you be one of the top high school football players in the country.

Tennessee commitment Jacque McClendon, a 6-foot-3, 325-pound lineman from the Baylor School in Chattanooga, is the latest to receive the honor of being asked to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 7.

The game boasts the top 78 players in the nation; 33 have been announced.

"This was at the top of the list," McClendon said of his personal goals. "I worked hard all summer. To accomplish this is a great testament to my school, my mother and everyone that's helped me."

McClendon was officially invited at a ceremony at his school on Wednesday.

"It was a good ceremony but it's not about me," said McClendon. "It's about representing the school."

Not much has changed in McClendon's recruitment. He still called UT his No. 1 choice but said he will visit three other colleges.

McClendon will take in some great games as he makes his official visits. He plans to see the Notre Dame-Southern Cal game next weekend followed by the Auburn-Alabama game and then Florida-Florida State.

Is Notre Dame, Auburn or Florida pushing for the top spot over UT?

"Not really," McClendon said. "Tennessee it still my favorite. It's a great program. I just want to make sure. I don't want to ask 'What if?' "

McClendon said organizers of the bowl game told him he will probably be the only player in Tennessee selected to play.

UT commitment Lee Smith from Powell is one of four others in the state to be nominated.

Powell's average start couldn't be helping his status. The Panthers were 3-3 heading into Friday night's game against Halls.

"Could be going better, could be going worse," the 6-5, 240-pounder said of his season. "I'm getting more attention than I thought I would this year."

Smith had 12 receptions for 220 yards and three touchdowns in six games this season.

Sure, he's a prime target for Powell's offense. But he's also a key figure in every opponent's defensive game plan.

Defensively, Smith is struggling through the transition from a four-man front in 2004 to a three-man line in 2005.

Smith is finding that he's suddenly not the star in a defense where linemen are designed to take up blockers, not make plays. Smith has 18 tackles and one sack.

"We've got a bunch of linebackers stepping up and making plays," Smith said. "It's a role playing defense."

McClendon knows exactly what it's like being a superstar senior instead of a surging junior with far less attention.

"I'm having a pretty good season," McClendon said. "It's rough getting double teams and triple teams."

Smith hopes he can join his projected teammate in San Antonio. Until then, he'll wait.

"It would be a great honor to play in it," Smith said of the bowl game. "Obviously, every year the best players in the country get to play in it. It was an honor just to get nominated."

Gator Schaeffer?: Florida is evaluating former UT quarterback Brent Schaeffer, who is starring for College of the Sequoias Junior College in California.

Florida has not offered Schaeffer a scholarship. UT's SEC rival may not ever extend an invitation to Schaeffer due to off-field concerns stemming from his one year at UT.

A story by the Monterey (Calif.) Herald said that Schaeffer was headed to Florida. As of now, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Schaeffer is still likely headed to South Florida unless the Gators decide to offer him a scholarship.

Schaeffer has expressed interest in Florida but the Gators seem to be in good shape with athletic freshman Josh Portis set to be their quarterback of the future.

Florida could recruit Schaeffer for another position but he has long maintained that he only wants to play quarterback.

Schaeffer has been mostly impossible to stop at the junior college level. In his last game, he threw for 423 yards and six touchdowns and ran for another score.