Durango High School senior offensive lineman Joshua Bates, a University of Oklahoma commit, was honored Wednesday as a 2023 All-American during a virtual jersey presentation as part of the Road to the Dome digital series.

The episode was released on the All-American Bowl’s social platforms.

The Road to the Dome Tour is honoring all 100 All-Americans with virtual jersey presentations during a 16-week series that will be released weekly through various digital and social platforms across NBC Sports.

Having been selected to play in the 23rd edition of the All-American Bowl, Bates will play in the annual East vs. West matchup inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 9. The Bowl will be nationally televised, live on NBC and Peacock, and will feature the nation’s top 100 high school football players.

Bates was selected by the All-American Bowl Selection Committee, consisting of the All-American Bowl, 247Sports and NexGen founder Brent Williams. All-Americans are eligible for the All-American Bowl Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award, the Defensive Player of the Year Award, the All-American Bowl Man of the Year and the All-American Bowl MVP Award.

Only 100 football players receive the honor of putting on the All-American Bowl jersey each year. Each player selected to participate will culminate their high school careers at the All-American Bowl in January.

Bates was the only player from Colorado selected to play in the game.

“Something I work hard on is nastiness and physicality up front,” Bates said after he filmed his segment for the series. “I think that’s what sets me apart.”

Bates said he’s like a nice teddy bear off the field, but that all changes when he walks on the field.

“There’s definitely an off and on switch,” Bates said. “When I walk on the field, it all changes, and it turns into a battlefield for me.”

The All-American Bowl is annually the most-watched and prestigious high school all-star event, with more than 4,100,000 unique television viewers and 20,000 in attendance. The All-American Bowl has featured 533 NFL draft picks; 86 Super Bowl champions; 193 Pro Bowl selections; 16 Heisman finalists including, but not limited to: Odell Beckham Jr., Christian McCaffrey, Tim Tebow, Derrick Henry, DeVonta Smith and Trevor Lawrence.

For more information, visit NBCSports.com/AllAmericanBowl, or follow @AABonNBC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.