The 10 Hardest Hitting CFB Recruits in the 2011 Class (With Video)

There's really nothing quite like a big hit to get the crowd going and the adrenaline flowing for a defense.

The sound of the pop and then the rumble from the stands is synonymous with football.

At any level of the game, there are guys that simply know how to lay down the law with a monster hit that sends shockwaves through their opponent and makes them hesitate the next time around.

With that in mind, here are the 10 hardest-hitting recruits of the 2011 college football recruiting class. But there's no point in just describing a big hitter, right?

That's what the highlights are for.

10. Ray Drew, DE (Thomasville, Ga.)

Drew is a hard-worker, a vocal player and a natural leader.

He'll step in from day one and grind it out at 100 percent from the the minute the whistle is blown until the end of the day.

He's very good at getting to the quarterback and has a great skill set of power and finesse moves.

Where he really lays the big hit is on special teams though; he's one of the top return coverage players in the country.

9. Erique Florence, S (Valley, Ala.)

There's a lot to like about Florence's game, but what really stands out when you watch him play is his tackling ability and strength.

He has great closing speed and takes down his opponent with solid form, laying a big hit on a ball carrier pretty much every time he has the chance. What Florence doesn't do is play out of control and over-pursue.

He needs to work on his coverage skills and and agility, but the potential is there.

8. Tony Steward, LB (Saint Augustine, Fla.)

At 6'2", 225 lbs, Steward is one of the most physically imposing prospects in the country.

The kid is built like a body builder, with hardly an ounce of fat. He's incredibly strong and is one of the most athletic prospects in the country at any position, let alone linebacker.

Based on the way he's built, and his natural ability to sniff out the football, Steward is likely to make a big impact as a freshman.

7. Brent Calloway, LB (Russellville, Ala.)

Calloway is a player that won't wow you in drills or in the weight room.

But the game film speaks for itself. Some guys are just gamers. He's one of those guys.

Calloway is a versatile athlete, though, a high energy guy who led his team to a state championship last season by dominating quarterbacks and bulldozing defenses to the tune of over 1,400 yards rushing last season.

6. Albert Louis-Jean, S (Brockton, Mass.)

Louis-Jean is a corner at the high school level, but he's got the frame and height to play safety in college and that's where most scouts are projecting him.

He's got very good coverage skills, but doesn't have the top-end speed you'd like to see from an elite cornerback prospect.

He makes up for it with serious tackling ability and a knack for laying a licking on ball-carriers (the video doesn't do him justice).

5. Trey DePriest, LB (Springfield, Ohio)

DePriest has the natural build of a linebacker, but even better than that has a natural ability to read snap counts, get out of his stance quickly and beat his man off the ball.

He's got a great motor and is excellent in pursuit; not many prospects can cover the field from sideline to sideline the way he can.

At times he has a tendency to play high and gets away with it because of his strength, but that's going to get him in trouble at the next level.

4. James Wilder, ATH (Tampa, Fla.)

James Wilder has off the charts strength and, pound for pound, is probably the strongest prospect in the country.

He's a two-way player who projects as a running back, linebacker or defensive end.

He's a leader on and off the field and plays hard every down.

3. Lawrence Thomas, LB (Detroit, Mich.)

At 6'3", 236 lbs, Thomas presents a unique prospect with the size and speed to play a variety of positions. He can play defensive end, linebacker, safety, and even receiver.

He's projected as a defender on the next level mostly because it would be a shame to let his ball hawking and punishing tacking go to waste.

Look for him to find a home as an outside linebacker who can drop into coverage or cause havoc in the backfield depending on the down.

2. Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, LB (Orlando, Fla.)

Clinton-Dix is an elite prospect who really has an ideal skill set for a safety. There's almost nothing about his game not to like, except for some minor footwork issues.

He's very physical and has great natural instincts, which lead to a lot of big hits and turnovers.

His coverage skills are about as good as any defensive prospect in the class, but he's also very good in run support as well.

1. Steve Edmond, LB (Daingerfield, Texas)

Edmond is a tackling machine who exploded for 184 tackles his junior year, with 34 of them coming for a loss.

He's a massive, hulking prospect who hits about as hard as anyone and has so much strength in his arms and upper body that once he gets a hand on you, you really don't have much of a chance to escape.

He dominates all over the field and at his size—6'3", 225 lbs—he can play inside or outside linebacker and potentially could bulk up a bit to play end.