College Football Recruiting 2012: 7 Recruits Who Can Turn Programs Around

With this piece, I'm going to give you seven players in the 2012 recruiting class whom I feel have the skill set, mentality, production and sheer will to potentially be a cornerstone player for a program.

Most of the players will be offensive recruits since it is harder for a defensive player to completely dominate a game, let alone lead a whole team to victory as opposed to an offensive player.

Here are seven recruits who can turn a program around.

7. Rushel Shell, RB

At 5'11", 215 pounds, Shell is among the best running backs in the country. He has elite vision, awareness and run instincts to go along with great speed and run strength.

He easily will will be an every down, starting running back in college due to his size, play speed and skill set. Shell is an extremely talented runner that combines a big back frame with little back quickness. He can pick and slide to holes and jump linebackers in alleys and has solid elusiveness.

6. Stefon Diggs, WR/DB

Diggs is a player that can factor as a receiver or safety. I could move him onto the ATH board or DS board, but in the end, he is simply too good with the ball in his hands not to play on offense in my opinion.

At 6'1", 190 pounds, he is a quicker than fast athlete, but he does have tremendous speed. His RAC ability is amazing, and he is likely tops in this category in the country for 2012. Diggs can shake, bake and clean the dishes routinely.

5. Keith Marshall, RB

Perhaps the fastest running back in the country, Marshall is a touchdown machine. I liken him to a Marshall Faulk, as he can impact the game as a runner, receiver and even as a returner.

He's one of the top home run threats in the country, and his speed, quickness, nimble and run instincts easily make him a player capable of being on this list.

At 5'11", 185 pounds, Marshall has been timed in the 4.3 range in the 40 and is very productive..

4. Jameis Winston, QB

At 6'4", 200 pounds, Winston combines a rifle for an arm along with great play speed and running ability. 

He's the top dual-threat QB prospect in the country. He shows solid mechanics in the pocket, quick feet in his climbs, solid set up quickness and has the height to see over the rush and the arm to deliver strikes to all areas of the field.

If Winston runs into traffic in the pocket, he has prime athletic ability to escape and make plays either throwing on the run or the speed to gain yards with his legs.

3. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

I have Green-Beckham as the top player in the country on my board, as do many other talent evaluators, but I have him at No. 3 on this specific list due to him playing WR, and I don't really project him to be a return man in college at this point.

At 6'6", 220 pounds, Green-Beckham has the potential to develop into a complete WR with limited weaknesses.

Other than that, Green-Beckham has the hands, separation quickness, catch-in-crowd ability and playmaking talent to become a dominant receiver in college. He reminds me a lot of Calvin Johnson. 

2. Gunner Kiel, QB

At 6'4" and over 200 pounds, Kiel will have to fend off some top gunslingers like Jameis Winston and Zeke Pike through the cycle for top QB honors.

Yet he is one of the top prospects at the moment and has a good arm, mobility, accuracy and solid vision. Kiel shows an incredible amount of command and understanding of his offense, sees the whole field well and makes quick and correct decisions.

1. Johnathan Gray, RB

Gray is the top running back in the country on my board, as the 5'11", 195-pounder's production is that of three backs. He's as close to a complete running back prospect that I've seen since the likes of Justin Fargas all the way to Malcolm Brown and Isaiah Crowell.

He has over 6,000 yards and 109 touchdowns over the past two seasons alone. Gray has elite vision, feel, instincts, elusiveness, speed and quickness.