College Football Recruiting 2012: Top 7 Recruiting Juggernaut Coaches

In recruiting, while reality shows a program's head coach gets most of the spotlight on signing day, really it's the assistant coaches that do a lot of the grunt work.

However, there are plenty of head coaches that just love the aspect of their program that is recruiting and are a force at it. For this read, I'm going to give you seven head coaches that are recruiting juggernauts.

So get out of their way on recruiting on the trail! 

7. Mike Sherman

Sherman is a bit new to a list like this, as this is easily his best recruiting year for the Aggies. He already has 20 commits and three of them are inside the ESPNU 150.

Matt Davis is an outstanding dual threat QB and Trey Williams is dynamite as a RB. Sherman is pulling in serious talent to College Station and is on his grind for 2012 recruiting.

6. Lane Kiffin

Regardless of whether you like Kiffin or not, you have to respect him as a recruiter. He's charismatic, a solid evaluator and has the juice to go at it non-stop.

Kiffin loves a challenge, and if you tell him that he can't get a certain recruit, that's only going to make him recruit the kid even harder.

His current class speaks volumes off his prowess, as even with restrictions he has players like Arik Armstead and Jabari Ruffin devoutly pledged to USC.

5. Brady Hoke

Hoke has taken the Michigan flag and proudly carried it around on the recruiting trail. He's received 20 pledges with three inside the ESPNU 150.

I'm sure recruiting at Michigan is easier than recruiting at San Diego State and Ball State, but Hoke has been lights out for Big Blue.

He's got the top incoming LB class in the nation, is still battling for Gunner Kiel and has impressed Andrus Peat.

4. Jimbo Fisher

Fisher has been flat out remarkable since he's taken over as lead dog for recruiting in Tallahassee. He's put together some elite recruiting classes rankings-wise and this year is no different. 

He has a commit from the top player in the ESPNU 150 in Mario Edwards, a top flight DB in PJ Williams, RB in Mario Pender, DE/OLB in Chris Casher and the fastest football player in the nation in WR Marvin Bracy.

And he is not done yet.

3. Gene Chizik

Chizik and Fisher could flip-flop notches on this list or even have the same write-up because they both are entering about their third year at their helms and have been excellent.

Chizik has gone head to head with the next coach on this list and has battled for Auburn on the trail sans any fear or doubt. It seems like The Plains is slowly becoming the hot spot for recruits.

Zeke Pike, Ricardo Louis, TJ Yeldon and Ricky Parks are just the start to what could be the best class Chizik hauls in yet.

2. Nick Saban

Saban cleans up in recruiting. Plain and simple. Wherever he goes, he brings in top class after top class and 2012 recruiting is shaping up to be another one.

Saban and his staff have an incredibly thorough evaluation process where they diligently work to trim their pool of prospects, offer the chosen ones and stay on the prospect until they commit.

Alabama already has Reggie Ragland and Eddie Williams pledged, seem to be the front-runner for Jameis Winston and are rumored to be a prime player for Dorial Green-Beckham. 

1. Mack Brown

Brown has 18 commits for 2012 and nine of them are inside the ESPNU 150. Scout.com lists 14 of the Longhorn commits as 4-star or 5-star recruits. Wow.

Texas has been getting it done for years, and that's in large part to Brown and his staff. Yet this year, Brown replaced several coaches, so one would figure recruiting would dip down a bit per Texas standards.

But with the Longhorns doing so well again, you look at Brown who is the main constant from the past staff to this new staff and you then realize that putting him No.1 on this list right now is a good fit.