College Football Recruiting 2012: The Top Commitment at Every Position

National Signing Day is rapidly approaching, and some of this year's top recruits are still trying to make a decision that will change the rest of their lives. The players are hoping they make the right decision, the teams are hoping the players pick their school and the fans are a nervous wreck, hoping they end up with at least a couple of these players.

As several top prospects are still trying to figure out where they'd like to play football, there are quite a few players that have already made their commitment. Of course, their opinion could change once or twice, but let's assume these are the schools they plan on playing for in college.

Here are the top committed players at every position so far.

QB: Gunner Kiel, Notre Dame

We're assuming Kiel has made his final decision as he originally committed to Indiana and LSU, before switching for a third time and committed to Notre Dame. Kiel has all of the tools to be a very successful quarterback at the college level. The accuracy is there, decision making, leadership and has great vision of the field. The only thing that many question is the arm strength, but with time that will improve.

The Irish currently have talented quarterbacks on the roster, including Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson, but you can expect Kiel to have more than enough opportunities to prove himself. This was a huge pickup for Notre Dame and could end up being a key piece for getting this program back on top of the college football world.

RB: Johnathan Gray, Texas

The Longhorns may have experienced two sub-par seasons, but with this years recruiting class and the talent returning from last year, Texas appears to be on the right track in turning things around.

One of the players that will make an instant impact is running back Johnathan Gray. He simply gets the job done and wastes no time when the ball is in his hands. He doesn't dance around and run sideways, he finds the hole, hits the hole and takes off. Gray has great field vision and is a home run hitter with his 4.4 40 time.

With talented runners already on this team like Malcolm Brown, Gray will have to earn his playing time. But there's no question Texas is in a great position in the Big 12 from a talent standpoint.

WR: Cayleb Jones, Alabama

Jones is a big receiver at 6'2", 185 pounds. He has great hands, is very strong and is a deep threat as he can get down field in a hurry. He's an excellent leaper and isn't afraid to go across the middle and make catches in traffic. 

With the Crimson Tides lack of weapons on offense, landing Jones was huge. Especially with receivers like Marquis Maze and tight ed Brady Smelley on their way out. Jones is the type of receiver that could make an immediate impact and help quarterback AJ Mccarron improve even more.

TE: Kent Taylor, Florida

Florida really lacked offensive weapons last season and struggled mightily to move the football and score points. Landing tight end Kent Taylor is a huge step in the right direction and will help the production of whichever quarterback becomes the starter for the gators next season.

Taylor is a huge target at 6'5", 215 pounds, and plays with a motor that just doesn't seem to stop. He's extremely competitive, has great hands and best of all, he is a great runner. Yards after the catch is this guys specialty and he's able to use his speed to simply burn defensive backs.

Landing players like this will make the Gators competitive again in no time.

OL: John Theus, Georgia

With all of the talented players the Bulldogs have on offense and the players they've already recruited, they need a solid line to protect those players. John Theus is a great start to putting together an offensive line that will protect.

He's great at creating running lanes and that's good news for players like Isaiah Crowell and newly recruited back Keith Marshall. He has great size at 6'6'', 292 pounds and has a motor that doesn't quit, as he plays the game with a lot of passion.

Georgia allowed 33 sacks last season which was 11th worst in the SEC, with the addition of Theus that will likely change.

DL: Mario Edwards, Florida State

With a class that's extremely talented at the defensive end position, Edwards is arguably the best, which is saying something about his potential.

He's a big guy at 6'4", 297 pounds, but you wouldn't know it with as quick as he gets off the ball. Edwards has great strength and a bunch of different moves he uses on offensive linemen to get to the quarterback. That alone puts him ahead of so many other defensive ends at his age. He plays with a motor that never quits and is great at stopping the run.

He's still committed to Florida State, but is still exploring his options by looking at schools like LSU, Oklahoma and Texas.

LB: Reggie Ragland, Alabama

Alabama lost a lot of talent as several players left early for the NFL draft after winning the BCS National Championship. On the defensive side of the ball, they're extremely thin at the linebacker position. That's where somebody like Reggie Ragland steps in, as he's very athletic and has good size at 6'4", 245 pounds. He's a very physical linebacker and has good speed to where he can make plays from sideline to sideline.

Alabama's defense may look a little different next season, but you can expect them to be just as talented as they were last season. The Crimson Tide aren't going anywhere.

DB: Shaq Thompson, Cal

Thompson is one of the elite athletes in this class and appears to be a safety that could see a lot of playing time his freshman year. He has great size at 6'2", 210 pounds and is capable of playing the run just as well as the pass. He has solid ball skills and great instincts as well, which make him capable of playing anywhere in the secondary. 

Thompson is a great prospect, and although he committed to California, he may have a change of heart with defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi leaving for Washington. This would be another big blow to the Golden Bears if the nation's top safety prospect leaves for another program.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]