National Signing Day 2012: 5 Recruits That Will Start & Shine as True Freshmen

This past season, there were dozens of freshman players who made a huge impact for their respective teams, including big breakout names like RB De'Anthony Thomas at Oregon, RB Giovani Bernard at North Carolina and LB A.J. Johnson at Tennessee.

The biggest name of them all, though, was without a doubt Clemson WR Sammy Watkins.

Watkins took the ACC by storm in 2011, racking up 2,297 total yards and 13 touchdowns as he helped the Tigers transform from preseason unranked afterthought into conference champion.

The question is, though, which recruits from this year's class will be the breakout stars of the 2012 season, like Watkins was last year?

Well, here's a look at five incoming freshmen who will have the chance to shine next season.

WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Hillcrest HS (Missouri)

If Dorial Green-Beckham isn't the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2012 class, then he's at least in the conversation, as receiver prospects with Green-Beckham's type of god-given gifts are certainly a rarity.

The 6'6'', 220-pound physical specimen is an absolute matchup nightmare, as he possesses the type of size, speed and leaping ability to make any cornerback look foolish.

Green-Beckham is the best wide receiver prospect we've seen emerge from the high school ranks since Julio Jones, and the scary part is, he has the chance to be even more dominant than the former Alabama standout.

The star recruit hasn't given any indication just yet as to where he plans on playing his college ball, but whether Green-Beckham ends up at Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma or Texas, he's sure to be a major factor for an offense in his freshman season.

WR Stefon Diggs, Good Counsel HS (Maryland)

Dorial Green-Beckham hogs a lot of the attention as this year's top receiver recruit, but don't be surprised if Stefon Diggs has just as big of a freshman campaign as D.G.B.

Diggs has the type of explosive, game-changing speed that could change the complexion of an entire offense, and he's the type of receiver that can cause constant stress for an opposing secondary.

Kendall Wright is the first player that comes to mind when I watch high school highlights of Diggs, as he always finds a way to routinely get behind a defense and make big plays.

Whether Diggs ends up at Auburn, Florida or Ohio State, look for him to make an immediate impact as a dangerous offensive weapon in 2012.

DT Eddie Goldman, Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington D.C.)

Eddie Goldman has all the traits you look for in an elite defensive tackle recruit.

The 6'4'',305-pound monstrous middle-man is not only huge, but he also possesses the type of power and quickness to constantly overwhelm blockers at the point of attack and end up in the backfield to disrupt a play.

Goldman is one of the strongest and most athletic defensive tackle prospects of the 2012 class, and he's already physically developed enough to handle playing against top-notch collegiate competition.

Alabama, Auburn and Florida State would all love to get their hands on the young interior force, but no matter where Goldman ultimately ends up, he's sure to see plenty of snaps, as he's the type of defensive tackle that can be effective in any type of situation, whether it be as a run-stopper or a pass-rusher.

CB Tee Shepard, Washington Union HS (California)

With the two starters from last season—Gary Gray and Robert Blanton—both gone, cornerback is going to be one of Notre Dame's biggest question marks going into the 2012 season.

Luckily for the Irish, Brian Kelly was able to land one of the top cornerback prospects in the country, Tee Shepard, who should be able to come in an instantly fill the void.

The 6'1'', 180-pound Shepard is considered one of the top cornerback recruits in the 2012 class, and since the 4-star prospect decided to enroll at South Bend early, he should have a much easier time getting adjusted to school and his new team.

Shepard has the size, speed and instincts that you look for in a great corner, and if he can refine his technique and get a little stronger over the summer, he should be right in the race to start at one of the two open cornerback positions.

RB Trey Williams, Dekaney HS (Texas)

If he ends up sticking with his commitment and signing with Texas A&M, RB Trey Williams will have a great opportunity to make an instant impact as a freshman next season.

With Cyrus Gray moving on to the NFL, and Christine Michael still rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered back in November, there will be a lot of room in the Aggies backfield for Williams to make some noise as a true freshman, and he should get plenty of carries to prove his worth.

The 5'8'', 175-pound Texas native isn't the biggest back, but with the type of vision, balance and speed that Williams' possesses, his size doesn't matter all that much.

Williams can see a hole opening quicker than any other running back recruit in this year's class, and he routinely knows how to get to the second level and make something happen when the ball is in his hands.

If the 5-star recruit does end up in College Station as expected, look for new coach Kevin Sumlin to utilize him as much as possible in 2012.