National Signing Day 2012: 4 Unheralded Prospects Poised to Surprise

With national signing day about to come and go on Wednesday, all eyes are on the big-name players who haven't yet decided where they are going to be playing their college ball.

You know, players like Dorial Green-Beckham, Eddie Goldman and Darius Hamilton. They have yet to officially declare where they're going, a reality that has college football junkies across the countries sitting on the edges of their seats and chewing on their fingernails.

By comparison, the rest of the recruits who will be announcing their decisions on NSD aren't getting much press.

That's probably fine by them, but some recruits out there deserve a little more press than they're getting. They don't have five stars next to their names, but they're players who have bright college careers ahead of them.

Let's take a look at four in particular.

Colin Blake, DB (San Antonio, TX)

Ranking: 155, according to Rivals

Colin Blake is a classic case of a player who could develop into a solid football player, but a few things need to happen first.

Above all, Blake needs to add some bulk to his frame. He's plenty tall enough at 6'3," but the question concerning him is whether or not he has enough strength to jam receivers at the next level. The other knock on Blake is that he's not a big fan of contact.

However, Blake is praised for his instincts in coverage. He knows how to read and react to plays. That makes him good in zone coverage now, but he'll be a great shutdown corner in man coverage too if he toughens up a little.

If all goes well, Blake could be a player similar to Nnamdi Asomugha. That's who Rivals sees when they look at Blake, and that's high praise.

Quinshad Davis, WR (Gaffney, SC)

Ranking: 223, according to Rivals

Quinshad Davis is pretty big for a wide receiver at 6'3," but he's not exactly thick. He's a long-limbed player who will have to add some muscle, and the thinking is that he'll have to work on his speed too.

The good news for Davis is that everyone agrees that he can catch the football. He's got great hands, and he doesn't mind fighting for the football if he has to. He'll go up and get it.

This is more than you can say about a lot of wide receiver prospects out there, and that makes Davis an intriguing prospect. He definitely has improvements to make, but it's not like he has to be broken down and built up again. 

Davis will fly under the radar as he continues to make these improvements, but his ceiling is very high. Don't be surprised if he's a star couple years into his college career.

Ken Ekanem, OLB (Clifton, VA)

Ranking: 209, according to Rivals

Ken Ekanem's biggest problem is that he's a tweener. Some sites have him down as a defensive end, and some have him down as an outside linebacker.

Ekanem could be used as a defensive end. But he's a little undersized for the position at 6'3" and 225 pounds. He's better off playing outside linebacker.

That's a position where Ekanem could excel. He's got more than enough athleticism to handle linebacker duties, and his experience as a defensive end will make him a dangerous pass-rusher. It helps that he has a tremendous motor.

It's going to take some time to get Ekanem nailed down to one position in particular, but the sky will be the limit once he starts playing. He has the potential to be a prototypical pass-rushing outside linebacker.

Javon Williams, WR (Chandler, AZ)

Ranking: 227, according to Rivals

The best thing Javon Williams has going for him is his size. He pushes 6'5," making him one of the taller wide receiver recruits in the nation.

The trouble, naturally, is that Williams needs to add some muscle to his frame. Until he does, he's not going to be a threat for any top-shelf defensive back at the next level.

That's really the only thing Williams needs to work on, though. He has great speed and great hands, and his height makes him a dangerous jump-ball target. If he adds bulk, he's going to be a stud.

It's going to be some time before you hear Williams' name again after he commits, but he could be one of these guys who bursts onto the scene in a big way in a couple years.