National Signing Day 2012: Bold Predictions for Top 5 Recruiting Classes

National signing day is over and done with, so we have a pretty good idea of what the future of these teams look like. Sure, there are still a few valuable prospects out there that are still uncommitted, but for the most part, teams' overall recruiting classes aren't going to change that much.

And now that we know which talented players are on which teams officially, it's time to include them in a few predictions—but not just any predictions, because anybody can do that, of course. These are going to be bold predictions. Just a bunch of off-the-wall predictions that include some of the youngest and most talented players in college football.

Here are bold predictions for the top five recruiting classes in the country.

Alabama

Bold prediction: Wide receiver Cyrus Jones will lead the Crimson Tide in receiving yards and touchdowns.

Along with filling in a few holes at the linebacker position, picking up wide receiver Cyrus Jones is probably the biggest addition to this team. Quarterback A.J. McCarron is really growing as a signal-caller and he needs weapons to throw the ball to. The top four receivers from a year ago are all heading to the next level, including Marquis Maze and Trent Richardson. 

This opens up a spot right away for Jones, and with his playmaking ability he'll take advantage of it.

Texas

Bold prediction: Defensive tackle Malcolm Brown will lead the Longhorns in sacks.

Last season Texas did an OK job at pressuring the quarterback as it finished the year with 29 sacks. A majority of those players are returning from a year ago, which means that an extremely talented freshman can step in and do what he does best, which is rush the passer.

Brown is extremely quick off the ball and gets into the backfield in a hurry. With so many talented players around him on the defensive side of the ball, he'll likely rarely face double-teams, which will leave a lot of opponents wishing they would have.

Ohio State

Bold prediction: Brionte Dunn leads the team in rushing yards.

Yeah, I know Braxton Miller is a dual-threat quarterback and he's going to run a lot in Urban Meyer's spread offense. But Dunn is a complete running back and it would be wise to feed him the ball a bit, too. With Dan Herron gone, Dunn should get his fair share of opportunities, and with his skill set he's likely to make Buckeye fans fall in love with him.

He's a big boy at 6'1", 220 pounds, but runs with solid speed as well. I see him abusing defenses in the Big Ten and expect him to become one of the Buckeyes' top offensive weapons sooner rather than later.

Florida

Bold prediction: Tight end Kent Taylor will finish the year with at least 35 receptions.

This may not sound like a bold prediction, but when you factor in that the leading receiver last year for the Gators was a running back and he only had 31 catches, it's a lot easier to understand. Taylor is arguably the best tight end in this year's class and he has fantastic hands and is great at picking up yards after the catch.

This guy out of Land O' Lakes, Fla. will become a playmaker for this team and will have a solid freshman year.

Florida State

Bold prediction: Florida State finishes the year with at least 55 sacks and this freshman class gets at least half of those.

The Seminoles are a team that finished last year with 41 sacks and they have majority of those players returning. Now they have added players like Mario Edwards, Eddie Goldman, Chris Casher and Justin Shanks. This defense is absolutely loaded.

It's going to be fun to watch, but extremely scary for opposing teams in the ACC. I expect dominant performances from this group and wouldn't be surprised if we see a few record numbers put up on the defensive side of the ball. 

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].