College Football 2012: The Top Incoming Freshman for Each Pac-12 Team

This 2012 college football season is set up to be a memorable one. The story lines, the coaching changes, returning players and more are all making this out to be a special year.

Of course, with that said, we will see some unforeseen impact players and true freshmen. Sammy Watkins and Marquise Lee are prime examples. For this read, I'm going to give you the top incoming freshman for each Pac-12 team.

Let's get started.

Arizona: Beau Boyster, OL

Boyster committed to Arizona last April and stuck to his pledge through the coaching change in Tuscon. He's a 6'4", 275-pound offensive lineman that could see himself develop into a center for the Wildcats.

A SoCal native, Boyster played OT for his St. John Bosco high school squad, but could play OG or C in college. He shows solid athleticism in a short area, a frame to tack on weight in the 300-pound range, good strength and solid snap quickness.

Arizona State: D.J. Foster, RB

Foster is a 6'0", 185-pound running back prospect that is super-athletic, speedy and shifty. He's got a lean frame, great quickness and has been super productive vs. Arizona high school competition, going for over 1400 yards and 22 TDs as a junior alone.

I believe Foster can play right away as a true freshman. He's got great natural run instincts, is creative with the football, shows solid vision and is a great return man.

He'll be a star in Tempe very soon.

California: Zach Kline, QB

I'll say this right away: I think Kline is the best QB on the Bears' roster already.

He's already enrolled at Cal and will compete for the starting job during spring ball. At 6'2", 205 pounds, Kline has a cannon for an arm, can fit balls in tight windows, has good quickness in his climbs, sees the field well and has some moxie to his game.

Cal fans, here is your future starting QB.

Colorado: Yuri Wright, CB

Whatever happened with Wright and Twitter, leave it alone. I say that because Wright is an elite football player with big time potential as a corner.

He's 6'2", 180 pounds, has loose hips, incredible athleticism and can change direction with ease. Wright's size, speed, cover ability and confidence will get him on the field immediately.

He's the next Jimmy Smith in Boulder.

Oregon: Arik Armstead, DL

Armstead chose Oregon and will take his a 6'8", 280-pound frame to Eugene. A big-time, high-profile recruit, Armstead can play DE, DT or OT.

He moves very well for someone his size, has good strength to toss opponents around and has some quickness at the snap as a pass rusher. I think he fits best at either DT or strong-side DE. He reminds me a lot of Chris Canty.

Oregon State: Isaac Seumalo, OL/DL

Seumalo could play DT in college, but the 6'3", 275-pounder is an impact OG prospect. He's got great feet to slide and mirror, explodes at the snap and can adjust on the move as a pull and trap guy on the offensive front.

I think Seumalo can play early in his career and tack on weight as he moves forward. He's easily the top incoming freshman in Corvallis.

Stanford: Andrus Peat, OT

With players like OG Josh Garnett, OT Kyle Murphy, RB Barry Sanders, Jr., LB Noor Davis, DL Aziz Shittu and DB Alex Carter in the fold, you should know I had a tough time picking just one for Stanford.

But, I need to be consistent like I consistently am.

So I'm sticking with Andrus Peat, the OT prospect from Arizona. 6'7" and 300 pounds, Peat has LT ability thanks to a polished game, solid athleticism, technique and all the physical tools. He's the next Jonathan Martin on The Farm.

UCLA: Ellis McCarthy, DT

Easy choice here, as McCarthy was once a Cal commit and switched to UCLA a week later. He's a huge 6'5" DT that weighs nearly 310 pounds.

Not just big, McCarthy also is a great athlete for such a large man, showing excellent snap quickness, great strength and flashing a burst when he smells blood in the water.

He can stack blocks with ease and combat the run, by either anchoring and reading or blowing by his blocker to make a stop in the back field.

USC: Nelson Agholor, WR

I struggled with this one, as I did with Stanford. With prospects like LB Jabari Ruffin, DL Leonard Williams, OT Zach Banner, TE Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick, LB Scott Starr and OG Jordan Simmons, USC's small class is still power packed.

But I think Agholor, an athletic freak, will be the top true freshman at Heritage Hall. He's 6'2", 180 pounds, and can play RB, WR or DB and return kicks and punts.

Agholor likely will start his career as a WR, using his speed, length, quickness, remarkable agility and playmaking ability to dazzle for Lane Kiffin on the perimeter.

Utah: Harvey Lutui, OL

Lutui will be starter for Utah for a long time. Although he's just 6'1", 270 pounds, I say stick this kid at C and let him rip.

He shows outstanding quickness at the snap, jumping on top of targets and getting into their bodies in a flash. Lutui is fiercely strong at the point of attack and steers his targets wherever he wants to go. 

His awesomely quick feet allow him to move easily and quickly when pulling and trapping, and getting up on a 'backer at the second level is a simple task for Lutui.

Washington: Shaq Thompson, DB

Easy choice here, as Thompson probably was the best player at the Army game in January. 6'2", 210 pounds, he's a dynamic safety prospect that can factor as a SS or FS.

Thompson has elite play speed, incredible instincts and will attack the line of scrimmage versus the run with force and tenacity. He shows a solid back pedal, can patrol the deep middle and get off the hashes with agility and a burst.

Thompson might only be in Seattle for three years.

Washington State: Gabriel Marks, ATH

Marks is a 5'11", 175-pounder that can play WR or CB. CB could be his best position, but with Mike Leach running the show in Pullman, I think we'll see him at WR first.

Marks has good speed, can make a big catch in a timely manner and will skate around as a RAC (run-after-catch) player. He also should get a look as a return man, too.