Predicting College Football's All-Freshman Team for 2012

Certain freshmen, for all their relative inexperience in the college football universe, have a tendency to step up in their first year with a program.

This list is about those guys.

The 2012 recruiting season yielded a crop of incredibly talented recruits, and this is a list of the freshmen that we feel will see some time on the field in 2012.

Not only will they see time on the field, but they have the talent to significantly impact their team's chances at winning and deserve a shout out on this list as potential members of the All-Freshman class.

D.J. Humphries, OL, Florida

Part of the problem with Florida's offense last season, besides the obvious flailing about, was its inability to block consistently for either the rushing or passing game.

Enter Humphries.

The man is a monster at his position, and with a solid spring, he will crack the rotation.

At 6'6", 270, his strength and ability to recover against pass-rushers make him one off the best line prospects in the country, and if he comes close to living up to his potential, he will have a great season.

Joshua Garnett, OL, Stanford

Garnett is just one of the plethora of talented offensive linemen that Stanford was able to recruit.

Of the bunch, Garnett is one of the two who has the potential to make an impact immediately on the program.

David DeCastro's departure leaves the way open for Garnett if he can beat out the rest of the talented group David Shaw recruited.

Isaac Seumalo, OL, Oregon State

Seumalo has an opportunity to make an immediate impact for Oregon State and a key part of an offense that has a long way to go to be effective.

Quarterback Sean Mannion is going to be one of the better young quarterbacks in the nation, and Seumalo has the potential to try to keep him on his feet.

Jay Guillermo, OL, Clemson

Clemson has some issues to fix on the offensive line.

All kinds of issues.

While Dalton Freeman has a leg up on the starting center position, none of the other offensive line positions are even close to nailed down.

Guillermo has the talent to crack the two-deep at center, and possibly have to hold down another position on the line due to the lack of options.

If he gets a chance, he will perform well.

Kyle Murphy, OL, Stanford

Stanford has turned into an offensive linemen factory.

It seems to be turning out stars along the line every season, and Kyle Murphy is primed to be one of the next.

The Cardinal are loaded at lineman, and the competition will be stout, but Murphy, a 6'7", 275 pound athlete from San Clemente, Calif., could be one of the next great linemen to come to us from Stanford.

Kent Taylor, TE, Florida

Florida had a couple of great recruits at the tight end position, but Taylor will be the one who shines, especially with a quarterback who will need a safety valve who understands the game.

His versatility is what makes him special.

He has the skills set to line up as an H-back, fullback, tight end or slot receiver, and the hands to rack up solid receiving yards.

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri

DGB is arguably the most athletically gifted freshman to commit this spring.

The Tigers are losing a couple prime passing targets, and Green-Beckham is a big, physical receiver who quarterback James Franklin can utilize in short screen plays or in jump ball situations down the field.

He also matches up fairly well against the type of physical receivers the Tigers will see in the SEC.

If he is even semi-effective downfield, this will open up the running game for Henry Josey to make a bigger splash than he did last season.

Shaq Roland, WR, South Carolina

With the recent emergence of Alshon Jeffrey and Sammy Watkins, it just seems natural to look to the state of South Carolina for the next star at wide receiver as a freshman.

Roland has the tools to be just that.

At 6'2", 204 pounds, Roland has the physicality and speed to be the Gamecock's replacement for the departed Jeffrey, and if he has a productive spring, will surely see tons of playing time this fall.

His ability to get downfield and spread the field will open more holes for running back Marcus Lattimore, making SC's offense potent.

Thomas Johnson, WR, Texas A&M

A&M loses some key talent at the wide receiver position, and Johnson has the talent to step right in and make an impact.

He may struggle against the physical defensive backs he will face in the SEC, but has the speed and hands to make an impact as an option for the Aggies.

The offense as a whole needs some work, and the emergence of Johnson would go a long way toward giving them a viable option in the passing game.

Rushel Shell, RB, Pitt

Shell has great vision, fantastic speed and the ability to make defenders look silly in the open field.

The future is looking up for Pitt.

On top of that, his new head coach has spent the last several years operating a run-heavy offense that produces ridiculous rushing yardage every season.

Shell's ability coupled with Paul Chryst's penchant for helping develop running backs means Shell's freshman year could be a special one.

Gunner Kiel, QB, Notre Dame

Kiel has changed commitments a few times, from Indiana to LSU, then finally to Notre Dame back in January.

In spite of his apparent wishy-washy nature, Kiel is an incredibly talented kid, prepared to step in and take the starting job for the Irish.

He played in a similar system to Brian Kelly's spread in high school, and has an adequate arm and mobility to run it well.

With this position up in turmoil for the Irish, expect to see Kiel step in and make a difference from the beginning in South Bend.

Leonard Williams, DL, USC

Lane Kiffin stole this guy right out from under the noses of SEC coaches, as Williams comes to USC from the heart of SEC country—Florida.

Williams brings an incredible skill set to USC, and should compete early and often for playing time in the defensive line rotation due to the amount of turnover USC has experienced.

Ed Orgeron has got to be licking his chops at the prospect of turning this guy lose against the speed of Oregon.

Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon

The Ducks were going to be thin along the defensive line without some help, and they still might be a little low on bodies, but the talent that Chip Kelly pulled in to Eugene in the form of Arik Armstead could be second to none.

The guy is tremendously athletic, playing basketball as well as offensive lineman in high school, and should fit in well to the Ducks' defensive scheme.

Malcom Brown, DL, Texas

The one thing the Longhorns have been able to do in these past couple of difficult years is recruit defensive studs.

Brown is next in line to make an impact on the 'Horns stout defensive line.

Brown has incredible speed off the snap for a tackle and will be a terror for offensive coordinators throughout the Big 12.

Expect to see Brown in plenty of the opposition's backfields in 2012.

Noah Spence, DL, Ohio State

Urban Meyer has emphasized defense in his recruiting thus far, and Spence was a product of that initiative.

Spence has the potential to make an immediate impact for the Buckeyes.

The arrivals to OSU along the offensive line provides Meyer with a wealth of talent to field up front, and Spence is definitely the cream of the crop.

Tee Shepard, DB, Notre Dame

Shepard was committed to the Irish before bailing on Brian Kelly last week.

Wherever he ends up, he is going to make big plays, and has the potential to crack the two-deep of all but the most loaded secondaries.

His size, speed and athletic ability give him the ability to play safety or corner, and he will immediately make an impact wherever he ends up.

Travis Blanks, DB, Clemson

Blanks has the potential to step in and be an immediate impact player on a Clemson squad that could use some help in the secondary.

Blanks demonstrated good football instincts (other than choosing Clemson) and has the physical tools to play with any of the receivers he will see in the ACC.

His size, over six feet, makes him capable of playing safety as well as corner, and he has the hands to make a play on the ball whenever it is within his time zone.

Dabo Swinney could use a guy like this in his secondary if he emerges in practice.

Shaq Thompson, DB, Washington

You know it's a good year for recruiting when two of the top recruits in the country are named "Shaq."

This young man is going to be a godsend for Steve Sarkisian's Huskies.

Wilson is a lanky, smart safety, with the ability to play either free or strong safety, as well as some corner if absolutely necessary.

He plays smart and has the speed to cover all kinds of territory.

Yuri Wright,. DB, Colorado

Wright has had some issues, but there is no doubt about his talent.

Wright will get the chance to crack the rotation in the Buffs' defensive backfield, a unit that has had its issues in recent seasons.

The fourth-ranked cornerback in the country going into recruiting season has the potential to make a big impact on a defense that was abysmal against the pass in 2011, and is looking to continue their transition to the Pac-12 with a more successful campaign in 2012.

Wright will be a difference maker...

That is, he will be if he can keep himself out of trouble on Twitter.

Kwon Alexander, LB, LSU

Alexander is capable of playing both the SAM and WILL positions, and is nearly a lock to crack the rotation for Les Miles' defense in 2012.

He is solid in coverage on tight ends and has a great nose for the ball.

There is no better team in the country for a freshman to learn the trade than at LSU, and you can bet Alexander will take advantage in a big way.

Michael Rose, LB, Nebraska

Nebraska has some gaps to fill in its defense after the departure of LaVonte David, and Rose will prove to be a solid option for some quality playing time early in the season.

His ability to plug gaps in the run game make him a threat to stone every running play, and he has great instincts.

He is not the fastest guy on the field but makes up for that with solid decisions and good tackling.

Expect to see some time on the field for Rose.

Noor Davis. LB, Stanford

Yes, another member of the Cardinal.

It seems like a bunch, but you better believe David Shaw is handling his business and recruiting excellent talent.

Davis will see some time at the position alongside standout Shayne Skov, and has the ability to study and learn the nuances of the college game from a man who has proven his value to the program.

Davis' potential is sky-high, and with the type of coaching up that the Stanford coaching staff seems to accomplish, he will be a viable "All Freshman" candidate by season's end.