West Virginia Football: 10 Freshmen Who Will Start in 2012

In the 2012 recruiting class, head coach Dana Holgorsen and the coaching staff were able to secure 28 commits, making their class relatively large compared to other recruiting hauls around the country.

With depth becoming more important now with the move to the Big 12 conference, several of these players will have the opportunity to play in their first season in a WVU uniform.

Here are 10 players who will start in 2012.

10. Brandon Napoleon, Cornerback

Brandon Napoleon was one of the best players in the state of New Jersey, and has the potential to immediately be a great player for the Mountaineers. Napoleon is a legacy recruit, and his father Eugene was a running back for WVU in the 1980s.

Napoleon chose West Virginia over offers from North Carolina, Rutgers, Connecticut, Indiana and Illinois. As a senior, the high school standout was named to the Semper Fi All-American team as a testament to his play at St. Peters Prep in New Jersey.

With the potent passing attacks across the Big 12, Napoleon will have the opportunity to come in and add depth to the secondary. At 6'0" and 185 pounds, this player has great size for a defensive back at the next level, and he also possesses outstanding speed.

New DB coach Daron Roberts has a great talent with Napoleon, and his skills will be needed from day one.

9. Travares Copeland, Wide Receiver

Travares Copeland is one of several WVU commits from the state of Florida, and he was rated a 4-star recruit by 247sports.com. Copeland was a standout dual-threat QB for Port Saint Lucie Florida, but will likely be a receiver for the Mountaineers.

This player has great speed, and at 5'11" he has solid size for a slot receiver. It is obvious that the coaching staff are looking for more players like current WVU great, Tavon Austin.

These players are outstanding at making plays in open space, and that is the concept of Dana Holgorsen's offense.

Much like Austin, he is extremely versatile, and could be used in a variety of ways on offense. He has the skills to compete at the college level immediately, and he will be a four-year player in Morgantown.

8. Roshard Burney, Running Back

Burney is another Floridian who makes the list, and he hails from Palm Beach Gardens. Burney had a beast of a senior season, rushing for over 2,000 yards and 19 scores while earning All-State honors.

With the injury to RB Dustin Garrison, many of the young tailbacks will have the opportunity to come in and play as soon as they arrive on campus.

He was rated as 3-star prospect by both Rivals and Scout.com. At 5'10" and over 200 pounds, he already has the size of running back at the college level, and Burney's film will simply wow you.

7. Karl Joseph, Safety

Karl Joseph has a leg up on the other incoming freshmen, as he is already enrolled at WVU.

Joseph already looks the part. At 6'0" and just under 200 pounds, he has solid size for a safety and the frame to add more weight.

His high school stats are like that of a video game character. In 2011, he had 126 tackles (97 solo tackles) with three sacks and four forced fumbles. He also blocked four punts and two field goals.

That is simply amazing, and his ability to do so many things on the field will undoubtedly lead to early playing time. Joseph will be a very productive safety, and he has received praise from the coaching staff based on his performance this spring.

6. Imarjaye Albury, Defensive Tackle

Albury is an absolute beast in the middle of the defensive line, and he is massive at 6'0" and three biscuits shy of 300 pounds.

Like Joseph, Albury is also an early enrollee. With the switch to the 3-4 defensive scheme, he is learning the new defense right alongside veteran players, which is a huge advantage for a freshman.

A defensive coordinator can never have enough depth along the defensive line, and with the departures of Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller, the defensive line will be a wide-open competition. As a senior, he had 45 tackles (12 for loss) and four sacks.

Pressure up the middle will be very important for defensive success in the Big 12, and having a player like Albury will prove to be valuable for years to come.

5. Jordan Thompson, Wide Receiver

Thompson was very underrated coming out of Katy, Texas—how he was not highly recruited simply makes no sense. As a senior, he had over 1,000 yards receiving with 16 touchdowns.

He had over 100 yards receiving in five games, including one game in which he had nine catches for 217 yards and three scores. It is this production that caught the eye of Dana Holgorsen when he recruited the young man out of Texas, and this will pay immediate dividends on the field.

Thompson has already made a solid impact as an early enrollee, and the freshman looked very impressive in the spring game. This player is extremely versatile, and he has added to what is the best receiving corps in the country.

He is a perfect fit in Dana Holgorsen's scheme, and is also another athlete who the coaching staff feels can eventually replace Tavon Austin.

Thompson is extremely shifty and flat-out fun to watch. With spring practices already under his belt, he is poised to crack the starting lineup. He was a 3-star recruit by ESPN.com.

4. Will Johnson, Tight End

It is rare that a tight end fits into Dana Holgorsen's high-powered offense, but at 6'7" and 245 pounds, this kid is simply too big to keep off of the field.

He will become an outstanding red-zone target for Geno Smith.

Johnson was a consensus 3-star recruit in 2011, and was the only WVU commit from the state of Minnesota. Rivals.com rated him as the No. 26 tight end in the country, and he will develop into a very solid player for the Mountaineers.

He had an impressive offer list, and he chose West Virginia over offers from the likes of Auburn, Miami, Iowa, Illinois and Boston College. With the departure of Tyler Urban to the NFL, look for Johnson to fill his role.

3. Sean Walters, Safety

Sean Walters is another early enrollee who makes the list, and this 6'2", 200-pound safety has the ideal size to contribute immediately.

He will likely play a mix of both linebacker and safety because of his tackling prowess.

The freshman is another Florida recruit who will contribute early, and he reminds the coaching staff of Terence Garvin. Like Garvin, Walters has the ability to excel in pass coverage as well as run support.

As a senior, he had a very dominant season, recording 89 tackles and one interception while earning the right to play in the South Florida All-Star game.

Sam Lebbie, Linebacker

Sam Lebbie is exactly what recruiters are looking for in a linebacker at  6'2" and 235 pounds.

There is no doubt that Lebbie will come in and play significant minutes immediately. ESPN.com has this player out of DeMatha Catholic in Maryland rated as a 4-star recruit.

Scout.com has Lebbie rated as the No. 6 overall linebacker in the country, and this is the caliber of player that the Mountaineers will need to consistently recruit with the move to the Big 12.

He will be a starter from day one for WVU, and already has the build of an experienced BCS-level linebacker.

He chose West Virginia over offers from Maryland, Rutgers and Vanderbilt. The coaching staff got a great player in Lebbie, and Mountaineer fans will have a star on defense for years to come.

Deontay McManus, Wide Receiver

McManus was a man among boys in high school, and he will be a great receiver for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

His offer list was unbelievable, and he was the Mountaineers' highest-rated recruit rated with, 4 stars from 247sports.com.

He chose West Virginia over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State and Michigan, among many others. At 6'2" and 210 pounds, he is an absolute freak of an athlete, and Dana Holgorsen will get this guy on the field immediately.

He has outstanding ball skills and will be a great complement to fellow WRs Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. McManus is an elite athlete and yet another Maryland prospect who will wear the Blue and Gold.

Historically, WVU has done an outstanding job of recruiting in the Maryland area. McManus will join fellow Mountaineer and future NFL standout Tavon Austin as a player who dominated the high school ranks in the state.

McManus is an outstanding athlete and was also a standout on defense, and as a junior he had 88 tackles with four interceptions while catching five TDs on offense. Rivals.com had him as a top-five player in the state, and the No. 25 overall receiver in the country.

His potential is sky high. He will be a very electric player for West Virginia wherever he lines up.