College Football's 50 Burning Offseason Recruiting Questions

Many questions abound within this 2013 recruiting cycle, so it was tough to boil it down to just 50. From where top recruits are headed, their impact, injuries, coaching decisions, influences, scoops, fits and more, there are a lot of questions we have.

I'm going to just rattle off a good 50 of them for you today. Please feel free to ask your very own questions and inquiries and even answer some of the questions on this list.

Let's get started!

50. Should Jake Raulerson Be Listed as an ATH?

Raulerson is a 6'5", 250 pounder from Texas that gets listed as an OT on most lists. However, he can play so many positions, that one can make an argument that he could be listed as an ATH in this class.

He's committed to Texas. 

49. Can UCLA Steal Su'a Cravens?

Su'a Cravens hails from Southern California and is a 5-star recruit. He is looking at USC, who is likely the front runner, yet UCLA is also in the mix.

We'll know where Cravens is headed on June 6th. 

48. Is Baylor Getting RG3 Part 2?

Chris Johnson is a 6'4", 210 pound dual threat QB from Texas. Johnson is a great athlete, has a strong arm and can play with excellent speed and athleticism.

Sounds a ton like what we said about RG3 as a high school prospect right? Johnson is committed to Baylor.

47. Will the SEC Continue to Dominate?

The SEC is the dominant league of college football, bar none. The main reason the conference is superior to others is the speed all within the league and the defenses.

Trench play is also huge and it all comes from recruiting. SEC teams continue to gobble most of the good players, so superiority likely will continue. 

46. Where Will the Two Best Players in Kentucky Land?

This year, the Blue Grass State features two recruits that are among the best 100 or so players in the country in WR James Quick and DE Jason Hatcher.

Can Kentucky or Louisville keep these players home, when the two hold national-level offers?

45. Is There Anybody Left That Texas Wants?

Texas is notorious for getting the bulk of the recruiting class to commit to them in late  February or March, as the Longhorns get a huge jump on recruiting almost a year before other schools.

The norm is for Texas to have a top class for the duration of the class, then since they don't really go after many of the top uncommitted prospects out of their state, they see their ranking dip a bit on NSD.

Texas just doesn't like going out of state often for a player and it seems even this year that many of the top uncommitted prospects really aren't looking the Longhorns' way. 

44. Is Antonio Conner to Ole Miss Inevitable?

Conner is from Mississippi and goes to South Panolo High School, which is a normal pipeline to Ole Miss. Conner has an offer from the Rebels and is interested in them.

I'd be pretty shocked if he signed somewhere else next February.

43. Is Texas Geting the Second Coming of Vince Young?

Vince Young is a living legend in Austin, and really around Texas. Sure, his NFL career has not gone as smoothly as he hoped, but Young is still respected.

Tyrone Swoopes looks awfully similar to Young coming out of high school and is committed to Texas. Young won a ton of football games and a national championship for Texas.

The Longhorns are hoping Swoopes can do what Young did.

42. Can Michigan State Land Montravius Adams?

Montravius Adams is one of the most wide open recruits in the country. A 6'3", 290 pound DT from Georgia, Adams has a slew of offers.

Yet, interestingly, he says likes Michigan State and will likely go back and visit East Lansing when the Spartans play Notre Dame.

41. Do We Have Any Consensus at the Receiver Position?

Last year, we had a national consensus at the WR spot in Dorial Green-Beckham. He was clearly head and shoulders above everyone else.

This year, some say Ricky Seals-Jones is the best, others have Robert Foster, then there's more names in the mix.

40. Do Any out of State Schools Have a Shot at Dorian Johnson?

Dorian Johnson is a 6'6", 285 pound OT prospect from Pennsylvania. He holds offers from a lot of top programs, but there's a theme in his recruitment that I've observed:

Johnson likely doesn't want to leave far away from home.

That's why I think Pitt and Penn State are the true prime suitors in his race.

39. Could Derrick Henry Be Too Big to Play RB?

Henry is already 6'3", and 240 pounds. That's huge for a high schooler, period, but basically humongous for a high school running back.

Committed to Georgia, Henry is headed to Athens to tote the rock. Yet, there's a chance he could be deemed too big and I highly doubt he wants to play full back.

Don't be shocked to see Henry play DE or even LB.

38. Is Alabama the Best Place for Cooper Bateman?

Before today, arguably, the top QB left on the board was Cooper Bateman of Utah. 6'3, 205 pounds, Bateman has a laser blaster for an arm and good athleticism.

Yet this morning, Bateman made it official with Alabama and committed to the Tide. Alabama doesn't like to toss the rock much, and Bateman has a very strong arm.

Will 'Bama do a good job at exploiting Bateman's strengths?

37. Is Anyone Surpassing Florida and Georgia for Laremy Tunsil?

Laremy Tunsil says he has a top five of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma and LSU.

He's likely to take all five trips and announce on signing day. However, really this race boils down to Florida and Georgia right now.

36. Where Will Kendall Beckwith Play in College?

Where will Beckwith play?

Either Alabama or LSU.

Which leads to the next question...

35. Where Will Kendall Beckwith Play in College?

Position-wise? That's a tough one, because he's 6'3", 225 pounds and can excel at many different positions.

Beckwith plays as a dual threat QB right now in high school, but he could play WR, DE, OLB, S or RB in college.

Where do you think?

34. Where Will Notre Dame Finish in the 2013 Recruiting Rankings?

Notre Dame always is going to be a factor and influential program in college football.

The Irish have recruited well and no list like this is fitting without a question being devoted to the Golden Domers.

33. Will Dontre Wilson Choose to Leave the State of Texas?

Wilson is from the Lone Star State and the 5'10", 180 pound RB is a stick of dynamite with the ball in his hands. He has many offers, but it seems like Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon and Ohio State are in the mix.

Will Wilson choose to leave the state and go play in new scenery?

32. Is Brady Hoke on His Way to Becoming a Legend at Michigan?

Based on the last two recruiting classes, an 11-win season and Sugar Bowl win, even Ohio State fans would have to admit Brady Hoke is on a good pace.

Hoke is recruiting fiercely this year and if Michigan can win 10 games this year, then you'd have to start to say that "good" pace he's on is actually a "legendary" pace.

31. Is Thomas Tyner the Nation's Fastest Recruit?

Tyner is an accomplished high competitive sprinter in track and field and has ran in some of the most elite meets in the sport.

He's a 6'0", 207 pound RB prospect headed to Oregon and is bantered about as being the fastest player in the country. 

I think there are a few other prospects around the country that feel they can out run Tyner.

30. What Will It Be for Jaylon Smith?

Smith is a great and athletic OLB prospect that comes from Indiana.

His brother plays for Ohio State, but Notre Dame, Purdue and Indiana are also in his core four.

Smith likely will announce his choice in June.

29. Wll Ty Isaac's Decision Affect Justin Davis' Decision?

Both Ty Isaac and Justin Davis are among the elite RB prospects in this year's class. Isaac committed to USC yesterday and Davis is scheduled to announce his decision Thursday May 17th.

USC, Cal and Washington are the front runners, yet USC could have been the favorite before Isaac's announcement.

Does Davis pick USC and head to Troy to compete or form a tandem with Isaac? Or does he go to Seattle or Berkley to be "The Man"?

28. Can Penn State Land Robert Foster?

Foster is the top WR prospect in the state of Pennsylvania and some say in the nation. Explosive, sudden and speedy at 6'3", 190 pounds, of course Penn State wants him.

Will he choose to play in Happy Valley or head to another program?

27. Will Ty Isaac Get Homesick?

Distance was thought to be a big factor in the recruitment for Ty Isaac, yet the Illinois native committed to USC on Tuesday.

There's still a ton of time left before he signs with the Trojans, so will Isaac start to get cold feet at the thought of going all the way across the country?

26. Are Derrick Griffin and Ricky Seals-Jones Destined to Be Tight Ends?

Both big Texan WR prospects stand in the 6'5" range and weigh around 220 pounds already in high school.

Naturally, they are still filling out and it wouldn't be too shocking to see both get in the 240 range easy.

There's not many 6'5", 6'6" 240 pound receivers running around, but there are tight ends that size.

25. What Role with the Scholarship Sanctions Play This Year for USC?

If you didn't know any better, USC has recruited like they don't have any sanctions the past several years under Lane Kiffin.

However, Kiffin has been smart at getting early enrollees so the Trojans can sign more than 15 in a class but have a few count towards last year's class.

Already with over six commitments in this year's class and many top elite prospects still considering USC, how will the sanctions affect what the Trojans want to do in this year's recruiting cycle?

24. Can Arkansas Land Hunter Henry?

Henry is the top uncommitted prospect in the State of Arkansas and the top uncommitted TE in the nation. I really think the 6'6", 240 pounder is a great player.

Of course the Hogs have not been in the spotlight for the right reasons and John L. Smith is not the long-term solution in all likelihood.

Can the Razorbacks still convince Henry to stay home?

23. Will Matthew Thomas Leave the Sunshine State?

One of the more intriguing prospects in this class is a 6'4", 210 pound OLB Matthew Thomas out of the Miami area.

Thomas has offers from all over and Alabama is one of them, but so are all the big schools in Florida.

Does Thomas stay in-state or go somewhere else?

22. Is Michael Hutchings to USC a Forgone Conclusion?

Hutchings has a top five of USC, Miami, Oregon, Notre Dame and Washington. 

However, it's pretty much USC and then everyone else right now in many people's estimation. Can Cal climb back in the race?

Or is USC just waiting until Hutchings makes it official?

21. How Good Is Christian Hackenburg?

ESPNU ranks him above Max Browne and has him as the No. Pro-Style QB in the country. The Virginia prospect is viewed as a better QB than Ryan Burns, whom I really like.

Just really how good is Hackenburg and how good can he be at Penn State?

20. Who's Going to Catch Michigan?

Big Blue has 11 of the ESPNU 150 already and the No. 1 recruiting class in the land. I know it's early but the Wolverines have assembled a good fleet of 2013 talent.

Who can catch them in the rankings for the No. 1 class?

19. Will Swoopes Force a Transfer?

Tyrone Swoopes arrives next year to Texas and will have a depth chart of David Ash, Case McCoy and Connor Brewer in front of him.

Yet Swoopes has a ton of hype and the fans will be calling for him. If he overcomes Brewer on the depth chart, could he force Brewer out of Austin?

18. How Good Can Kenny Bigelow Become?

Bigelow recently dominated the Baltimore-area Nike Camp and weighed in at 297 pounds on a 6'3" frame.

He may be the best pure three-technique DT in the class and could even play strong side DE due to his great athleticism.

The sky is the limit for him at USC.

17. Where Is Robert Nkemdiche Going?

Nkemdiche was supposed to be announcing on May 18th, but that has been put off and this likely will go on until NSD next February.

His top schools are Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia, Clemson and Florida.

16. Is Ole Miss Inching Closer Towards an Upset for Nkemdiche?

Now, you look at Nkemdiche's top schools and all are big-time recruiting programs, sans Ole Miss. However, his brother plays in Oxford and that's the connection there.

As time drags on, Ole Miss will certainly play the family card and could be making hay with Nkemdiche.

15. Is Stacy Coley the Next Sammy Watkins?

Coley has natural athleticism and it all comes so easy for him. He goes 6'1", 175 pounds and has huge upside as a WR.

He's from Florida and has a lot of similar traits to Sammy Watkins. Can Coley have the same type of instant impact the Clemson standout had as a true freshman?

14. Is National Signing Day Fading with Early Commitments Trending?

With our coverage this past 2012 NSD, I noticed it wasn't as many elite uncommitted prospects that were announcing on the day as usual.

Looking even closer, I find it that there is a growing trend in recruiting that has committing early being the "in" thing to do.

Will NSD's "pizazz" start to fade as we move towards not having as many announcements from elite prospects?

13. Is the Star System Flawed?

We all like to look at how many stars a recruit has, as recruiting fans. Yet, I often ask myself what separates a 5-star recruit from a 4-star recruit?

Also, we've had so many first-round NFL Draft picks that were two and 3-star recruits and some had no stars.

I know it's a fun aspect to the rankings and ratings of recruiting, but is the system flawed nontheless? 

12. What's the Best Position for Su'a Cravens?

Cravens is one of the best pure athletes to come out in quite some time, as he is extremely, extremely versatile.

6'1", 205 pounds, one can realistically project Cravens as FS, SS, OLB, RB or WR in college.

OLB or SS could be his best spot, but that's arguable.

11. Does Robert Foster Know More Than He's Letting On?

Foster has over 30 offers and is a wanted man by pretty much the entire country. He doesn't name a favorite and just really has taken trips to various schools.

It's tough to get a read on Foster, but you have to wonder if he's just playing it close to the vest and that he indeed does have his favorites.

10. How Far Can Shane Morris Take Michigan?

Denard Robinson is gone from Ann Arbor after this season and the Wolverines will be looking for a polished pocket passer to run their offense going forward.

Morris has been committed for almost two seasons now and is an elite QB prospect. He clearly is the QB of the future for Michigan.

Can he win them a Big Ten title? A Rose Bowl? A BCS Bowl? A national championship?

9. What Will Vernon Hargreaves III Decide to Do?

Hargreaves is the top cover corner in America for 2013 and his father coaches at South Florida. Yet, many more big name programs have offered Hargreaves to play with them.

Does he spurn the big boys and go play for his dad?

8. Can Reuben Foster Start as a True Freshman for Alabama?

Alabama makes it a bit tough for true freshman to get on the field, as for starters, there is just so much talent to overcome and beat out.

Then, the Tide run complex schemes and it's best for freshman to spend the first year getting mentally ready to play.

Foster is the top LB prospect in America and is both physically and mentally ready to play at Alabama. Could he start as a true freshman for Nick Saban?

7. Is Alabama the Best Place for a Prospect Trying to Get to the NFL?

Of course, many prospects these days want to play three years of college ball then go pro. So they look at where they can get early playing time and who best helps their NFL aspirations.

Alabama may be the best place for a prospect that wants to get prepared for the NFL.

The program is run like an NFL franchise, has NFL schemes and plays in the SEC. Enough said.

6. Do Academics Really Matter?

There are some recruits that really stress the academic aspect of choosing a college. Schools like Stanford and Notre Dame are probably the two best upper-echelon academic institutions that have good football programs as well.

If academics really mattered, wouldn't these two schools be atop the recruiting rankings every year?

5. Can Ohio State Still Land Alex Anzalone?

Alex Anzalone de-committed from Ohio State a few backs after allegedly interacting with a registered sex offender.

Anzalone says Ohio State is not out of the mix, is more focused on Notre Dame, Florida, Penn State, Stanford and USC right now.

4. Can Max Browne Start as a True Freshman at USC?

Max Browne is committed to USC and is on track to graduate early and be there for spring ball next year.

Matt Barkley did the same thing and won the starting job as a true freshman in 2009. Can Browne beat out Max Wittek, Jesse Scroggins and Cody Kessler?

3. Are Looming Sanctions Ruining Miami's 2013 Recruiting Efforts?

Miami only has two commitments inside the ESPNU 150 and I'm not sure if many big name prospects are really serious about Miami.

This could be a down year for Al Golden, as many recruits may be scared away by the coming NCAA sanctions to the Hurricane program.

2. Who's Going to Have the Top Class in 2013?

Having a No. 1 class can be a gift and a curse. I've seen some talented classes produce and win bowl games, while others have washed out and been disappointments.

Yet, it's still always the aim for each program (and their fan base) and a big question for everyone that is involved with recruiting each year.

1. Does College Football Recruiting Need an Early Signing Period?

As I've mentioned before, the growing trend is to commit early. Why not have an early signing period for players like Tyrone Swoopes, Reuben Foster and Max Browne?

Since a player knows where he wants to go and is 100% committed, why not let them have a period where they can sign in the late Summer or early Fall?

Why do they have to wait all the way until next February?

Edwin Weathersby has worked in scouting/player personnel departments for three professional football teams, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena League. He spent a year evaluating prep prospects & writing specific recruiting and scouting content articles for Student Sports Football (now ESPN Rise-HS). A syndicated scout and writer, he's also contributed to WeAreSC.com, GatorBait.net and Diamonds in the Rough Inc., a College Football and NFL Draft magazine.