College Football 2012 Top 150 Players: No. 114 Greg Reid, Florida State CB

Every day here at Your Best 11, we are counting down to the start of the regular season with our Top 150 players for the 2012 season.

No. 114: Greg Reid, No. 5, Florida State, Cornerback

Greg Reid is as dynamic a playmaker as we have in the nation. The little man from Valdosta, Georgia is one of the nation's best punt returners and he helps set up Jimbo Fisher's offense at Florida State. Watching him evolve as a cornerback has been interesting as he's tried to grow into the role under defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.

Strengths

Punt returning is what Reid is best at. As a junior, Reid was 19th in the nation and third in the ACC with a 11.24 yards-per-return average and he took one punt into the end zone. He's shifty, has great start and stop acceleration and his vision on the field is tremendous. The kid gets going in a hurry and is a big problem when it comes to the punt-return game.

Returns are not the only area where Reid shows his strength. He's become a quality addition to the Seminoles' defensive backfield. Even at his size—just 5'8" and a "reported" 186 pounds—he is an aggressive tackler and is not afraid to stick his nose into the fray.

Weaknesses

In a defensive backfield with guys like Xavier Rhodes and LaMarcus Joyner, Reid is a bit of a weak link in coverage at times. He is still trying to figure out how he fits into the zone defense and at times his aggression gets the better of him as he takes gambles. Unlike the bigger, more physical Rhodes, Reid can be beaten by bigger, stronger receivers. Given his size, there is not much the smaller Reid can do for that problem.

2012 Predictions

Entering his fourth year under defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, things should be better for Reid on the defensive side of the ball. Four years of learning the zone-heavy scheme. Four years of working within the concepts of the defense to understand his role. Four years of evolving with his teammates to maximize all of his strengths.

Although I doubt the senior cornerback will make the All-ACC team at the position—David Amerson, LaMarcus Joyner, Kyle Fuller and Merril Noel look to hold those spots down—he does have a great shot of getting into the mix as a specialist.

Sammy Watkins is gunning for the first-team spot this year, but with a solid showing, Reid, who was honorable mention a year ago, has a shot at claiming one of the spots.