CFB Recruiting 2013: The Worst-Case Scenario for Each Top 25 Recruit

Good Monday to you all. The college football season is coming up on us very, very quickly and I know all of you just can't wait. Include myself in that group as well as looking forward to more recruiting content all through the fall up to Signing Day.

It's realistic to worry about a player, as we always hope for the best with these prospects but several of them will not achieve their best possible outcomes and maximize their talent. Others may not fit into the scheme well or not qualify academically or just get hurt.

In this piece, I'm going to list the worst case scenario for each top 25 recruits. I'm going to keep it on the field with these scenarios and whether I compare them to a player or role, these are the worst case scenarios for the top 25 recruits of 2013.

25. Ryan Burns, QB

Burns is committed to Stanford, as he's a 6'5", 220-pound QB from Virginia. He's coming to The Farm as perhaps the best signal caller prospect since some guy named Andrew Luck.

I think he has a great chance to start early in his career, however, nothing is certain. The worst case scenario for Burns is that he remains a back up QB for the Cardinal most of his career.

24. Dorian Johnson, OT

From Pennsylvania, Johnson is one of the top OT prospects in this class. He's 6'6", 285 pounds and has a quick grab, good strength and solid athleticism.

He's still committed to Penn State as of right now, so he'll go to Happy Valley and immediately become the most talented OL on the roster. Worst-case scenario for him at Penn State is that he becomes a mediocre starting RT.

23. Shane Morris, QB

Morris is the future face of Michigan football and the headliner of the 2013 class in Ann Arbor.

A 6'3", 190-pound lefty with good charisma, arm strength and athleticism, Morris has a chance to join the ranks of past great QBs that played for Big Blue.

Worst-case scenario for Morris is that he doesn't develop the accuracy and consistency that he needs in his game, which forces him to be nothing more than a game manager at QB. 

22. Eddie Vanderdoes, DT

Vanderdoes has a skill set that I think could work very well in a 30-front. He is 6'4" and just more than 300 pounds with overwhelming play strength.

He isn't a speed pass rusher by any means and could also not be close to tacking on weight. With USC being in the pass-happy Pac-12, worst-case scenario for Vanderdoes is he becomes just a 2-down run-stuffing specialist. 

21. Cameron Burrows, CB

Burrows is from Ohio and the big 6'1", 200-pound CB prospect is committed to Ohio State. With his kind of size, you have to wonder if he will grow into being too big to play CB.

Yet Burrows has the speed, feet, quickness, hips and cover ability to play the position, for now. Worst-case scenario for Burrows is he does get too big and becomes a rotational safety for the Buckeyes. 

20. Matthew Thomas, OLB

Right now, for what it is worth, I think if he had to choose, Thomas would sign with Alabama. He's from Miami, goes in the 6'3", 210-pound range and has a wonderful skill set.

He can play the Will/Sam spot in a 4-3 or the stand up OLB position in a 3-4.

Worst-case scenario for Thomas is that he fails to improve on his misdirection vision and is forced into being just a pass rushing/blitz specialist. 

19. Christian Hackenburg, QB

Hackenburg is staying at Penn State, so State College can breathe just a tad bit easier. One of the elite QB prospects in this year's class, Hackenburg can deliver the rock with the best of them.

He is 6'3", 215 pounds, has good arm strength, rhythm, timing and solid accuracy. He does has a 3/4 delivery and his arm strength may be affected by that.

Worst-case scenario for him at Penn State is he becomes Anthony Morelli. 

18. Darius James, OL

James is a Texas native that is pledged to the Longhorn program. I don't think it's out of the question that the 6'5", 320-pounder can play LT due to his good athletic ability.

However, he needs to work on his pass pro technique, which is essential for success at the LT position. Center is his likely initial position in college, and James shows excellent potential.

The worst-case scenario for James is that he becomes a tweener between OL positions and never develops into a clear-cut starter at one main spot in Austin. 

17. Kendall Fuller, CB

Fuller recently committed to Virginia Tech over Clemson and is the immediate headliner for Frank Beamer's 2013 recruiting class.

Fuller is one of the best overall athletes in the nation, and the 5'11", 185-pounder will play CB for Bud Foster.

The worst-case scenario for him is that he fails to assume the responsibility of being a secondary's No. 1 CB and develops into nothing more than a No. 3/nickel CB.

16. Ty Isaac, RB

Isaac is listed as a RB, but my eyes tell me he has more potential than to be just that. His 6'3", 220-pound frame and skill set remind me of Whitney Lewis coming out of high school and J.R. Redmond at Arizona State.

Isaac really has very good hands, ball skills and can run like a WR. Tack that on to his natural RB instincts and ability, and you get a great potential weapon at USC.

The worst-case scenario for Isaac is that he becomes Whitney Lewis 2.0. 

15. Robert Foster, WR

Foster, a Pennsylvania native, is one of the most explosive players in the country. He's a 6'2", 190-pound WR that can get to the end zone from anywhere on the field.

He takes off at the snap, eat up cushion and can work a defense as a RAC player. He lacks the strength to detach from press coverage by strong DBs, however.

The worst-case scenario for Foster is that he becomes an average, mediocre, No. 3 type of WR.

14. Antonio Conner, S

Conner has been starting at South Panola in Mississippi since he was a ninth grader. Today, he's a superstar and one of the top 15 players in the nation.

A 6'2", 200-pounder with great speed, quick read/react skills vs. the run and open field tackling ability, Conner is a great safety prospect. 

I think he will eventually end up at Ole Miss, where the worst-case scenario for him is that he fails to improve his coverage awareness and has to become an OLB.

13. Montravius Adams, DT

A 6'3" DT that is close to 290 pounds, Adams comes out of Georgia with much pop and circumstance. He's a super quick, gap-penetrating interior DL that plays most of the game in the opposing backfield.

I predict he could easily end up at either Auburn or Clemson. However, other schools are still in the mix, such as Alabama and Georgia among others.

The worst case scenario for him in college is that he develops into nothing more than a back up DT that gets several snaps a game in passing situations. 

12. Su'a Cravens, S

Cravens is committed to USC, where I think he likely will begin his career as a SS. He stands in the 6'1", 205-pound range and is just a natural playmaker.

One of his few weaknesses is his ability to come out of transition in space vs. the pass. This could hamper his coverage ability and force the USC coaches to move him down to the Sam OLB spot, which is the worst-case scenario for him. 

11. Ricky Seals-Jones, WR/TE

Seals-Jones is from Texas and is 6'5", 230 pounds. He plays WR wherever he goes nationally to compete, but on the hoof this guy surely looks like a TE.

He has good speed, great length, and his hands are soft. Seals-Jones can catch in crowds well and high point balls.

Yet he's just going to be too big to play WR. The worst-case scenario for him is that he is the anti-Fred Davis, where he doesn't accept the transition to TE and flames out. 

10. Eli Woodard, CB

Woodard, in my opinion, is close to being complete as a CB. He is 6'0", 185 pounds and has the athletic tools needed to be successful.

Combine Woodard's athletic talent with his incredible instincts and play smarts, and you have a CB that could be ready to play from day one at Ohio State.

The worst-case scenario for Woodard is that he never gets any better because he's as polished as he possibly can be. 

9. Carl Lawson, DE

Lawson could be the best DE in America if only he were a bit taller. However, he's 6'2", 255 pounds, freakishly athletic, strong, quick, fast and competitive.

He's committed to Auburn, where he will fit in very well on the Tigers DL. Lawson does has have trouble shedding blocks at times vs. the run, but I think he will improve at this.

The worst-case scenario for him is that he becomes nothing more than a swing DL on The Plains. 

8. Dee Liner, DT

Another DL committed to Auburn, Liner is a 6'3", 275-pound DT that can burst off the ball and get into an OL unit's business in a hurry. He's also capable of playing DE and could be a bit of a tweener.

The worst-case scenario for Liner is that he constantly flips back and forth from DT to DE and never gets a chance to develop his craft at one main position. This could lead to a lack of production from him. 

7. Max Browne, QB

Browne is a 6'5", 215-pound QB from Seattle that has a quick release, great field vision, solid arm strength, accuracy and good touch. He won't run away from anybody, but he can beat you from the pocket just fine and dandy.

Browne is headed to USC, where he is aiming to be the next great Trojan QB. However, he'll have to contend with Max Wittek and Cody Kessler, to which his worst-case scenario is that he becomes the next Matt Cassel at USC. 

6. Jaylon Smith, OLB

From Indiana, Smith is almost like a 6'3", 225-pound safety due to his awesome cover skills. He's committed to Notre Dame and will add tremendous athleticism to the Irish LB corps.

Though Smith does need to work on his thumping ability and strength vs. the run, I can't foresee him not making any impact in South Bend.

The worst-case scenario for Smith is that he becomes a nickel and dime LB that excels in coverage on passing situations. 

5. Kenny Bigelow, DT

Bigelow is a 6'3", 297-pound DT from Delaware that does his work in Maryland these days. He's a monster in the trenches, thanks to good snap quickness, strength and athleticism.

The dynamic with Bigelow is that he is so talented and good right now that he may be close to being maxed out.

The worst-case scenario for him is that even though he adds a move or two to his pass rushing plan, he leaves USC pretty much the same player he came in as. 

4. Laremy Tunsil, OT

Tunsil is a fantastic athlete for an OL prospect. The Florida native is 6'6", 295-pounder that has natural knee bend, good feet, adjustment ability, loose hips and good length in his arms.

His weakness is his strength, and I think Tunsil has the potential to be a constant block catcher in college. That is not a good thing and could detract him from the road of success.

The worst-case scenario is that Tunsil has to stay on the quick side of the line to mask his lack of strength and ability to deal with powerful DLs. 

3. Vernon Hargreaves, CB

Freshly committed to Florida, Hargreaves will give the Gators a plug and play player a the CB position. The 5'11", 185-pounder is good enough to earn himself some snaps as a true freshman.

He is very, very close to being complete as Hargreaves has amazing instincts, excellent technique, a feel for routes and good play smarts.

The worst-case scenario is that he becomes just a solid, dependable No. 2 corner in Gainesville. 

2. Reuben Foster, LB

Foster is so talented that I struggled with finding a worst-case scenario for him.

He stands nearly 6'2", weighs almost 250 pounds, has very good athleticism, quickness, speed, instincts, vision, strength and more.

Committed to Auburn, the worst-case scenario for Foster is this: He goes to Auburn, never improves as a pass defender and only becomes a 2-down LB that only factors vs. the run. 

1. Robert Nkemdiche, DE

Nkemdiche is committed to Clemson, where he will look to follow in the recent footsteps of Gaines Adams and DaQuan Bowers as great Tiger DEs.

A 6'4", 270-pound beast, Nkemdiche has excellent play strength, size and athleticism. He shows good snap quickness and speed, but as a pass rusher needs to work on using his hands better and setting up blockers.

The worst-case scenario for him at Clemson is that he becomes a mediocre pass rusher that lacks production and only really factors vs. the run. 

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 and 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.