College Football Recruiting 2013: The Top Commitment for Every BCS Top 25 Team
The BCS Standings are out and after Saturday's wild day of events and upsets, there is a lot of movement. The Fighting Irish of the University Notre Dame have returned to glory, as they are now the No. 1 ranked team in the country.
Yet, will they make it to the BCS title game? Should the University of Alabama be ranked ahead of them? All of that is up for debate, and surely will be bantered about for some time.
I'm here to give you the top commitment of each BCS top 25 team. Let's put a recruiting spin on the standings and list each BCS top 25 program's top 2013 commitment thus far. So you can debate about the standings and also about each program's top commitment.
25. Washington
1 of 25Top Commitment: Demorea Stringfellow, WR
The Washington Huskies have a great pledge from the 6'3" Stringfellow. A big and physical WR that easily will be in the 220 pound range at Montlake, Stringfellow has the strength to fight off press coverage and out-muscle CB's for balls.
24. Arizona
2 of 25Top Commitment: Derek Babiash, CB
Rich Rodriguez seems to realize that recruiting California is imperative for his success in Tuscon. Babiash hails from the Golden State and is a long and lean 6'1", 170 pound cornerback. With his athleticism, good feet and solid speed, Babiash could stay at CB or grow into a FS.
23. Kent State
3 of 25Top Commitment: Nathan Strock, QB
Obviously Kent State University is not a recruiting powerhouse. They only have five commitments and none of the prospects are top tier, highly touted recruits. So, for this read, I'll stick with the QB and list 6'4", 190 pound Ohio native Nathan Strock as KSU's top pledge.
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22. Boise State
4 of 25Top Commitment: Andrew Tercek, OC
A 6'3", 285 pound interior OL prospect, Tercek is out of Texas. He's very physical and will likely play the pivot position for Chris Petersen. He's a solid athlete in a phone booth, fights at the point of attack and has solid blocking instincts.
21. Oklahoma State
5 of 25Top Commitment: Fred Ross, WR
The Pokes' first commitment is still their best one. Ross is a Texas native that can do serious damage off the offensive perimeter at 6'0", 180 pounds. He has solid release quickness, is a good athlete and shows pretty good ball skills to make great catches.
20. Louisville
6 of 25Top Commitment: Kyle Bolin, QB
Bolin has been nursing a torn ACL injury he suffered this season, but he's still Charlie Strong's top prospect. Bolin is from Lexington and stands 6'3", weighing close to 200 pounds. He's got a solid stroke from the pocket and has a knack for hitting targets in stride.
19. Michigan
7 of 25Top Commitment: Shane Morris, QB
The University of Michigan has a top five recruiting class and should be one of the most talented teams on paper in a few seasons. Part of why their class is so highly regarded is because of the 6'3", 190 pound southpaw slinging' Morris.
He shows a quick set up, good arm power to the intermediate levels and has great mobility.
18. Rutgers
8 of 25Top Commitment: Nadir Barnwell, ATH
Athletic and quick, Barnwell will be the subject of some debate in Piscataway. He's 5'10", 175 pounds and can play WR, but could be an even better CB. He has excellent short area quickness and a burst that can be utilized on both sides of the ball.
17. UCLA
9 of 25Top Commitment: Deon Hollins, OLB/DE
Hollins is from Texas and is 6'2", 220 pounds. He's a pure pass rusher and bends well on the edges, showing a great conversion of speed to power in his rush and a good burst to finish on the passer. The UCLA Bruins have themselves a good one here.
16. Texas
10 of 25Top Commitment: Darius James, OL
James will be great in Austin early in his career. He's a 6'5", 320 pound big man that can play anywhere on the OL, but it seems center is where he's destined to be. James shows excellent athleticism, knee bend and is also strong at the point of attack.
15. Oregon State
11 of 25Top Commitment: Brandon Arnold, S
Arnold is a California native that can really factor from the back end. The 6'1", 190 pound safety had six interceptions as a junior, showing off his impressive ball skills. He's not afraid to tag a ball carrier and is a good athlete for the secondary.
14. Nebraska
12 of 25Top Commitment: Johnny Stanton, QB
Thanks to his mobility, escapability, strength, size and competitiveness Stanton has drawn rave comparisons to Tim Tebow. He's a 6'2", 221 pound QB from California that has solid passing ability to get the football downfield, but if there's traffic in pocket Stanton can get out of it and use his legs.
13. Oklahoma
13 of 25Top Commitment: Keith Ford, RB
Ford is a 5'11", 200 pound RB from Texas with outstanding vision and instincts. He's a very aware player and has good run strength, which allows him to punch through holes and break arm tackles. His speedy and solid and he'll flash some elusiveness too.
12. South Carolina
14 of 25Top Commitment: Matt Rolin, LB
Big, tough, physical and rugged, Matt Rolin is a good football player from Virginia. He's a future star at LB in Columbia and has good size at 6'4", 215 pounds. Rolin is instinctive and quick to insert himself against the run. He also has great athleticism and ball skills in coverage.
11. Clemson
15 of 25Top Commitment: Dorian O'Daniel, OLB
O'Daniel is a 6'1", 205 pound OLB that can chase like a cheetah. This guy shows tremendous range, speed and the ability to sift through traffic. He can drop off into coverage quickly and could be a three down LB for Dabo Swinney.
10. Florida State
16 of 25Top Commitment: Ryan Green, RB
Green will join the offensive backfield in Tallahassee and provide more speed, speed and even more speed. He's a lightning bolt at 5'11", 185 pounds. One of the best home run hitters in the country, Green is deadly in a straight line and also has good elusiveness in the open field.
9. Texas A&M
17 of 25Top Commitment: Derrick Griffin, WR/TE
I'm inclined to think that Johnny Football will love throwing to the 6'6", 228 pound Griffin. A big and long athletic pass catcher, Griffin can play WR or TE, use his length to expand his strike zone and also excels at catching in crowds. He should be a red-zone terror.
8. Stanford
18 of 25Top Commitment: Ryan Burns, QB
Burns is a 6'5", 220 pound signal caller from Virginia. He has a good stroke from the pocket, sees the field well and throws with good ball placement skills. Burns is also a deceptive athlete who has solid mobility.
7. LSU
19 of 25Top Commitment: Jeryl Brazil, CB
Brazil is a 5'10", 185 pound cover man from Louisiana that can take chances because of his outstanding speed. Recovery quickness/speed is something cornerbacks need and Brazil has it and then some. He can carry a WR all over the field by attaching to him and he'll make a play for the ball if given the chance.
6. Kansas State
20 of 25Top Commitment: LeAndrew Gordon, WR
You look at Gordon and you yawn because of his 5'7", 160 pound frame. He's not big nor impressive on the hoof, but boy can this kid play. Gordon works well out of the slow, thanks to his great release quickness, separation ability and ball skills.
5. Oregon
21 of 25Top Commitment: Thomas Tyner, RB
Tyner could be the fastest player in the country. He rushed for nearly 700 yards and 10 TDs earlier this season in a single game. At 6'0", 218 pounds, he can fly through holes and has an incredible burst that jumps at you on tape.
4. Florida
22 of 25Top Commitment: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB
Hargreaves is a special prospect and the No. 1 CB in the country. He stands at 5'11", 185 pounds and can do just about everything exceptionally well for a corner. He has great technique, instincts, awareness and athleticism. He should be an All-SEC CB for Florida.
3. Georgia
23 of 25Top Commitment: Shaq Wiggins, DB
Wiggins is a 5'10", 170 pound defensive back that can play anywhere in a secondary. He shows very good instincts, excellent quickness and plays bigger than his listed size. Wiggins has loose hips to mirror WR's off the line, attaches well, and plays with some toughness to his game.
2. Alabama
24 of 25Top Commitment: O.J. Howard, TE
The Alabama Crimson Tide's top incoming player is the super athletic 6'5", 225 pound TE O.J. Howard. An athletic marvel, Howard has great ball skills, length, hands and speed. He's also a great leaper and should revolutionize how the TE is used in Alabama's offense.
1. Notre Dame
25 of 25Top Commitment: Jaylon Smith, OLB
Smith is the Golden Domers' top pledge and he's a great prospect. He stands 6'3" and weighs close to 220 pounds while playing the game with amazing athleticism.
Smith excels as a coverage defender against the pass, has great instincts and has some thump as a tackler. He's a future starter and star in South Bend.
Edwin Weathersby is the College Football Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. He 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 (formerly 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.
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