Predicting Positions Top 2014 Athlete Recruits Will Play in College Football

Most of the time, even with the QB prospects, recruits that we cover are the best players on their high school team which usually means they're their team's best athlete. So high school coaches deploy them all over the field because the coach is trying to win football games—not make the recruit look good for college programs.

So although we classify these prospects to their projected college positions, many of them get reps all over the field in high school. So it's not foreign to see a great RB prospect be seen playing LB, while that great pass-rushing DE also catches a few balls as a TE and so forth.

However, some prospects are just so versatile and project to be successful at several different positions thus we can't restrict them to just one position during classification. These are the prospects we deem "athletes" or "ATH" for short.

After the recruiting cycle is over, however, college coaches have to finally pencil in an ATH to a position on their depth chart. For this read, we're going to do that right now for the top ATH prospects in the 2014 class.

Cameron Denson

Denson is from Arizona and is one of the top prospects out west this year. At 6'1", Denson has the length, speed and traits to be a very good WR, as he shows some playmaking ability with the ball.

Yet, Denson also has loose hips, quick feet and cover ability, which is why some believe his best long-term spot may be at CB. He's committed to Arizona, and with Rich Rodriguez being an offensive-minded coach, it could be hard for him to keep him off offense.

Projected Position: CB

Budda Baker

Perhaps the best player from Washington this year, Baker has electric speed, quickness and elusiveness with the ball. He's not overly big at just about 5'10" and 177 pounds, but he shows wiry strength.

An excellent return man, Baker could become a great scatback or slot WR in college to utilize his skills and speed on offense. Yet, he's also a good DB who has great ball skills and range.

Projected Position: S

Speedy Noil

Louisiana is always producing some of the best talent in the country, and Noil is the latest top level prospect from the Bayou. 

New Orleans' finest works as dual-threat QB right now on a 5'11", 176-pound frame. Noil has great play speed, instincts with the ball and is a threat to score whenever he takes off. I can seem him playing DB, but he's a WR at heart.

Projected Position: WR

Elijah Hood

Most of the time, ATHs are smaller and quicker players who play on the perimeter of the field. Every few years we'll get a big ATH like Colt Lyerla; even Ricky Seals-Jones was considered an ATH to some last year.

Hood stands nearly 6'0" and weighs almost 220 pounds. He is a power, downhill RB who I can't really see playing any other position in college as well as he plays at RB. The North Carolina native flashes some wiggle, has good buildup speed and lights up tacklers.

Projected Position: RB

Michiah Quick

One of the reasons California is one of the best hotbeds for recruiting talent is because the state churns out good skill position talent. Quick is from the central part of The Golden State in the Fresno area.

He's a 6'0", 170-pound athletic skill position player who can play WR or DB for a team. Quick has solid long speed, good hands and also has sound cover skills. I believe his heart is at WR.

Projected Position: WR

Nathan Starks

I've been saying that there's more talent in Las Vegas than people think for years, and with Starks hailing from Sin City, he adds to my evidence. The 5'11", 200-pounder is an excellent athlete and can play RB, LB or S for a team.

Starks can run with power as a rock toter while also flashing good hands. He shows quickness to get to ball-carriers vs. the run as a LB, and he has the speed and range needed to play on the back end.

Projected Position: RB

JuJu Smith

From powerhouse Long Beach Poly, Smith always puts his athleticism on display. I love his frame at 6'1" and nearly 200 pounds.

He has great play speed, agility and quickness. Smith also has good range from the safety position and explodes in transition to jump passing lanes for interceptions. He looks like a WR when tracking balls on defense, only because he's a WR at heart.

Projected Position: WR

Bo Scarbrough

Scarbrough is from Tuscaloosa and is already committed to Alabama. He's a 6'2", 222-pounder who can ball as a RB, but he has also gotten a lot of reps as a WR.

While Scarbrough does show the speed and hands to be a big and physical WR, I think his best position is RB. Yet, there's a logjam at the RB position on the Crimson Tide roster, so I wouldn't be shocked if Scarbrough opened up his college career on the offensive flanks.

Projected Position: WR, for now

Jabrill Peppers

Peppers is one of the 10 best pure overall football players in the country this year. He's an exceptional athlete, and I don't think he has any athletic weaknesses or limitations.

At 6'1" and 205 pounds, the New Jersey native could become successful in college as a RB, CB, WR, S or even OLB. I also believe Peppers could be a good kickoff return man too. 

Peppers is great with the ball in his hands but also is very instinctive on defense. This was a tough call.

Projected Position: S

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 and Cleveland Browns.