2010 College Football: Top 10 Locks for the Freshman All-American Team

The 2010 college football season is just around the corner and the anticipation from this end couldn't be much higher. We're all in for a wild ride these next few month and as always, there's a way to throw in a little recruiting talk.

Well sort of. 

While almost all of the recruiting focus has been on the 2011 class, it isn't quite time to move on from this year's very talented group of recruits, especially as they embark on their freshman seasons and try to live up to the hype or prove the doubters wrong. 

So who among them will emerge as Freshman All-American? There's bound to be a few diamonds in the rough that emerge from nowhere to take the game by storm, but we'll focus on the most plausible in this exercise. 

Here are the top 10 locks for the Freshman All-American Team. 

10. Robert Crisp, OT, NC State

Crisp is a very athletic lineman who can play either tackle position and could even slide over to guard if needed to. It remains to be seen exactly how he's going to be used, but one thing is for certain.

Forget redshirting this kid, NC State needs help on the offensive line immediately. They can't afford to sit out a five-star talent like Crisp.

Right now he's got what it takes to be part of a two-deep rotation at any school in the country, but in competition against mediocre talent like they have at NC State that's simply a given. He'll play a lot, you can bet on that.

It would be surprising if he wasn't leading the group this time next year.

9. Jordan Hicks, OLB, Texas

Hicks is the definition of a sideline-to-sideline player. He covers ground in a heartbeat, changes direction on a dime, has great instincts hunting down ball carriers, and might be the best pass-rushing linebacker of the 2010 recruiting class.

Now that Sergio Kindle is gone, the Longhorns will be looking for new playmakers at outside linebacker and Hicks definitely meets the criteria.

He won't earn a starting job as a freshman considering how competitive the Longhorns rotation will be, but he'll become a special teams demon and make his way on the field in obvious passing downs.

That might be a somewhat limiting role, but when you're as talented as this young man that should be enough to make an impact. 

8. Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

Floyd is very athletic for his size and moves around the field like a linebacker at times. He's an animal in pursuit and does a great job chasing down the ball with a relentless motor.

He needs to develop more pass-rushing moves rather than relying on simply overpowering offensive lineman, but the basics are there and it just has to be about finding consistency now. 

Like fellow freshman Gators Ronald Powell and Dominique Easley, Floyd enters a good situation at Florida where playing time shouldn't be too hard to come by.

Expect either Floyd or Easley to be starting at defensive tackle sometime this season. 

7. Michael Dyer, RB, Auburn

Dyer is a big and physical running back with soft hands and a great understanding of the passing game. He can contribute in a number of ways and will see a bigger role in the offense than some would expect. 

He and Marcus Lattimore are pretty much neck and neck in the race to be the best running back of the 2010 class and it really could go either way. 

Now that Ben Tate is gone, Auburn will be searching for their next stud running back.

Michael Dyer is it. He's third on the depth chart right now, but that could very well be a temporary situation. Dyer is talented enough to overtake the names ahead of him. 

6. Jeff Luc, MLB, FSU

Luc has the body-type of an NFL linebacker or a professional body builder. This kid is about as physically imposing as they come and plays with an intensity level to match. He hits like a freight train, and drives opponents into the ground with incredible force.

There isn't a player in the country who has better technique and form tackling. He gets low, wraps up, and finishes plays every time; if Luc gets his hands on you, the play is likely over. 

He's an ideal middle linebacker candidate and at 6'0", 249 lbs he's definitely got the size to step in as a freshman and start.

Right now he's the top reserve to senior linebacker Kendall Smith, but if Smith struggles that situation will be quickly reversed. 

5. Ronald Powell, DE, Florida

Rivals No. 1 prospect of the 2010 class, Powell has an ideal combination of speed, strength, and athleticism. He gets to the quarterback in a hurry, is very difficult to block, and has superb natural instincts.

He's one of the best natural pass-rushers you'll ever see coming from the high school level and has the chance to make a major impact as a freshman.

Florida needs help along the defensive line and of their strong draft class, he's the most likely to hit the field running.

He'll have to fit for a starting spot, but it's really not out of the question as a possibility by the end of the season. 

4. Kyle Prater, WR, USC

Prater is a big and physical receiver with incredible hands. He rarely drops a ball and has a real knack for snagging passes when they're high, before cornerbacks can react.

USC is in need of playmakers to get the program back on track and Prater is the best of a strong bunch of incoming offensive players.

He'll be a huge part of their offense and it wouldn't be surprising to see him secure one of the starting receiver spots by the midway point of the season.

Nothing against Ronald Johnson and Co., but they just don't have the talent that guys like Prater and Robert Woods do. 

3. Keenan Allen, S, Cal

Allen is one of the top prospects in the country, period.

He would have made a huge impact no matter where he ended up playing, but at as school like Cal that is desperate for help in the secondary, Allen will immediately become a go-to guy.

He has the athleticism and hands of a receiver and tackles like a linebacker. Some project him as a cornerback, but he's an ideal candidate to play safety.

He's on a crash course for the NFL. He's a lock to be a Freshman All-American and will soon be considered among the elite safeties of the college game. 

2. Seantrel Henderson, OT, Miami

Henderson is teenage man-child who looks like a college player turning pro more than an incoming high schooler.

He possess all the intangibles of the ideal left tackle and it's obvious why many consider him to be the top overall prospect from the 2010 class.

His blocking technique is nearly flawless for someone his age and will only get better with time. It's scary to think how good he'll be in a couple years, but there's no doubt he's ready to play right now. 

The coaches at Miami are trying to bring him along slowly and to this point he hasn't been part of the starting rotation, but it's only a matter of time before his talent wins them over. He's simply too good to be sitting on the bench. 

1. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

Lattimore just has the look of a star running back. He's got the speed, quickness and talent to be one of the nation's top playmaker right out of the gates.

On any given play he's a threat to break loose and go the distance and there's little doubt he's going to take over the Gamecocks' backfield as a freshman.

There are few players who hit the hole with as much power, but also have the vision and patience to wait for the right moment to change gears.

Lattimore will be challenged by Michael Dyer as the class' top back, but unlike Dyer, the situation at South Carolina is perfect for a new talent to come in and instantly be the No. 1 guy.