2012 College Football Recruiting: The Top 10 Early Commitments

There's a long way to go till most of the college football world even pays their first piece of attention to the 2012 recruiting class, but the scouts and coaches at schools around the country are already hard at work sending out feelers and offers to some of the nation's most promising prospects. 

A few gems have already verbally committed, some of them among the top prospects of the 2012 class and others who are flying under the radar at the moment. 

So which schools have gotten the early start recruiting the new kids on the block?

Here are the top 10 commitments from the 2012 class. 

10. Matt Hadley, ATH, BYU

Matt Hadley follows in his older brother Spencer's footsteps with his commitment to BYU. Spencer played one season for the Cougars back in 2008 before leaving for a mission. 

The younger Hadley, who stands at 5'11" and 190 lbs was the State of Washington's 1A Player of the Year as a sophomore, while playing primarily at running back and safety. 

He rushed for 1,863 yards with 23 touchdowns with 368 yards receiving and another three touchdowns.

Hadley also spent some time returning kickoffs and punts and finished his sophomore year with 32 total touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams. 

9. Skyler Mornhinweg, QB, Stanford

Skyler Mornhinweg is Stanford's first commitment of the 2012 class and the quarterback looks like he'll be right at home with the Cardinal. 

In his freshman year, Mornhinweg played at free safety, but started at quarterback as well his sophomore year, throwing for 1,543 yards with 18 touchdowns. 

He also showed off his mobility with 362 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

On the defensive side of the ball, Mornhinweg recorded an interception, a fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown. 

8. Josh Perry, LB, Ohio State

Ohio State doesn't generally extend offers to high school players who have yet to play a down of football their junior seasons, but in the case of linebacker Josh Perry an exception has to be made. 

He got his offer in July after an impressive two-day camp performance at Ohio State where where he wowed the coaching staff with off the charts athleticism. 

Perry isn't just a football player though, he's one of the top students at Olentangy high school and claims to take his academics just as seriously as football. 

He seems like coach Jim Tressel's type of guy. 

7. Jordan Payton, WR, USC

The 6'2" and 190-pound junior set a school record for touchdowns and yards in 2009 with 1,088 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. 

The California native had offers from LSU, Washington, and Arizona State, but couldn't pass up the chance to play for his favorite team. 

Payton has big-play potential and has the chance to become a dominant receiver at the next level. He's a huge target with long arms and the strength to ward off smaller defenders.

This one could turn out to be a stellar grab for the Trojans. 

6. Dennis Smith, RB, Texas A&M

Texas A&M got the early start on the 2012 recruiting scene and look ready to fight hard for the state's top prospects. That approach has already landed them a promising running back in Dennis Smith.

Smith is your classic, between-the-tackles power back that will punish defenders and hit his holes hard every play, picking up steam throughout the game. 

At 6'1" and 190 lbs, he's bulking up quickly and is turning into a bruiser with great tackle breaking ability. He rushed for over 1,800 yards as a sophomore and should be even better in 2010. 

He's not just a locomotive though; Smith has jets and great field vision to make plays on the outside and in the open field. 

5. P.J. Williams, DB, FSU

Jimbo Fisher is putting together one of the top 2011 recruiting classes in the country, but that hasn't stopped him and his staff from moving on to the next batch of Florida's star players. 

Ocala-Vanguard safety P.J. Williams was offered after FSU's summer camp, where he was the clear top performer on the defensive side of the ball. 

He's got elite skills as a ball-hawk and while he's 6'1" and 170 lbs, he hits a lot harder than his size would suggest. 

Williams registered 83 tackles—eight for a loss—and an interception in 2009, good enough for Third Team All-State for 3A classification. 

4. Michael Rose, LB, Nebraska

Nebraska picked up a linebacker that could develop into a serous force at the next level when they got a commitment from Michael Rose of Kansas City. 

Rose should be one of the top Midlands prospects from the 2012 class. He was the top prospect at NU's summer camp and comes off a solid sophomore season.

He recorded 95 tackles, two sacks, an interception, and recovered two fumbles. 

Those numbers, combined with his performance this summer, were the main reasons Nebraska made such a quick offer to Rose. 

3. Latroy Pittman, WR, Florida

Florida's Latroy Pittman has already received rave reviews and should be one of the top prospects of the 2012 recruiting class once the rankings come out. 

At 6'1" and 191 lbs, he's a very versatile athlete who has the potential to be a physical wide receiver or a hard-hitting strong safety at the next level. 

He wants to be a receiver and has the size and speed to be a success, but he needs to work on his hands and concentration if he's going to have a future at the position. 

With 612 yards and two receiving touchdowns while starting both ways as a sophomore, Pittman is in line for a breakout year in 2010.  

2. Arik Armstead, OL, USC

Arik Armstead is one of the top offensive tackles of the 2012 recruiting class and will be joining his older brother Armond with the Trojans.

Arik is a two-sport athlete who plans on playing both basketball and football in college. The 6'7" and 265-pound prospect attended a football camp at UCLA in June and then headed to USC the next day for the Trojans' basketball camp. 

Armstead is a very athletic big man with great feet and a long pair of powerful arms; he's a near-ideal left tackle prospect.

The problem is he's also one of the best basketball players in California and might lean that way down the line. 

1. Eddie Williams, DB, Alabama

Eddie Williams, one of the high-profile transfer players to watch in 2010, becomes the first commitment of Alabama's 2012 recruiting class. 

He's one of the most versatile football players in the country, playing cornerback, safety, wide receiver, running back, and some quarterback and linebacker. 

It looks like his future is brightest on the defensive side of the ball, where the 6'4" and 200-pound prospect has elite size and speed for the free safety position. 

Williams might be the most athletic prospect in the 2012 class and will be one of the first players in the country to receive a 5-star grade.