The 2011 College Football Recruiting All-Star Team
Every recruiting class is filled with standout players, but there are only a chosen few who are the truly elite players at their respective positions.
These are those young men who set themselves apart with their talents and skills as the true superstars in the nation. They are the ones who deserve and receive the most attention, hype, and accolades. And they are the ones that the top tier schools in the country work their hardest to land.
Here is a look at 10 players in the 2011 college football recruiting class, who are the elite players at their positions. All have the chance to be difference makers early on in their collegiate careers.
Top QB : Braxton Miller (Wayne HS, Ohio)
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Braxton Miller, the nation’s top dual threat quarterback, has been hearing the Terrelle Pryor comparisons for some time now. When he made his commitment to come play for the Buckeyes, the young Ohio native knew that the comparisons were only going to grow louder.
Miller has the size, 6‘3", 200 lb. coupled with the running ability and arm to be a true star at the collegiate level.
He has been the starter for Wayne since his freshman season. His total numbers through his first three seasons have been solid. Miller has completed 225 passes out of 405 attempts for 2,628 yards and 22 TDs. He has also carried the ball 246 times for 938 yards and 28 TDs.
That type of versatility should benefit him when he enters the Ohio State offense next season. He still has some work to do as a passer, but his raw athleticism gives him the edge that not many other prospects can match.
Top RB: Isaiah Crowell (Carver HS, Georgia)
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Crowell enters his final high school season in the best condition of his life. After packing on 10 pounds of muscle this off-season, the 6‘1", 210 lb., runner has the ability to be a workhorse for his Carver team.
Over the course of his career, Isaiah has shown that he has the three traits you really desire in a running back—size, speed, and vision. He also has tremendous cutting ability, and he packs a lot of power when he runs.
Crowell rushed for 1,907 yards and 22 TDs as a junior, and is now looking to surpass that total this year.
He has received a massive amount of offers but he is reportedly said to have narrowed his choices down to Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Miami, Auburn, and Florida State. Crowell says the chance to play early will be a big factor in his decision.
Top WR: George Farmer (Junipero Serra HS, California)
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Farmer is the former teammate of current USC starting freshman wide receiver Robert Woods, who was a top recruit coming out of Serra last year. The two show a strong resemblance to each other. Both are 6‘2", and both have shown a knack for making big plays during their high school careers.
Farmer’s dad, George Sr., played in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, and some of that skill and athleticism has definitely found its way through the bloodlines. The younger George totaled 41 catches for 891 yards and 12 TDs as a junior, and helped carry his Serra squad to a 15-0 state championship season.
Farmer’s speed is his main asset. He reportedly clocked a blazing time in the 10.4 range in the 100-meter dash at a state track meet earlier this year.
It’s that type of gamebreaking speed that has got the attention of all the big schools around the country. Farmer has offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida, Miami, Oregon, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, and USC.
He's said to be favoring the Trojans, but Farmer has yet to make a decisive commitment at this point.
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Top TE: Jay Rome (Valdosta HS, Georgia)
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There may be no other tight end in this year’s class that possess the elite athleticism of Valdosta’s Jay Rome. The 6‘6" 240 lb., high school senior has extremely impressive agility and speed for his massive size.
He gets a lot of that athletic ability from his father Stan Rome, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1979-1982.
The Georgia product is ranked as the No. 3 tight end in the class by Rivals, and the No. 1 overall tight end by Scout.
When evaluators look him over, they see a kid with the potential to develop into an elite threat in the passing game at the next level.
He’ll have to get stronger as a blocker, but right now Jay Rome certainly passes the eyeball test. He should continually develop into a complete tight end throughout his college career.
Rome is said to be choosing between Alabama and Georgia, but he also holds offers from the likes of Michigan, USC, Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, and Clemson.
Top OL: La'el Collins (Redemptorist HS, Louisiana)
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At 6‘5" 300 lb., the LSU-bound La’el Collins already has the size and the strength to play at the college level. But alas, he’ll have to wait one more year before showing it off for the Tigers.
Collins has impressed nearly everyone who’s watched him play with his nimble feet, and shocking athleticism for a kid of his stature.
The left tackle has never let up a sack since taking over the starting position as a sophomore. Redemptorist coaches also love running behind the big lineman because he overwhelms smaller defenders at the point of attack.
La’el has been named an All-State player the last two years, and he is now looking to help his team capture a state championship before he moves on to the next level.
He is a hard worker, who has sound technique. Collins should continue to get better and he has a real shot to see some early playing time for an LSU team that will lose left tackle Joseph Barksdale after this season.
Top DL: Jadeveon Clowney (South Pointe HS, South Carolina)
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Jadeveon Clowney enters the season as the premier name in the 2011 recruiting class. He is rated as the top player in the class by nearly every major college scouting service, and he has already had his talents broadcast on ESPN this season.
The massive hype will be hard to live up to, but if anyone can back it up—it’s Clowney.
He has a rare combination of size (6‘6", 240 lb.) and speed, and Clowney can at times just be too much to handle for high school offensive linemen. He has an explosive burst, and he gets up the field in a flash.
Jadeveon’s dominating play has been one of the key factors in his South Pointe team’s success over the last few seasons. The team has been to back-to-back state finals. They won it all in his sophomore season, but came up short last year.
Clowney averaged a nearly two sacks per game pace as a junior, and now wants to best that in his final season.
It’s easy to see why many people think so highly of this young man, but the question still remains—where will he take his talents to next?
Clowney has a laundry list of offers, but it’s widely known that his two favorite schools are Alabama and South Carolina. It should be interesting to see what his decision will ultimately be.
Top LB: Tony Steward (Pedro Menendez HS, Florida)
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Judging from that picture, you can tell why so many people are intrigued by Menendez’s Tony Steward. The senior linebacker is a true physical marvel, who is mature and gifted beyond his years.
The 6‘1" 225-pounder has super strength and plays with a mean streak that can intimidate even the most strong willed of opponents.
Steward finished his 2009 season with 121 total tackles, on his way to earning first team all state honors.
He is a true linebacking sensation that has opened the eyes of people around the state of Florida and scouts around the nation.
Steward is rated as the top linebacker prospect by both Scout and Rivals, and he will have his pick of any college of his choice.
His favorites include Florida State, Alabama, and Clemson, but he has already hinted that he wouldn’t mind suiting up for the Seminoles, the team he grew up rooting for.
Top CB: De'Anthony Thomas (Crenshaw HS, California)
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It’s hard to knock USC commitment De’Anthony Thomas. The highly-touted prospect out of Crenshaw, California, seemingly has everything you’d want in a high school football recruit. He’s got speed to burn, and he’s demonstrated his awareness for the game by dominating on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball during his career.
There are some people that feel Thomas may be just a bit too small to be a truly elite caliber prospect. He’s either 5‘10" or 5‘11" depending on who you want to believe, and he’s listed at 185 pounds, but that may be a bit generous.
Yes it’s true De’Anthony won’t beat you with his overwhelming size, but so far, he’s found a way to get the job done by relying on his other gifts and assets.
Thomas has track speed, which he showed off last year by rushing for 900 yards and 12 TDs for a Crenshaw team that finished 14-1 and won the LA City Section Championship.
We’ll have to wait and see if his USC commitment holds up since it came before all the sanctions were imposed. Thomas also holds offers from Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, UCLA, and Washington.
Top S: Hasean Clinton-Dix (Dr. Phillips HS, Florida)
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There’s a strong chance that the Alabama Crimson Tide will lose all-star safety Mark Barron to the NFL after this season, but head coach Nick Saban may have already found his replacement.
Saban has received a strong commitment from HaSean Clinton-Dix, the consensus top safety prospect in America out of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida.
As a junior, Clinton-Dix, or as he’s more affectionately known by teammates, friends, and family—simply “Haha”—earned third team all-state honors after totaling 93 tackles and three interceptions.
He has shown that he has special-type potential. HaSean is a big hitter, who can cover ground and run with any receiver that he goes up against. He also has demonstrated some solid ball skills. All of which should help make him a candidate for early playing time in Nick Saban’s defense.
Top Athlete: James Wilder Jr. (Plant HS, Florida)
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When James Wilder gave his verbal commitment to the Florida State Seminoles back in mid-August, new head coach Jimbo Fisher and his coaching staff knew they had just won a mighty big recruiting prize.
The 6‘2" 215 lb., Wilder, the top prospect in the state of Florida, looks and plays like a man even though he’s just high school senior. He is powerful, strong, and explosive, and can be a dominating force at times.
The only question that remains is which side of the ball is he going to end up on in college?
Wilder has expressed his desire to play running back, a position which his father played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1980s, even though most see him as a linebacker or possibly even a defensive end.
Wilder currently plays both running back and linebacker for Plant High School in Tampa, Florida. In his first season at the position, Wilder rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 15 TDs for a Plant team that finished undefeated and won the Florida 5A state championship.
Wherever he ends up, James is sure to make a difference.
He’s still a little rough around the edges, and his fundamentals need some work, but from just a pure physical standpoint, there aren’t many players in the country that measure up to James Wilder. He has an NFL body already at this stage, now all he has to do is grow into it and become the star that his potential warrants.
Honorable Mention: RB Malcolm Brown
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Some have thrown the name Adrian Peterson as a comparison for Steele High School running back Malcolm Brown. The 6'1" 220 lb. running back out of Texas rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 33 TDs as a junior.
He is committed to Texas.
Honorable Mention: S Karlos Williams
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Ridge High School's big 6'1 safety is yet another big in state commitment for Jimbo Fisher and Florida State.
Karlos Williams is one of the best safeties in America, and he could be one of the players who helps the Seminoles transform their defense into a dominating unit once again.
Honorable Mention: QB Jeff Driskel
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Jeff Driskel looks like the prefect quarterback prospect for Urban Meyer's spread offense. The 6'4 senior threw for over 1,500 yards and 12 TDs and rushed for 6 TDs last year.
He's the best quarterback the state of Florida has to offer and he could be John Brantley's future replacement.
Honorable Mention: OL Christian Westerman
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The Texas commit tips the scale at 290 pounds. Christian Westerman is skilled in both facets of line play and offers the Longhorns another top notch lineman capable of starting for four years.
Westerman is the best lineman in the state of Arizona and he's one of the most talented players in the country.
Honorable Mention: LB Brent Calloway
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Nick Saban will have fun with Brent Calloway out of Russellville, Alabama. The 6'1 215 lb. linebacker finished with over 100 tackles and 22 sacks last year.
He is one of the most athletic players in the country.
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