2011 College Football Recruiting: Top Prospects who Bypassed Power Programs

When it comes to college football recruiting, some prospects are drawn to the big programs while others take the road less traveled.

Guys like Herschel Sims, Lawrence Taylor and Kasen Williams, all top ranked recruits, could have gone to any school in the country.

Instead, they stuck to their guns and went where they felt most comfortable, where (pardon the phrase) their hearts were. 

So who joins these three as the top recruits to bypass powerhouse programs for smaller schools?

10. Darrian Miller, OT, Kentucky

Darrian Miller is the type of prospect that you won't hear about from most scouts. Rivals has him as an unranked, non-photographed prospect.

Scout on the other hand sees what we at B/R see. Miller has very quick feet, long arms, is agile, and has a very low stance. That makes him an intriguing prospect ranked as the No. 13 at his position. 

Miller could have had the chance to sign up with Alabama and Tennessee to instead make his way over to Kentucky. 

9. Devonta Burns, S, Texas A&M

Devonta Burns, the 4-star safety ranked in the top 25 at his position on both Scout and Rivals may be on the raw side, but he's probably the best in the class when it comes to blitzing from the secondary.

There aren't many prospects his size who will play with the type of reckless abandonment Burns will. 

Texas A&M is a good school, but Burns passed up offers from Iowa and Oklahoma among others in favor of the Aggies. 

8. Spencer Drango, OT, Baylor

Spencer Drango is an underrated offensive tackle who at 6'6" and 270 lbs is the ideal size for the position and is a really athletic big man with a quick pair of feet. 

He's ranked as the No. 22 offensive tackle on Scout and the No. 25 offensive tackle on Rivals. 

Drago is the top prospect from Baylor's 2011 recruiting class, in fact he's the only 4-star recruit on the books for the Bears. He had offers from UCLA, Cal and Stanford

7. Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington State

One of the top prospects from the state of Washington, Sankey is a speedster who gets to the edge and turns the sideline into a 100-meter dash.

Sankey also has some pretty impressive cut-back skills and has shown the ability to break some tackles as well.

He's a bit of an exception on the list because he didn't bypass any major offers, but that's because he committed to Washington State last December. There was serious interest from Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon; of course that died with his decision to go with the Cougars. 

6. Jon Davis, TE, Kentucky

5. Kenny Williams, RB, Texas Tech

Williams is one of the better upside running backs of the 2011 class because every time he plays he just looks bigger, faster, and stronger. He's got a great natural build and could develop into an elite power back down the line. 

He's at his best rushing between the tackles and really knows to keep pumping his legs all the way to the ground; elite motor. Give him time to get a little faster and more agile and Williams has a very bright future. 

Top 15 at his position and one of the best prospects from the state of Texas, WIlliams flew under the radar up to his commitment to the Red Raiders

4. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

Seferian-Jenkins presents a near-ideal target to throw to at 6'7" and 245 lbs. Because of his size, strength, and athleticism, he is almost always open and rarely has to beat out his defender for the ball.

His route-running is polished and he does a great job of getting off the line of scrimmage fast, generally embarrassing anyone who tries to jam him.

A native of Washington, it's no surprise he ended up at UW, but you have to remember that Seferian-Jenkins was really, really close to going to Texas. 

3. Kasen Williams, WR, Washington

Williams is a big, strong receiver who runs very good routes and creates great separation down-field by overpowering and out-maneuvering defenders.

He's also so strong at the line of scrimmage that its nearly impossible to jam him; when it's attempted he usually makes the defender pay big-time.

Like Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Williams is a native of Washington and stuck with the Huskies, but plenty of big-time recruits from the state have left over the years. Williams chose Washington from a final five that included Notre Dame, Florida, LSU, and Cal. 

2. Herschel Sims, RB, Oklahoma State

Sims is the definition of a home run hitter and is one of the most exciting players to watch in the country. It seems like he only plays better the bigger the stage is and gains momentum throughout a game rather than wearing down like some backs.

He's on the small side at a generous listing of 5'9" and 190 lbs, but when you're drawing comparisons to LaDainian Tomlinson that isn't something to be too worried about.

Sims, ranked as a top five running back in the class, had offers from Oklahoma and USC, as well a lot of interest from Texas, Nebraska, Georgia, and Miami, but opted for Oklahoma State

1. Lawrence Thomas, MLB, Michigan State

At 6'3" and 236 lbs, Thomas presents a unique prospect with the size and speed to play a variety of positions. He can play defensive end, linebacker, safety, and even receiver.

He's projected as a defender on the next level mostly because it would be a shame to let his ball hawking and punishing tacking go to waste.

Thomas had offers from everyone and that's not an exaggeration. He couldn't gone to any school in the country, but chose to stay loyal to the Spartans he grew up supporting.