College Football Recruiting 2012: Ranking the Top 25 Prospects

As we've had more time to evaluate the 2012 class, it's time to start doing some rankings. We're a long way away, and you can bet we'll have a different opinion in six months, but that's simply the nature of the game. 

One thing is for certain though, there are some great prospects out there. Most recruiting fans are already familiar with a few of them, namely Barry Sanders Jr., if only because of his name. 

But believe it or not he isn't alone out there. In fact, there are a couple of running backs we rate higher.

Here's the first installment of the top 25 prospects for 2012. 

Honorable Mention: Chris Black, WR

Black is the type of prospect that the country will become very familiar with in a couple of years. He's a gamer who wills his way to victory and can be a rare bread of difference-maker. 

A tough kid who will put his body on the line in traffic and hold on to the ball after contact, Black has great body control and concentration. He'll outleap practically anyone when the ball is in the air.

Honorable Mention: Eddie Williams, S

Eddie Williams is 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", 200-lb prospect has elite size and speed for the free safety position.

25. Freddie Tagaloa, OT

Unfortunately, Tagaloa isn't strictly a football player. He's just as highly regarded as a basketball player, and many feel his future looks equally bright in either sport. 

What's most impressive about his game, besides his massive frame (6'8", 300 lbs), is his ability to get downfield with players half his size and make blocks in the second, third, and even fourth levels. He's been heavily recruited by Pac-10 schools.

24. James Ross, MLB

James Ross, one of the top prospects from the state of Michigan, really stood out at Ohio State's summer camp and has garnered a lot of interest as a result. 

Ross is a tackling machine and playmaker who recorded 103 tackles, five sacks, five forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and an interception in 2009, his first season playing high school football.

23. Se'Von Pittman, DE

Se'Von Pittman is one of the top athletes from the 2012 class and a defender who has the makings of a household name one day. 

At 6'4" and 226 lbs, he runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and is relentless in pursuit. He's got the chance to be an elite pass-rusher and will draw a ton of interest as he develops his game, which is still pretty raw.

22. Vincent Valentine, DT

Valentine is the top prospect from Illinois and is one of the rare nose tackle prospects out there. At 6'4" and 298 lbs, he's got a great frame and elite size for a defensive tackle. 

He can play the nose in a 3-4 or defensive tackle in a 4-3—it doesn't matter. Valentine will be a success regardless of where you line him up.

21. Omari Phillips, OT

You wouldn't think so by looking at him, but Omari Phillips is 6'7" and 270 lbs. He's a lean and athletic big man with a great frame to build off of. 

The Venice, Fla., native is super athletic for his size and plays both left tackle and defensive tackle in high school. It wouldn't be surprising to see him make the switch to defensive end, though his skill-set on the offensive line is very intriguing.

20. LaDarrell McNeil, S

The 6'3" and 190-lb safety is turning heads in Texas, and it won't be long before the whole country becomes very familiar with this hard-hitting prospect. 

McNeil is a classic head-hunter who's not just looking to lay out an opponent—he's looking to bury someone and force a turnover any chance he gets. What's amazing is how disciplined he is as well.

19. Bart Houston, QB

Houston led De La Salle to an 11-0 record with 1,257 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions as a sophomore, being named to California's Super Sophomore team. 

He's one of the top pro-style quarterbacks in the 2012 class and follows in a long line of blue-chip passers on the Left Coast.

18. Byron Marshall, RB

Marshall is a player you'll want to remember, because this California running back is a scary-good prospect, voted as the state's 2009 Sophomore of the Year. 

He runs a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and is incredibly strong for his size. At 5'10" and 195 lbs, he can play smash-mouth football or bounce it outside and hit the jets. He is one of the most unique prospects in the class.

17. Jordan Diamond, OT

Jordan Diamond is a "get off the bus first"-type player who has the chance to be the top offensive tackle in the 2012 class. 

At 6'7" and 270 lbs, he has ideal size for the left tackle spot and has drawn a ton of attention. It's a rare thing to find a big man who can move as swiftly as Diamond can.

16. Cayleb Jones, WR

Some scouts are already calling Cayleb Jones the best wide receiver in the 2012 class, and while that might be a bit premature, there's a decent argument behind this stance. 

The wide receiver and cornerback is a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball and has some of the best playmaking skills of any wideout in the nation.

15. Avery Johnson, WR

Perhaps the next great wide receiver at LSU, Avery Johnson is only a junior in high school, but some are already pointing toward him as the future of the Tigers' offense. 

At 6'2" and 185 lbs, he's a big target that knows how to get behind the defense, but he will go down the middle and make the tough catches as well.

14. Jameis Winston, QB

Winston is one of the most athletic prospects from the 2012 class and will likely emerge as the the top dual-threat passer. 

The 6'3", 180-lb recruit has already received offers from Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Miami after throwing for over 700 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

13. Dante Fowler, DE

At 6'3" and 220 lbs, Dante Fowler is one of the premiere defensive ends of the 2012 class and has already collected 20 offers. But right now, he is focused on two SEC schools.

Those are Florida and Georgia, in case you were wondering. Both have shown a ton of interest since early in his sophomore season, and, based on the way Fowler is able to get to the quarterback, it's no wonder.

12. Quay Evans, DT

Evans is a tremendous athlete for 6'3" and 300 lbs. He's got arguably the best first step in the 2012 class and really knows how to explode into an opponent. 

Right now, he plays off of his natural ability, and that's been fine at the high school level. But his technique is raw and he needs to polish his pass-rushing skills to make an impact at the next level.

11. Zach Banner, OT

Banner is a gigantic offensive tackle prospect at 6'9" and 295 lbs. He's very lean for his size and has a solid pair of feet under his massive frame. 

One of the most heavily sought-after recruits of the class, Banner is up to 21 offers and counting. He should be one of the most coveted prospects at the position.

10. Barry Sanders Jr., RB

Barry Sanders Jr. might be the son of the legendary running back who's arguably the best of all time. But that isn't why he's one of the top backs of the 2012 class.

Sanders has great balance, vision, and change-of-direction ability. Simply put, he's his father's son. It will not be long before every college football recruiting fan in the country becomes very familiar with his name.

9. Eddie Goldman, DT

At 6'3" and 290 lbs, Goldman is a big guy who is only getting bigger. By the time he fills out, Goldman could be somewhere in the 310-330-lb range, and that makes him a prime candidate for the nose. 

Not many prospects his age are able to handle the double-team so routinely, but Goldman doesn't appear to struggle with these duties at all. A workout warrior, Goldman is a specimen and the type of defensive tackle that coaches drool over.

8. Johnathan Gray, RB

Gray can hit full speed almost immediately and is explosive off the line of scrimmage. He may only be 5'11" and 190 lbs, but he will hit the hole as hard as anyone and runs really well between the tackles. 

A patient runner with great vision, Gray will take it up the middle or cut it outside depending on the situation. And he has the elite speed to go the distance any play.

7. Andrus Peat, OT

The 6'6" and 280-pound lineman has been described as the top offensive tackle in the West. The Arizona prospect has NFL bloodlines and, scarily enough, doesn't even look close to reaching his full size. 

Peat is projected as a left tackle, but he's got the versatility to play on either side of the line. Based on the way he blocks, a switch to guard isn't out of the question either.

6. Kwon Alexander, OLB

Since Alexander comes first alphabetically among the 5-star recruits, we'll start with him (Scout did not rank players beyond star ratings).

At 6'2" and 200 lbs, Alexander has the speed and athleticism to switch from outside linebacker to safety at the next level. 

He plays a physical style with high energy and a great motor. There might not be a prospect from the 2012 class who's better in pursuit.

5. Mario Edwards, DE

At 6'3" and 240 lbs, Edwards is one of the most athletic big men in the 2012 class. He's really come into his own this season and seems to be getting better every single game.

A physical player with great skills at the point of attack, Edwards doesn't have much trouble with offensive lineman at the high school level and is absolutely dominant against the run.

4. Keith Marshall, RB

Marshall has been described as the type of back who could play in any offensive system and succeed. Scout calls him the total package at running back. 

He's got off-the-charts field vision and that sixth gear that makes him a very dangerous home run hitter. There are some players who make it look so easy out there, and he's one of them. 

3. Rushel Shell, RB

The Pennsylvania running back has more hype surrounding him than any prospect from the state since quarterback Terrelle Pryor. 

There's a ton of pressure on him to be the best, and so far, he hasn't disappointed. He's drawn comparisons to Tony Dorsett, and based on what he's shown so far, they seem wholly deserved.

2. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

An athlete of Green-Beckham's stature is a very rare thing indeed. He might be the best high school athlete to ever come out of Missouri, and there's a good argument to back that up. 

Last season, the 6'5", 200-pound phenom was the hands-down best football player in the state, one of the most dominant basketball players. He also won two state track titles, one for the 100-meter dash and a second for the triple jump.

1. Noah Spence, DE

Defensive end Noah Spence has had a great high school career to this point, registering 40 tackles and 9.5 sacks as a freshman and following it up with a 55-tackle, eight-sack season as a sophomore. 

His high school coach, Jeff Weachter, projects Spence to be in the 6'5" and 270-pound range by the time he hits the college game. And he will challenge LeSean McCoy as the best player in school history.