College Football Recruiting 2011: The Top Commitments Heading Into December

We've just experienced a busier than normal month of college football recruiting with Florida State, Oregon, USC, and Clemson among others receiving huge commitments. 

Of course, December 1st marks a new month of college football recruiting, and with that comes our regular instalment of the top commitments from the month.

Be sure to check out our updated top 25 recruiting classes for 2011, but for those of you looking for some quick info on the top recruiting news from November, here are the biggest names who've recently committed. 

9. Charles Jackson, CB, Nebraska

Jackson needs to bulk up a bit, but he's got the height and long arms that scouts drool over. Not too mention his hip movement and quick feet are really impressive.

He's got a knack for big plays and plays with really strong instincts, but can play overly-aggressive some times and get himself into trouble.

He's another big addition to the Cornhuskers steadily improving 2011 recruiting class and has the potential to be a star at the next level in a system like Nebraska's. 

8. Jordan Prestwood, OT, Florida State

At 6'6" and 265 lbs, Jordan Prestwood has the building blocks of an elite prospect. He's got the size, the wingspan, the footwork and the intelligence to one day develop into a top-tier offensive tackle.

He's on the raw side and will be a bit of a project, but there's no denying that he's a top-10 talent at the offensive tackle position. 

Prestwood was the first of a wave of Notre Dame decommitments, leaving the team in November for Florida State and seemingly opening the floodgates after his departure.

7. Justice Hayes, RB, Michigan

Hayes is a nifty running back who uses his vision, elusiveness and deadly cut-back ability to mask his shortcomings in the speed and size department. At 5'10" and 180 pounds, he's definitely on the small side. But he plays like a bigger player and really excels moving in space.

His best quality is probably the way he's able to avoid tacklers and juke opponents with subtle, slight shifts in movement without wasting time and energy the way other backs do.

Hayes originally committed to Notre Dame in July, but switched his commitment to Michigan in late November.

6. DeAnthony Arnett, WR, Tennessee

Arnett is one of the top receivers in the country, but doesn't receive the same attention as the likes of George Farmer or Kasen Williams. The reality is while they might have more upside, Arnett is ready now and could make a bigger instant impact. 

He's great at creating separation from defenders and runs some of the smoothest and polished routes of any receiver from the 2011 recruiting class. 

He's on the small side at 6' and 175 pounds, but he has great elevation and consistently gets up high to make the catch. His body control and catching ability are really impressive, especially when it comes to making plays in traffic

5. Brandon Shell, OT, South Carolina

One of the top offensive tackles in the country, Brandon Shell is a five-star talent ranked as a borderline top-five prospect at his position. 

With great size and athleticism, Shell's footwork and body control make him one of the best pass blockers in the entire country. He's shown vast improvement in his technique in the last couple of years, so the signs point toward him continuing to improve going forward. 

He needs to work on his run blocking, particularly when it comes to engaging his opponent all the way through the play, but the tools are all in place. 

4. Sheldon Richardson, DT, USC

Originally the top prospect of Missouri's 2009 recruiting class, Richardson failed to qualify academically and spent the last two years at the College of the Sequoias in California.

He then decommitted from Missouri in November, and quickly joined up with USC after being courted heavily by the Trojans. 

Richardson has the size of a defensive tackle, at 6'4" and 270 pounds, but has the speed and athleticism to be just as good at defensive end—and that type of versatility and rare skill-set makes him a very valuable commodity.

3. Aaron Lynch, DE, Florida State

Lynch has the talent to play on either side of the ball. He plays both tight end and defensive end at the high school level and could potentially succeed at either in college. 

At 6'5" and 255 pounds, he's got ideal size for defensive end and has great burst off the line of scrimmage. With his level of athleticism and versatility, Lynch is a very intriguing prospect.

Lynch committed to Notre Dame in July, just one day after Justice Hayes committed, but like Hayes, he decommitted from the Irish as well and committed to Florida State in November. 

2. Anthony Wallace, OLB, Oregon

Wallace is a perfect fit at middle linebacker. He's got prototypical size for the position and a great natural frame. 

He's a very smart player who can cover both the run and the pass extremely well, but his coverage skills are really what stand out.

Right now his technique is raw, but when he drops back the instincts are incredible. Watching him get free in pursuit is like watching a predator hunt. He zones in on the ball-carrier and just attacks him.

Wallace is one of those players that is always around the ball. Once he gets bigger, he might end up being the best linebacker from the class.

1. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

Sammy Watkins is one of the best prospects from the state of Florida and a gamebreaker at the receiver position.

He's the complete package in terms of size and speed, and a dangerous weapon in the return game as well. He's a threat to take it the distance on any play, and has that sixth gear you look for in elite prospects.

The only knock on Watkins is that for someone with his size and catching ability, he hasn't been much of a red zone threat to this point in his career and that's a bit troubling