College Football Recruiting 2011: The Top Early January Commitments

January has been an explosive month in college football recruiting and we are not even half way done to start the new year yet.

With two huge all-star games in the same week, there have been a lot of big commitments and intentions made known.

Come, read along and as we give the very top commitments made so far in early January as national signing day inches closer.

16. Tobias Singleton: Ole Miss

Singleton verballed to the Rebels last Saturday afternoon during the Army game over rival Mississippi State and UCLA.

He's a 6-2, 185 pound receiver with legitimate 4.4 speed and will provide Ole Miss with a deep threat who also has the frame and length to make tough catches over the middle.

15. Harvey Langi: Utah

Langi's choices came down to in-state Utah, Stanford, and USC. The Cardinal saw him as a Toby Gerhart type back, yet Jim Harbaugh bolting for 'Frisco severely hurt their chances.

Langi was also viewed by Trojan fans as a possible immediate replacement for Stanley Havili.

Home cookin' ultimately won out and Langi chose to try his hand in Utah's spread style offense as they move into the Pac-12.

14. Xzavier Dickson: Alabama

Dickson is a defensive end prospect who has great speed and hand quickness to combat offensive linemen during the rush.

He has great quick shed and escape ability, which is extremely rare for a high school defensive player.

He chose to spurn in-state Georgia for 'Bama and could also have a future at tight end. This was a huge versatile coup for the Tide.

13. Odell Beckham: LSU

Beckham could line up at cornerback or receiver when he gets to Baton Rouge. Wherever he ends up, his athleticism will allow him to be very successful.

He'll need to add some weight to his frame, but he has the speed, quickness, change of direction, and instincts to play at a very high level.

The Tigers will get the best out of him.

12. Jabari Gorman: Florida

In my days in the NFL, I was taught that as a team and program, you never pass up on a good DB. Jabari Gorman is a good DB. Florida didn't pass up on him.

Gorman will likely be able to play safety and corner at the next level and his range, agility, and quickness will allow to terrorize SEC receiver for years to come.

11. Lateek Townsend: Clemson

This had to be one of the most peculiar moments we've seen for a recruit to announce his college choice.

During the Army game, before Townsend was set to pick, he chose to go through a long list of acknowledgements which drove the sideline reporter crazy as he urged the linebacker to pick.

At the end of all the people he thanked, Townsend then proceeded to shock everybody and chose Clemson over South Carolina, who he told everyone his choice was moments before he went on camera.

10. Wayne Lyons: Stanford

Jim Harbaugh's departure did not scare off Lyons, as the chance to earn a degree from Stanford was too much of an allure to pass up.

Lyons has a 4.9 GPA. Not 40 time. GPA.

Stanford gets a very talented and athletic defensive back in Lyons, who will line up at safety for the Cardinal to compete in the pass happy Pac-12.

9. Gerod Holliman: Louisville

First he snagged Teddy Bridgewater. Then he got Holliman.

Charlie Strong has shown he has a knack for convincing players from the Miami area to come up to the Blue Grass state and don Red.

Holliman will give Strong a free safety build the top of his defense around, as his instincts, speed, ball skills and range project him as a prototypical prospect for the position.

8. Devon Blackmon: Oregon

Blackmon was forced to play quarterback his senior season in high school, yet the 6-0, 180 pound athlete will likely end up at receiver in Eugene.

His speed was on full display during the Under Armour game, with Blackmon routinely getting deep behind talented secondaries all night.

Blackmon also should have an impact in the return game, as he looks like a great future punt returner.

7. Kris Frost: Auburn

Frost is an amazing athlete at 6-3 and 210 pounds. He has all the makings of a great outside linebacker who is athletic enough to play all three downs and cover backs and tight ends with ease.

He chose to go to Auburn as he would his first crack to be at playing receiver, which confused some.

We don't doubt Frost has the athleticism to be a great receiver, yet his measurables and skill set would likely better serve him as a linebacker.

6. Greg Townsend: USC

Trojan fans were a bit nervous that they might lose Townsend, a very talented defensive end prospect to TCU, since Townsend had just watched the Horn Frogs win the Rose Bowl in his backyard.

Yet Townsend chose the hometown team and will play at USC.

He was noted during the UA game practices for raising his level of play all week against top notch competition and looked like he belonged among the very best in the country.

5. Doran Grant: Ohio State

Grant's recruitment came down to Michigan State against Ohio State. While the Buckeyes were always the assumed favorite, Michigan State went after the cornerback very hard.

Ohio State gets a very talented corner who could be left on an island due to the notion of Grant plays bigger than his 5-10 frame.

Grant has a chance to remind Buckeye fans of Nate Clements.

4. Viliami Moala: Cal

Cal was the last team standing over USC for Moala, a mammoth defensive tackle from Grant (CA).

His good friend, Mustafa Jalil is a Cal commit and the Bears were close to home, and though USC was very hard to pass up on, Moala was rumored ot be a Cal silent commit for months.

At 6-2 and nearly 330 pounds, Moala will be eating blockers and plugging the run for years to come in Berkley.

3. Colt Lyerla: Oregon

Lyerla is among the most versatile players in country. He can play linebacker, tight end, defensive end, and played running back this year for his high school squad at 6-5, 225 pounds.

He's more than a workout warrior though, and has been compared to Brian Urlacher for his overall freakish athleticism and likely Sam linebacker destination.

Remember when Mike Vrabel was both sacking quarterbacks and catching touchdown passes for the Patriots? Lyerla could be doing the same things in Oregon for Chip Kelly. 

2. Dee Hart: Alabama

Hart had been a Michigan verbal for months but bolted for Tuscaloosa in the midst of Rich Rod's firing in Ann Arbor.

Hart is a dangerous space player who can factor as a runner, receiver, and return man. He can line up at running back, slot receiver, and perhaps some wildcat? Hmmm.

The Crimson Tide will be rollin' with Hart since he'll be rollin' to the end zone very frequently for Nick Saban's team.

1. Brent Calloway: Auburn

Calloway takes the top spot over Hart since his commitment to Auburn was a bigger shock. For starters, it's not many times an Alabama pledge de-commits from Nick Saban, and not too many times they wind up at Iron Bowl rival Auburn.

We had Calloway penciled in as a future collegiate linebacker throughout the recruiting process, yet he felt he was better suited as a running back.

Apparently Alabama scoffed at his running back wishes and touchdown dreams, so Calloway switched up and pledged to Auburn during the Army game.