College Football Recruiting 2012: Ranking the Top 15 Texas Recruits

The Lone Star state is one of the three, big hotbeds in the country on the recruiting trail, along with California and Florida. High school football is a way of life in Texas and some players in the state are fans of high schools before they are colleges and NFL teams.

In this 2012 class, there is no shortage of talent in Texas. Every position is loaded with blue chippers who all have the potential to become great college players. In fact, as the board sits right now, three of the top Texas recruits are fighting for No.1-overall recruit honors.

Check inside for the top 15 players in Texas 2012.

15. Bralon Addison, ATH

Addsion is a pure playmaker, plain and simple. The 5'10", 185-pounder threw for nearly 2,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 as a junior. He's listed as an athlete right now and he could factor as a running back or receiver in college. And some even say defensive back.

Addison has great quickness and playing speed. He's very elusive with the ball in the open field. His tape shows him making big-time plays with his legs and he is a better passer than he is given credit for. He has a strong arm and delivers the ball with good velocity.

He's already pledged to Oklahoma State.

14. LaDarrell McNeil, DB

McNeil is a 6'1", 190-pound safety with 4.5 speed. He's a solid athlete on the back end and reacts well to the pass. He's similar to Enrique Florence in that he has similar size and athletic ability and he can also match up on receivers.

McNeil plays the run well and he will throw his body around to stop ball carriers in the box and near the line of scrimmage. He's very aware on zone coverage, he communicates and he looks like a player who will be able to line up the secondary correctly on each play.

He wants to stay close to home so look for Texas, TCU and Texas A&M to be in on him along with Oklahoma, Baylor, Tennessee and Michigan.

13. Javonte Maggee, DE

Maggee has the ability to become a swing lineman in college, as he can play end or tackle. At 6'5", 265 pounds already, Maggee is athletic enough to manage the edge and strong enough to hold up in the interior.

He flashes the ability to develop into a complete strong-side end, with strength to read and react to the run, anchor at the point of attack and shed blockers. There is some range to his game in the short areas on the line. Maggee also has a powerful rush in his game, as he is strong enough to convert speed into power to walk blockers back.

Texas, Texas A&M and Baylor have all offered.

12. Thomas Johnson, WR

Johnson may not be as well known as he should be, and that is because he was hurt for two-thirds of his junior season. But when the 6'0", 180-pounder is healthy, he is among the best receivers in the country.

He has solid deep speed to stretch the field and take the top off an offense. Johnson is quick into and out of his breaks, and he has very good natural receiving skills. He flashes the ability to catch in crowds and turns into a running back with the ball after the catch.

Even though he was hurt, Texas saw enough to offer him. And even though the Longhorns went 5-7 last year, Johnson saw enough to commit.

11. Jonathan Williams, RB

Williams ran for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last year in a solid league and against solid competition. His arrow is pointing up and the 5'11", 205-pound running back has the ability to play early  in college.

He has good speed to run away from defenders yet he never backs down or shies away from contact. Williams will deliver a blow if you get close, but he also has the vision and instincts to find openings to gain the maximum amount of yards. He flashes vision to find alleys and lateral quickness to pick and slide to holes.

Missouri, Iowa and Virginia have offered thus far. 

10. Jaevon Richardson, WR

Richardson is a receiver that I like because he seems to be very reliable and very competitive. He'll get up and fight for balls against defenders and he'll make an effort to adjust to poor throws. If it is in his zip code, he thinks he can catch it.

At 6'1", 170 pounds, he has solid release quickness off the line, he's sudden in and out his breaks and he avoids defenders well on underneath routes. He's great at replacing linebackers on hot reads and he is not afraid to cross the jungle over the middle.

He had over 50 grabs and nearly 1,000 yards as a junior. Tailor-made for the slot receiver position, Mike Sherman has convinced him to play that at Texas A&M.

9. Trey Williams, RB

Williams is a little guy at only 5'8", 175 pounds, but he plays bigger than his size. He runs with the motto: "You can't hit what you can't catch." He makes it tough to get a clean shot on him. He uses his size or lack thereof to hide behind linemen, then he darts through openings.

Linebackers must be keen in their vision on Williams. If not, he can be on the third level before you see him and in the end zone before your defensive backs know what's happening. He has great vision, instincts, agility, explodes in his burst and runs tough for a back of his stature.

He has over 4,200 yards the past two seasons combined along with nearly 40 scores. Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Baylor, TCU, Miami, Arizona, Auburn, Texas Tech and Texas Tech have offered.

8. Corey Thompson, ATH

Thompson is a 6'2", 195-pound athlete who has 4.5 speed and versatility to boot. He can factor as a receiver, safety, corner or running back.

His best position, and the one his skill set transitions the best to, is free safety in my opinion. He has great athletic ability to play with great range and speed. Thompson has great ball skills, which is why he can play receiver in college, and he has instincts to read and recognize route combos.

Texas A&M has offered with USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida and Texas all expressing very serious interest.

7. Kendall Sanders, ATH

Sanders is listed as an athlete because he can play both receiver and running back. He rushed for over 1,000 yards last year. So you think: "OK, he's a running back." Then you see the nearly 1,000 yards receiving and you go: "Wait a minute."

At 6'1", 175 pounds, Sanders is among the very best overall offensive players in the state and in the country. He can score in a variety of ways and he will allow on offensive coordinators to get creative in scheming ways to get him the ball. Sanders also can develop into a dynamic kickoff returner as well.

Mike Gundy will have the honor of coaching him at Oklahoma State. 

6. Derek David, LB

Davis is a 6'3", 225-pound linebacker who has been very productive on the second level. He's the type of linebacker who you build your defense around, one you can funnel ball carriers to in order to make stops. He's a reliable wrap tackler who rarely leaks yardage.

David can move well laterally and he plays with great instincts. He attacks the line coming downhill against the run and he has speed to get to the edges on sweeps, stretches and quick pitches. David plays well against the pass and he is solid in zone coverage.

He'll chase around Big 12 skill players in Lubbock for Texas Tech.

5. LaDarius Anthony, RB

Baylor may have missed out on getting Herschel Sims, but the Bears have a dynamic runner like Anthony in the fold. At 6'0", 185 pounds, Anthony has a slashing running style with good quickness and speed. He understands how to run behind his pads and he comes through holes low very well for a taller runner.

Anthony likes to use quickness and shock defenders with deceptive power. He's an underrated finisher at the end of runs and he runs very hard. He flashes good hands to be used as a receiver out of the backfield. He flashes instincts in the open field and very good elusiveness.

Anthony has chosen to end his recruitment already and has committed to Baylor.

4. Matt Davis, QB

Davis tore his ACL and missed his junior season, but he was a nearly 1,500/1,500 guy as a sophomore at QB. He plays against very good competition in the Houston-Metro area and as a sophomore he more than held his own.

At 6'2", 200 pounds, Davis shows a very strong arm and good athleticism when healthy. He can make throws on the run very sharply and accurately and he attacks the edges of the pocket with good speed to escape traffic. Davis also is a solid decision maker and he knows how to lead an offense down the field on drives.

Alabama, Oregon, TCU, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Pitt, LSU and Baylor are just a few offers on the table.

3. Caleb Jones, WR

At 6'3", 200 pounds, Jones is a very elite player, not only in the state, but in the country. He is the top receiver in Texas and a very natural player. He's a silky-smooth athlete with long arms to snatch balls from all over the place.

Jones has a long strike zone and he is very athletic to adjust to poorly-thrown balls. He knows how to settle in voids, avoid underneath and he takes long strides to eat cushion in his buildup off the line.

Jones likes to get a feel for coverages and defensive techniques to get a read on how he's being defended, and to find ways to adjust and attack.

Auburn, Texas, Alabama, Miami, Florida, Oklahoma, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame and Ohio State have offered among others. 

2. Mario Edwards. DE

Edwards is a 6'4", 270-pound defensive end with amazing ability on the field. He has strength to hold up in the run, anchor versus big-and-strong tackles and chase ball carriers down the line of scrimmage.

Edwards has great playing range and plays very hard. He's at his best when he can pin his ears back and get after the passer. Offensive lines slide their protection his way and he has a very good motor.

Edwards uses his length and strength to walk blockers back, yet he can also convert speed to power quickly and forcefully. He's a sheer problem for offenses.

This race likely will come down to Texas and Florida State.

1. Johnathan Gray, RB

Gray takes the top spot on my board because he's just been extremely productive over the past few seasons and he shows the total package at the running back position. At 5'11", 195 pounds with 4.4 speed and excellent vision and instincts, he is one of the top recruits in Texas.

He'll go down as one of the most productive and decorated backs in Texas high-school history. That's saying something as Eric Dickerson, Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson all ran as youngsters in the Lone Star State.

Gray has an elite burst to-and-through holes, he jumps on linebackers quickly and he really understands that running backs make their money on the second level. He knows how to set up blocks, he is patient to let plays develop and he has very, very good field vision and awareness.

Texas, Auburn, TCU, Arkansas, Colorado, Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M have all offered, with more national powers on the verge of offering.