College Football Recruiting 2012: Where Are the Top 10 WRs Headed?

Looking at the 2012 recruiting crop, I notice that there is an excess amount of talent on the Wide receiver board. In fact, getting this list down to a manageable order was a tough task in and of itself, and figuring out the top 10 was nearly impossible.

Yet here we are, with a solid group of 10 that I think stand out a bit more than the others, but it's certainly still early and the board will change as we move forward.

As we continue getting our feet wet with the 2012 class, we spotlight the receivers to give you a bit of insight on them and where they're either already committed to or who they're considering. In fact, the top receiver on the board actually sits as the nation's current No. 1 overall player at the moment.

Come check it out.

10. Durron Neal

Neal is a 6'1", 185-pounder with solid 4.5 speed. He's a versatile player that can do damage on the perimeter vs. island defenders, or kick inside and work in the slot against nickels, safeties and linebackers. He plays fast, but his biggest asset is his ball skill.

Neal can high-point balls and does a solid job of catching in crowds over the middle. He plays like every throw should be his and flashes good athletic ability to adjust to any ball in flight. His strike zone is large and he seems to have a growing understanding of how to work voids underneath vs. zone coverage. He runs himself open and has solid field awareness.

He has offers from USC, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Oregon and Auburn, among others.

9. Chris Black

Black is one of the top and most dangerous offensive players in the state of Florida, bar none.

The 5'11", 170-pound stick of dynamite reminds me a lot of Roscoe Parrish and Sinorice Moss. He finished up his junior year just about at 1,000 yards receiving to go with 13 scores on offense.

He's very quick off the line, making it hard to get a clean shot on him with press coverage. He eats up cushion in a hurry and explodes out of his breaks to gain sheer separation from his man.

After he gets the ball, Black turns into a running back, showing great open-field run instincts and elusiveness. He has great vision and can hit pay dirt from all over the field, especially if he has space.

The big three Florida schools, Georgia, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina have all offered scholarship to Black.

8. Dwayne Stanford

Stanford is one of those receivers that you see on the hoof and you're already intrigued.

At 6'5", 185 pounds, he stands head and shoulders over everyone, but doesn't operate like a stick figure. He uses his length to increase his catch radius, snatching balls all around his frame.

Stanford has solid speed, and knows how to use his size to outmuscle and shield defensive backs from the ball.

A red-zone nightmare for defenses, Stanford has solid leaping ability to high-point balls and flashes field awareness and fancy footwork around the perimeter. He has a ton of potential and should grow into the 215-pound range in college.

Alabama, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida State, Georgia and Texas Tech are just a few to toss offers out there.

7. Darreus Rogers

Rogers goes back and forth from being listed as an ATH to WR, as some think he could wind up as a safety in college. He's a similar player to George Farmer, especially in his triangle numbers.

He's a 6'2", 195-pounder with 4.4 speed and had 45 grabs for over 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, which shows his great yards per catch average.

A great deep threat, Rogers keeps defenses honest by taking the top off and commanding a safety on top of him. He's still developing the nuances of the perimeter pass-catching spot, but his athleticism, competitiveness, size and agility make him a great prospect.

Rogers is pledged to USC.

6. D'Vario Montgomery

A 6'2", 205-pound, physical receiver, Montgomery is getting his fair share of the spotlight. He's very tough on the perimeter and actually relishes press coverage on the line. Montgomery beats defenders at the stem of his route with strength and then works to reach full tilt as he gets upfield after the snap.

He has very good quickness out of his breaks and did his work mostly as a part-time receiver, since he split time at linebacker last year. There is a chance that Montgomery could play linebacker in college, as he could easily be in the 220-pound range before his sophomore year comes.

Alabama, Miami, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Florida State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Nebraska are just a few school to make offers, and Montgomery has received 23 altogether.

5. Jordan Payton

Payton seems to be one of those receivers that you just respect because he is reliable and has dominated top competition.

The 6'2", 190-pound receiver has over 33 touchdowns over the past two seasons for powerhouse Oaks Christian (CA) High School, which has produced Jimmy Clausen, Marshall Jones, Marc Tyler and Duke Lemmens among a host of other stars.

Payton has very solid hands and runs good routes, displaying great quickness out of his breaks and an understanding of how to properly avoid underneath defenders on the move and work voids. He has good speed to get deep and is strong with the ball in his hands.

USC locked him up during his junior season.

4. Avery Johnson

The younger brother of LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, Johnson is a 6'2", 190-pounder with a great combination of size, length and deep speed. He is very talented and reaches full speed off the line in his first couple of steps. He has solid ball skills and flashes great "pluckability" to snatch balls in flight.

Johnson is the type of receiver that you have to get involved early and often to make sure his head is in it for the entire contest. He goes through stretches when he has mental lapses or, if he knows he is not the primary read, he won't go as hard.

Yet when he is on, Johnson is one of the top receivers in the country and will follow his brother's path to Baton Rouge.

3. Caleb Jones

At 6'3" and 200 pounds, Jones is a tall and long pass catcher that I think should be a 5-star recruit. He's the top receiver in Texas and has the talent and skill set to back up that honor.

Jones is quick for his size off the line, strong enough to escape press coverage and has some explosion out of his breaks. He uses his long arms to increase his strike zone and makes a QB seem more accurate than he likely is. Jones will high-point a ball over defenders, but also can adjust to balls on the move.

He's keen on improvement, always studying coverages and techniques of defensive backs to make adjustments all throughout a game.

Jones verbally committed to Texas earlier this month.

2. Stefon Diggs

I went back and reviewed Diggs' tape, and his tape told me he was too low on my board, though he already was in the top 10.

A 6'1", 190-pound playmaker, Diggs is among the elite and dangerous offensive players in the country. He runs a high 4.4, low 4.5-40, but his tape shows he plays faster than his timed speed.

He's quick and explosive with or without the ball and just makes play after play. Diggs can score from anywhere on the field and has excellent run instincts after the catch, hands, deep speed and leaping ability. He's just a talented player that's productive, competitive and has a supremely bright future.

Just about everyone in the country has offered a scholarship to Diggs.

1. Dorial Green-Beckham

We've been hearing about Dorial Green-Beckham (a.k.a. DGB) for about two years now, as spectators have said he's been the top player in the Midwest since his sophomore year. As a junior, he posted 78 receptions for over 1,700 yards and 15 scores. He's just a physical marvel that I liken to Kyle Prater, Calvin Johnson and Plaxico Burress.

At 6'6" and 220 pounds, Green-Beckham has been timed at 4.43 in the 40-yard dash and his speed shows up on tape. He's a deep threat that works to full tilt in a hurry, quickly eating up cushion.

Yet, DGB can also stop on a dime and explode out of his breaks and cuts, separating easily from coverage to get open. He snatches balls out of the air, can catch in crowds and will be dominant in the red zone.

As the nation's top overall recruit, he has offers from your favorite school and your favorite school's most hated rivals from all over the country and has not narrowed his list down yet.