College Football Recruiting 2012: Predictions for the Top 10 Recruiting Classes
A few classes out of the 120 FBS schools are starting to take shape and form. Many of the big-name 5-star and 4-star recruits have yet to make a decision and pick which class to headline, but some good prospects are in a couple teams' folds.
Surely these rankings reflect the current status as of now, and will fluctuate routinely all the way through National Signing Day 2012.
But for now, we decided to rank the 10 best recruiting classes we like thus far for the 2012 recruiting cycle and make a prediction on each of them.
Here's a quick and early look.
10. LSU
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LSU comes in at this slot as the Tigers have a nine-man class going so far. The Boys of Baton Rouge usually are among the dominant recruiting schools, so this is no shock.
Right now the headliner is 4-star WR Avery Johnson, the younger brother of former Tiger DB Patrick Peterson. At 6'2", 185 pounds, Johnson has great speed and a high ceiling. Torshiro Davis is a 6'3", 210-pound 4-star DE/OLB type who makes plays wherever he's at on defense.
A sleeper is LB Trey Garnier. He's only rated three stars, but has been uber-productive and is a tackling machine.
Prediction: LSU will continue to score solid pledges and this class will develop into one that reinforces depth and talent into the Tigers' program down the line.
9. USC
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Right now as it stands, the Trojans have a six-man class, with four out the six pledges being 4-star status or higher.
Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron have not let the sanctions stand in their way of infusing more talent and bodies on the roster in Troy.
The headliner now and through the recruiting period will be Arik Armstead. The younger brother of current Trojan DL Armond Armstead, Arik is a 6'8", 280-pounder who can play DE, DT and LT. Some consider him to be the No. 1 overall player for the 2012 class.
Jabari Ruffin is a 6'4", 230-pound future starter at SAM LB, while Darreus Rogers and Jayden Mickens are top talents as receivers.
Prediction: This will be a smallish recruiting class for USC standards, with the aim being to sign quality and not quantity, highly emphasized due to the sanctions and scholarship restrictions.
8. Michigan
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Brady Hoke has burst out of the gate in his first full recruiting cycle in Ann Arbor. It really seems he and his staff are bent on returning Big Blue to its place among the elite, and they certainly know it starts on the recruiting trail.
Hoke has scored 11 commitments already, including his most recent pledge of 4-star Mike LB James Ross. Ross' pledge is a huge get, as he will team with other 4-star LB's in Royce Jenkins-Stone, Kaleb Ringer and Joe Bolden to form a solid future LB core for Greg Mattison.
Prediction: Hoke will continue to recruit hard, and will have Big Blue finish in the top 15 in recruiting rankings.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Texas A&M
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Mike Sherman is off to a fantastic start, having already secured an astonishing 20 pledges for his 2012 recruiting class. Five players of the 20 are rated four stars or higher.
The two big-time commitments are 5-star RB Trey Williams and 4-star QB Matt Davis. Williams is a 5'8", 180-pound shifty jitterbug type of back that isn't the biggest, but is among the quickest players in America.
Davis is a 6'1", 200-pound signal-caller who missed his junior year with a torn ACL, but is so athletic that talk is being bantered of him perhaps playing receiver for the Aggies.
Prediction: A top-20 finish in the recruiting rankings and the overall structure of this class develops into one of Sherman's best at A&M.
6. Notre Dame
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Notre Dame's current class is small, like USC's, but like the Trojans, it has quality.
The Irish have six commitments, but four out the six are rated four stars or higher, including 5-star DB Ronny Darby, considered the best cornerback prospect in the country.
At 5'11", 175 pounds, Darby also will be joined on the back end in South Bend by 6'0", 172-pound 4-star cornerback Tee Shepard, rated No. 3 at his position.
Prediction: The Irish already have scored two surefire future starters in Darby and Shepard, but will go hard after a QB to make this class perhaps Brian Kelly's best since he's been at Notre Dame.
5. Florida
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Will Muschamp has hit the ground running for the 2012 class.
He saw a solid 2011 class sign with the Gators, but with recruiting powers stored by Urban Meyer, a top-five class is expected year in and year out in Gainesville.
The Gators have a nine-commit class thus far for 2012, headlined by athletic left tackle prospect Jessamen Dunker.
At 6'6", 315 pounds, Dunker is a super athletic big man who could see himself in the NFL in just a few short years.
Matt Jones is one of the top "big back" prospects in the country, and he and Mike Davis give the Gators a formidable tandem in the backfield going forward.
Prediction: This class will see more overall production down the line than Muschamp's first class, as Florida will have more time to thoroughly evaluate prospects.
4. Ohio State
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Ohio State has gotten off to a good start, but this may be the highest they get in the recruiting rankings. I'm just not sure if they will score as many more elite recruits as they should with looming uncertainty surrounding the program.
However, the Buckeyes have a quality class going so far. A six-man class to this date, Ohio State has two 5-star prospects already secured, in RB Brionte Dunn, a 6'1", 220-pound power back, and OT Kyle Kalis, a 6'5", 305 pounder who can play left and right tackle.
Prediction: Ohio State will score more commitments, but do not be shocked if Dunn decommits and the Buckeyes finish out of the top 10-15.
3. Florida State
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The Seminoles have already loaded up on pass rushers in this class, with three DE pledges thus far in 2012 recruiting.
The headliner not only of the DE class, but for the overall commit list for FSU, is 5-star defensive end Mario Edwards.
At 6'4", 275 pounds, Edwards has strong-side potential and is likely the most complete edge defender in the country. Chris Casher and Dante Fowler are not slouches either, and all three will terrorize ACC QB's for years, with Dalvon Stuckey in the middle.
P.J. Williams is one of the top safety prospects in the country, and Mario Pender is a super-productive running back with a very high ceiling
Prediction: This class starts and ends with the three DL's, who develop into starters and productive players to highlight this class's development and contributions.
2. Texas
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Mack Brown and the Longhorns are at it again.
Sixteen commits already and May is not even here yet. Wow.
Brown and Texas have changed the way everybody recruits at the FBS level, and they still keep a few paces ahead of everyone else.
The class is led by 5'11", 195-pound Johnathan Gray, who in my opinion is the top running back in the country. He and running back Malcolm Brown will be a dangerous tandem in Austin.
Mack Brown has another QB in the fold in Connor Brewer along with two elite receivers in Cayleb Jones and Thomas Johnson.
Defensive tackle Malcolm Brown, Bryson Echols and Peter Jinkens could develop into stalwarts on the Longhorn defense. Twelve out of the 16 commits for Texas are 4-star players or higher.
Prediction: This class develops into one of Brown's very best, and that is saying something with how well Texas has recruited in recent memory.
1. Alabama
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The Tide have seen themselves become a recruiting juggernaut under Nick Saban. Saban's approach to recruiting is disciplined, smart and thorough. It's the same approach used at FSU, South Carolina, Florida and LSU.
For his 2012 class, Saban has 11 commits, with seven of those players having 4-star ratings or higher.
The headliners so far are Reggie Ragland, a 5-star 6'4", 245-pound linebacker, Eddie Williams, a 6'4", 205-pound ATH who likely will be a free safety.
Other 4-star standouts includes OLB Tyler Hayes, RB Kenyan Drake, DT Dakota Ball, WR/QB/ATH Justin Thomas and OT Brandon Greene.
Prediction: I'm not sure if Alabama will stay at No. 1 through NSD, but this class has the potential to be better than last year's class, which finished in the top two nationally.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
