College Football Recruiting 2012: Ranking the 20 Fastest Recruits

Well, they say in football that speed kills. If that's the case, then the following players on this list are wanted for excessive murder, because these are the fastest players in the country.

Speed is always a debatable subject and trait, as there are various ways to display it. Some of these players are noted and accomplished track stars, while others display outstanding play speed on the field.

Anyway you look at it, let's speed through this list at a fast pace.

20. Armani Reeves, CB

A 5'10", 180-pound cornerback, Reeves shows tremendous speed by carrying receivers all over the field, especially deep. To back up his warrant for making this list, the first cousin of Charles Barkley has been timed at 4.41 in the 40.

19. Davonte Neal, WR

Perhaps the fastest player in Arizona, Neal is a solid downfield threat. He gets behind a secondary with ease, as the 5'9", 175-pounder explodes off the line in his release and eats up cushion in a hurry as a receiver.

18. Brian Kimbrow, RB

Kimbrow is one of the top 100 players in the country according to most, as the 5'9", 165-pound running back is not big, but doesn't allow himself to get tackled often, because he outruns everyone. If Kimbrow is allowed to square his shoulders to the goal posts, chances are he's gone.

17. Mario Pender, RB

Pender being on this is list is astonishing, given his listed size at 6'0", 210 pounds. But on tape, the super productive rock toter shows excellent speed by turning the corner on the perimeter and also skating through interior holes. He can take it to the house at any time.

16. Sterling Shepard, WR

5'11", 170 pounds, watching Shepard on tape is a dazzle to see. He skates around the field with quick feet and juice using great speed and burst. Shepard shows excellent burst and explosiveness out of his breaks and can blow by a defensive back with ease.

15. Cyrus Jones, RB

Jones is looked at by some as a better cornerback prospect than running back prospect, but those that claim him as a running back look to his great speed. Having a a weapon like him on offense may prove to be too much to pass up by having him on defense, he's that fast.

14. Byron Marshall, RB

Marshall is a 5'10", 195-pound rock toter that on tape does most of his damage on the perimeter. He turns the corner with ease, can beat linebackers to the edges and skates by everybody. He shows easy speed to split the safeties deep on long runs.

13. Duke Johnson, RB

A Miami commit, Johnson will add some serious speed to the Hurricane backfield in 2012. At 5'9", 180 pounds, Johnson has been timed in the 4.4 range in the 40 and plays to his speed on the field. He can run by defenders and shows great acceleration.

12. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

Green-Beckham is the top player overall on my board, and the 6'6", 220-pound receiver making this list is part of the reason why. While he is not overly sudden, DGB has excellent long speed and has been timed as low as 4.43 in the 40. He has the speed to get behind a secondary and also shows solid burst out of his cuts.

11. Ronald Darby, CB

Darby is the best cornerback prospect in the country. 5'11", 175 pounds he carries receivers deep and almost never gets beat downfield. His speed allows him to play tight on the line, and he shows excellent acceleration for the ball in flight.

10. Barry Sanders, RB

5'9", 185 pounds, Sanders' overall athleticism trait is quicker than fast, but really that speaks to how quick he is. His speed still is among the best as it comes out on the field. With the ball in his hands, Sanders is very sudden, explosive, elusive and down right fast...and super quick, too.

9. Avery Johnson, WR

Johnson's ceiling is among the highest in the 2012 receiver class. He's 6'2",185 pounds, long and speedy. When he wants, he can eat cushion off the line in a flash, stem up a corners' toes, get even and leave him on perimeter with sheer speed. He's an elite downfield threat.

8. Bralon Addison, ATH

Addison is a speedster that can factor as WR, RB, QB, CB and returner. He played QB last year for his prep squad, but likely will end up as a receiver or running back in college. He has great juice and skate ability and shows excellent foot quickness.

7. Aaron Burbridge, WR

At 6'2", 185 pounds, Burbridge has been timed as low as 4.37 in the 40. He has tremendous explosion and play speed and is a long and lean athlete. Burbridge has the speed to command an extra safety in the passing game, and will need bracket coverage in college downfield.

6. Stefon Diggs, WR/DS

You put Diggs on a track with some of the players on this list, and he may not be too impressive. Put the ball in Diggs' hands on a football field and you have a player who is among the very fastest in America. It's just something about being on the field of play that gets Diggs' juices flowing, which translates to more of a dramatic speed improvement than his times indicate.

5. Tracy Howard, CB

A physical corner on the perimeter, Howard is a 6'0", 175-pound cover man that tops out at 4.4 in the 40 on the regular. His speed translates on the field well, which is why he's so confident to jam at the line. Howard knows he has the recovery speed to jam, adjust and recover to take chances that other corners can't.

4. Shaq Roland, WR

Roland is a 6'1", 180-pound receiver whose best trait is his speed to get downfield. He has great explosion off the line, accelerates out of his cuts underneath and can take the top off a defense. He should develop into one of the premier downfield receivers in college football down the line ala former USC receiver Ronald Johnson.

3. Trey Williams, RB

Williams is a 5'8", 180-pound running back and looks like what Bill Parcells would call a "Mascot Player." But up close, he's thicker than you think and runs with a bit more power than his listed size. But really, his best trait is his burst. Watching Williams on tape you immediately see the gitty-up in his legs and his skate ability.

2. Keith Marshall, RB

At 5'11", 180 pounds, Marshall may be the fastest running back in the country. He boasts a 4.32 40 time to prove it, and it also shows on tape.. He displays excellent speed, acceleration and burst to score from anywhere on the field, simply by running by people. Marshall jumps on top of linebackers on the second level quickly and runs away from defensive backs with ease.

1. Marvin Bracy, WR

Bracy  is the fastest player in the country.

He runs a 4.32 40-yard dash, 10.19 100-meter dash (a national No. 1 time) and a remarkable 6.24 55-yard dash. He is one of the very, very best track and field prospects in the country and his times are among the top elite in that sport as well.

His speed translates to the football field smoothly. Just watch some tape on Bracy, 5'9", 165 pounds, and you seem outrunning entire defenses and scoring touchdowns with ease.