College Football Recruiting 2012: Top Quarterbacks from Rivals' Top 100

Rivals has recently released their long-awaited "Rivals 100" list, and I thought I would give a quick rundown of who the QB prospects are who made the list. I have my Top 100 recruits board and positional rankings myself, but the Rivals 100 is always a valuable tool for recruiting followers.

I grew up a bit following Rivals recruiting every year, and now that I am an evaluator myself, it's always fun to compare notes to such a great site. So with this I'm going to quickly highlight a few QB prospects in their top 100 players.

Let's get started.

Zeke Pike

Pike is the lowest-ranked QB prospect in the Rivals 100, checking in at No. 72 overall. At 6'6" and 225 pounds, Pike has an outstanding rifle for an arm and combines it with very good mobility and athleticism.

His large frame allows him to see over the rush, keep his eyes downfield and dictates throwing lanes for him to deliver a strike to all levels of the defense. Pike can buy time in the pocket and also make throws on the run.

He is committed to Auburn.

Jameis Winston

The top dual-threat QB in the country, Winston is a 6'4", 200-pound playmaker.

He shows quick feet in his climbs in the pocket, solid vision around the field, a strong arm and solid accuracy. If he runs into traffic around his set up point in the pocket, Winston can buy time like it's for sale, escape and get out to the edges.

With the ball in his hands, he can beat you with his arm or his legs. He's a very, very good runner and has some wiggle and great speed in the open field.

The No. 52 player overall, Winston's top three looks to be Alabama, Auburn and Florida State.

Zach Kline

Kline as the 40th best player overall according to Rivals is a bit rich for my blood, but I do like him as a prospect. A 6'2", 200-pound gym rat-type, Kline really looks to work and hone each aspect of his craft. He's a quarterback's quarterback, so-to-speak.

Kline, to me, is a QB who is good at each specific positional trait, but not great. That's not to say I don't think he will be solid in college; just that he lacks a "wow" trait in his skill set.

Nevertheless, he will be a starter for Jeff Tedford at Cal and should become one of the better QB's in the Pac-12 down the road.

Gunner Kiel

Ranked 19th overall, Kiel is Rivals' highest rated QB prospect in the 2012 class. I have him as my top QB on my board as well. He's 6'4", 220 pounds and has a great skill set.

Kiel plays in a spread offense, but shows an excellent command of the game, great field vision, decision making, read progressions, anticipation, arm strength, touch and accuracy.

I also see solid athleticism and running ability from Kiel on tape. He looks wide open right now, but Oklahoma is the school to watch out for.