College Football Recruiting 2012: The Top 10 Home Run Hitters (With Video)

You'll hear me and other evaluator types use the term "home run hitter" from time to time when speaking mainly about a big time offensive player. Yes, we know we evaluate football players and not baseball players, but the term is relative.

When we use the term "home run hitter", we mean these players are a threat to score, anytime, anywhere, any way. These players get the rock to pay dirt by any means necessary and the best traits to have to be a home run hitter are speed, quickness, elusiveness, creativity with the ball, run instincts and flat out playmaking ability.

These players have all of those and more.

10. Brian Kimbrow, RB

Kimbrow is a bit undersized for a rock toter at 5'9", 165 pounds, yet he makes up for it in other ways. The Memphis native claims he has been clocked at 4.25 in the 40.

Quick, slippery, elusive and explosive, Kimbrow is a jack-of-all-trades type of offensive weapon. He can factor extremely heavily on the edges and flanks of the field.

He has offers from almost the entire SEC, Miami and USC among others.

9. Sterling Shepard, WR

At 5'11", 170 pounds, Shepard has the size, suddenness and quickness to easily fit in the slot like a dollar in a poor man's pocket. He releases off the line in a hurry and is dangerous underneath.

He will help an offense by asking for double coverage. When he is in the slot, he will force a safety to stay on him, which opens up the deep part of the field for his teammates.

He will do all of this for Oklahoma.

8. Barry Sanders Jr., RB

At 5'9", 190 pounds, Sanders actually does remind you a bit of his dad when you watch him on tape. He has excellent elusiveness and quickness in the open field and just enough long speed to get to the house.

He displays great balance to take hits and shoves in the box, and he can still stay on his feet and get up field. He won't wow you with his stature, but he will with the ball in his hands.

Oklahoma State, Alabama, Florida State and UCLA are his main four.

7. Trey Williams, RB

Williams is not very big, but he's very fast, slippery and explosive, quick and elusive. At 5'8", 175 pounds, Williams is a stick of dynamite in the backfield and can score anytime he touches the rock.

He uses his lack of height to his advantage, sliding and hiding behind his line, then darting when he sees a crease. He may not be an every-down back in college, but I still expect him to be very productive.

6. Mario Pender, RB

Pender averaged almost 14 yards a carry last season. Do me a favor; go back and read that one more time. Because that's amazing.

At 6'0" and over 200 pounds, he has fantastic speed to hit creases and skate through. He does a solid job of banging inside and can break a few tackles as well. Pender runs tough and is very durable as well.

He's bound for Florida State. 

5. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

I have Green-Beckham as the top player in the country on my board, as do many other talent evaluators.

At 6'6", 220 pounds, the only knock I have on him right now is his release quickness off the line.

Other than that, Green-Beckham has the hands, separation quickness, catch-in-crowd ability and playmaking talent to become a dominant receiver in college. 

The latest on Green-Beckham is he has soured on the recruiting process and is tired of the constant attention.

His high school coach and guardian regularly does the talking for Dorial and says they will both start to visit schools in the summer.

Look for a scaled-down list to be revealed in September.

4. Keith Marshall, RB

Perhaps the fastest running back in the country, Marshall is a touchdown machine.

I liken him to a Marshall Faulk, as he can impact the game as a runner, receiver and even as a returner.

At 5'11", 185 pounds, Marshall has been timed in the 4.3 range in the 40.

With a slew of offers, Marshall has whittled his list down to, in no particular order, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Stanford and USC.

3. Stefon Diggs, WR/RB

Diggs is a player that can factor as a receiver or safety. I could move him onto the ATH board or DS board, but in the end, he is simply too good with the ball in his hands not to play on offense in my opinion.

At 6'1", 190 pounds, he is a quicker than fast athlete, but he does have tremendous speed. His RAC ability is amazing, and he is likely tops in this category in the country for 2012. Diggs can shake, bake and clean the dishes routinely.

2. Marvin Bracy, WR

Bracy is the fastest player in the country. Hands down. At 5'9", 165 pounds, he has been clocked at nearly 10 flat in the 100 and is said to be fast enough to perhaps compete in the Olympics, and that speed translates onto the football and jumps at you on tape.

His biggest strength is obviously his speed and explosiveness, as he is extremely quick and sudden. Yet Bracy is a player that just needs the ball, whether it be on returns, quick screens or reverses and sparks will fly.

1. Johnathan Gray, RB

Gray is the top running back in the country on my board, as the 5'11", 195-pounder's production is that of three backs.

He has over 6,000 yards and 109 touchdowns over the past two seasons alone. Gray has elite vision, feel, instincts, elusiveness, speed and quickness.

He's committed to Texas.