2012 ESPNU 150 Release: Who Are the Winners and Losers?

The third big list domino has fallen in recruiting with today being the day ESPNU released its initial and critically acclaimed "ESPNU 150" player rankings list.

With Scout.com and Rivals.com already releasing their first editions of rankings for 2012 recruits, the ESPNU list was the last of the big three recruiting sites to announce its rankings. As with all lists, there are significant differences of opinions of players and stars given to recruits.

I just wanted to give a quick rundown of some of the winners and losers affected with ESPNU releasing its 150.

Winner: Mario Edwards

Edwards is the top DE and a top-five player overall on my Top 100 board, and I consider him the most complete DE prospect in the country.

But on the ESPNU list, he's the No. 1 overall recruit according to the folks in Bristol, CT. That easily makes Edwards a winner today with the releasing of the list, as he has top honors in the country.

6'4" and over 265 pounds, Edwards plays the run and rushes the passer equally and extremely effectively.

Loser: Ohio State

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COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Assistant Head Coach Luke Fickell speaks to the media during a press conference before the start of Spring practices at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at The Ohio State University on March 30, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio. Fickell wil

Things have been better in Columbus than they are right now. Jim Tressel is gone. Terrelle Pryor is gone. Sanctions are coming.

I really respect the Buckeye program, and I don't want to kick them while they are down, but they go down as a loser affected by the ESPNU 150 list being released, as they have just one player in the entire 150 committed in Kyle Kalis.

Also, committed running back Brionte Dunn, who is rated a 5-star player by Scout.com, is not even on the list, so really it's a double whammy.

Winner: Offensive Tackles

I've been banging the drum since March: this is one of the best, if not the best, years for offensive tackle recruits since recruiting became a booming industry in the early 2000s.

The ESPNU 150 does not do anything to negate my claim, as there are 21 offensive tackle recruits in the top 150.

The only difference is that I have Andrus Peat as my top OT, yet ESPNU lists D.J. Humphries as its top OT. 

Winner: Receivers and Athletes

ESPNU has 19 wide receivers and another 19 athletes in its top 150 players for 2012.

Interestingly enough, a couple of its listed ATHs, like USC commit Jabari Ruffin, are not really skill or perimeter players, since Ruffin is viewed as a college LB, and many others are in his mold on the list.

This is a prime year to nab a very good WR or to get a versatile ATH player to mold.

Loser: Dorial Green-Beckham and Arik Armstead

Scout.com, Rivals.com and ESPNU are considered the prime three recruiting sites, and 24/7 Sports likely makes it a big four. So with each site having its own rankings lists, there are going to be differences, especially at the top.

When it comes to the No.1 overall player, Rivals lists WR Dorial Green-Beckham, while Scout lists DE/OT Arik Armstead.

With ESPNU listing Mario Edwards as its top player, Armstead and Green-Beckham missed out on a chance to take over another site's top honor and bring us all a step closer to consensus on the top player in the country.

Winner: Stefon Diggs

I've become higher and higher on Diggs over the past few weeks, as I love his offensive versatility. I don't see him as a safety in college.

Diggs is too quick off the line as a WR and is just too, too, too good in the run-after-catch phase of the game. 6'0", 185 pounds, he can even play RB.

ESPNU lists Diggs as the top ATH in the country and a top-10 player overall. Other sites have listed Diggs lower as a WR or a DS, but on the ESPNU list, Diggs is a winner.

Loser: The State of Washington

Wow. So this was supposed to be a memorable year for star power in Washington? Not according to ESPNU.

Washington only has two players in the ESPNU 150 in offensive linemen Josh Garnett and Zach Banner. Not known as a powerhouse state per se, Washington was viewed as a state that would produce more talent this year than it ever has.

Looks like another ho-hum year up there according to ESPNU.

Winner: Texas, Florida State and Alabama

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 5: Head coach Mack Brown of the Texas Longhorns celebrates with his wife after his team won the game 10-6 over the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Cowboys Stadium on December 5, 2009 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Image

Texas is really cleaning up this year in recruiting, especially according to ESPNU, as it has a dominant eight commits in the top 150.

Florida State can lay claim to seven of the top 150, and Alabama has six. All three schools are great powerhouses on the trail and on the field, but you want to know what the scary part is?

All three schools are still in the prime hunt for many more players on the ESPNU 150.

Loser: Matt Jones

I've gotten comments from readers telling me how much they feel Matt Jones, the big RB out of Florida and a future Gator, is vastly underrated.

I love Jones, as I feel the big back at 6'3", 210 pounds is one of the best players in the country. But not according to the ESPNU 150, and that's why he goes down as a loser on this list.

As consolation, ESPNU did put Jones on the "just missed" list, as it feels he may be better suited to play LB in college.

Winner: The Typical Big Three Hotbeds

This year is no different as far as where the hotbeds are for talent: Florida, Texas and California. That's usually where the gist of recruiting talent stems from, and 2012 is the same.

The known "Big Three" make up the top three talent-producing states in the ESPNU 150, as Florida leads the way this year with 28 players, Texas has 20 and California is home to 17.

You want to know where to find the best players in high school football? Your first three stops need to be the Sunshine, Lone Star and Golden States.