2012 ESPNU 150 Release: The Most Overrated and Underrated Recruits

Taking another kind of look at the first release of the ESPU 150 list for 2012, I decided to examine the rankings they have and compare them to my board.

As with all opinion based exercises, especially in player evaluation, there will be differences between everyone's opinion on players. With this piece, I'm just going give my opinion on what recruits I think ESPNU overrated and underrated.

Here we go.

Overrated: Noor Davis, LB

You'll notice a theme through this in my overrated players: it's not that I don't like the prospects, I just think they're rated too high.

Davis fits the mold to a "T". I like the athletic 6'4", 225-pound LB prospect's length and athleticism, but I just think 18th overall is a bit rich for my blood.

Davis is headed to Stanford, and should become a great three-down LB in the Pac-12, but I think he's too high on the ESPNU 150.

Underrated: Darius Hamilton, DE

I have Hamilton as one of the 20 best players in the country, as does Scout.com and many other publications. But not ESPNU.

The 6'4", 245-pounder is only rated as the 67th best player in the country and not considered a 5-star prospect. That's underrated by my standards.

Hamilton is a versatile DE that is strong enough to the point where some say he could even grow into a DT in college.

Overrated: Jessamen Dunker, OT

Dunker has the ceiling of a future first round pick at LT. There's no doubt about it, as the 6'6", 315-pounder has excellent athletic ability, nimble feet, agility, knee bend and second level quickness.

Yet he still is a bit raw in my opinion and there are two OTs that I think are closer to being more complete players than him in Andrus Peat and John Theus, I also like D.J. Humphries a bit more as well.

Dunker will be a great player, yes, but having him at No. 14 is overrated by just a bit.

Underrated: Shaq Roland, WR

Roalnd's schism to many evaluators is the limited time he spends at WR, the position he most likely will play in college. 6'1", 180 pounds, he's a smooth athlete with good deep speed and playmaking ability.

He's inside my top 25 rankings on my board, but for the ESPNU 150 he only sits at 46th overall. I just think that's too low for the top receiver in the South.

Interestingly enough, he's listed as an ATH on the list and not as a WR.

Overrated: Dalton Santos, LB

Santos just announced he is no longer committed to Oklahoma State, and is back on the market. He's one of the better LB recruits in the midwest, but I just don't think he's one of the top 100 players in the country.

ESPNU has him ranked 93rd. 

6'2" and over 230 pounds, when I watch film on Santos, I see two-down college LB that will have problems with his range also will have problems in coverage. He will have to helped on passing downs by playing a heavy dose of zone or even removed from sub-packages.

Underrated: Andrus Peat, OT

Peat is the top OT on my board and also a top five overall recruit in my eyes. He's on the same level of a Matt Kalil coming out of high school, as he is close to being a sound and polished LT prospect.

6'7", and listed at 280 pounds, Peat has recently said he has tacked on more weight and is in the 300-pound range. He's a solid athlete, plays with great technique, strength, balance, patience and quickness.

ESPNU only has him as the 22nd best player. Wow.

Overrated: Tracy Howard, CB

Howard is good corner. Do not get me wrong. I like the 5'11", 175-pounder's game and skill set. Quick feet, short area quickness, moxy, great transition and drive.

Yet there are just a few other CBs that I like a bit more, including Ronald Darby, Brian Poole, Yuri Wright and Geno Smith.

No slight to Howard, I just like the other guys a bit more or the same and feel 19th overall is high for him.

Underrated: Ronald Darby, CB

Speaking of Darby, he's underrated on the ESPNU 150 as he is only ranked at No.70 and as an ATH. Yes, "Nitro" is slighted by the folks in Bristol.

I can see where he could be listed as an ATH because Darby is one of the fastest players in America, and that speed could translate well as either a WR or RB for the 5'11", 176-pounder, just like Mike Bellamy of the 2011 class.

But Darby is viewed by many as the top CB prospect in the country, and Notre Dame likely will slot him there.

Overrated: Patrick Destefano, OL

Destefano will likely be a solid starter for Clemson, sure. But I'm not sure he is an OT, as I think the 6'5", 275-pounder will be an OG.

I also don't have him as the 61st best recruit in the country. Destefano is a solid lineman, but I question his production space, which is why the OG position gets mentioned by me.

Underrated: Reggie Ragland, LB

The only knock I have on Ragland is I'm not big on his change of direction, as I think he takes too long to gather and cut to make plays laterally.

Other than that, I think he's a 6'4", 245-pound monster. He's instinctive, plays big at the point of attack, explodes upon contact, competes, can shed and escape blocks, and has pretty good straightline speed.

He's a top 25-30 player on my board, but ESPNU has him all the way down at 112th. Talk about underrated.