College Football Recruiting 2012: 3 Recruits Who Chose the Wrong School

Edwin WeathersbyJul 13, 2011

It's very, very tough for me to do a story like this as I root for each and every one of these recruits at the end of the day. Getting a scholarship to play college football is a special ordeal and I congratulate them all.

Yet the folks of B/R have asked that I pick a couple recruits whom I feel may have picked the wrong school. Whether the scheme of the offense or defense doesn't fit their skill set or the depth chart is stocked with great talent at their position, here are three players I think should re-think things.

Here we go.

3. Malik Gilmore, WR

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Gilmore is a 6'3", 200 pound WR that is headed to Oregon State. Which is a great choice for anyone. Really.

Yet, I've met Gilmore in person and watched him up close. He's got a long frame, good hands and great body control. He could be a star in the right system.

With offers from more prominent schools like Notre Dame and Michigan, one would think that the road to stardom in college football is lot smoother in Ann Arbor or South Bend than it is in Corvalis.

2. Brian Kimbrow, RB

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I thought Kimbrow could end up at Auburn and it did catch me by surprise to see him pledge to Vanderbilt. But Vandy does offer a great education and a chance to be a part of James Franklin's rejuvenation of Commodore football is appealing.

However, at the end of the day it's about winning and I'm sorry but Vanderbilt doesn't have a rich history of winning and that's not going to radically change anytime soon.

I can't fault Kimbrow for his choice, but this was obviously more about education and helping rebuild a program than winning championships.

1. Michael Barton, LB

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Barton is a very athletic LB en route to stay close to home and attend Cal. If you get a chance to see the recruiting video Cal released a few months ago, then you need to because it's amazing.

But from a football standpoint, I'm not too hot on Barton's decision as I question where he fits as a LB in Cal's 3-4 scheme.

Barton is 6'1", 205 pounds, and is a rangy, athletic player. I'm not sure if he fits in as a 3-4 ILB and he's not a pure pass rusher to play 3-4 OLB.

His best bet at Cal is to play the weakside ILB spot, as his range, instincts and play making transition best there for now.