25 Recruits Every Top 25 Team Would Love to Have

With the AP poll being released this weekend, we had the second domino fall of the big preseason polls.

The coaches' poll was released last week, so now each program has a two-fold sense of where they rank to begin the season.

There are recruits that just about every team in the top 25 would be foaming at the mouth to get.

I mean, the players on this list are so good that there is not one AP Top 25 team that would not take their commitments right now.

Here they are.

25. Ellis McCarthy, DT

A bit underrated in my opinion, McCarthy has offers from various schools—Florida, USC, Oregon, Cal, and Washington, among others.

In my opinion he may be the best DL and defensive player on the West Coast, as he's a 6'4", 311-pound DT with an amazing-looking frame.

McCarthy shows great snap quickness off the ball and awesome play strength. Whenever McCarthy plays with leverage and a low pad level, he's virtually unblockable.

24. Shaq Roland, WR

You want a WR that'll keep your program inside the AP poll? Roland's your man.

At 6'1" and 180 pounds, he's one of the best WRs in the nation and the top prospect in the Palmetto State this year.

He chose South Carolina over Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, among many, many others.

Roland is silky smooth athletically and has excellent deep speed and quickness in and out of his cuts.

He needs some refinement on some finer points of the WR spot but has a super-high ceiling.

23. Jessamen Dunker, OT

Dunker may not be ready to step in start for an AP Top 25 team right now, but he has a chance to develop into an all-conference starter in two or three years.

On film one can easily see see the basketball athleticism and huge potential Dunker has. With some seasoning he could be a first-round pick at LT.

Once Dunker gets coached up on his technique at Florida, he should be solid.

22. Ronald Darby, CB

Standing 5'11", weighing 175 pounds, and being able to play RB, WR, or CB, Darby is a great player. Some list him in the ATH category, while others have him down as a CB, as do I.

He had offers from just about every team in the new AP poll.

"Nitro," as he's know to most, is a quick-twitch athlete with excellent burst, transition quickness, speed, and quick-cut ability. He has the canvas to become a great corner at Notre Dame.

21. Gunner Kiel, QB

At 6'4" and 200 pounds, Kiel is an excellent QB prospect with a well-rounded skill set. He plays in the shotgun almost exclusively but sees the field very well and makes fantastic decisions.

Kiel had offers from both Oklahoma and Alabama, among others in the AP poll.

Kiel has a good arm, excellent accuracy, and pocket presence. He also flashes good athletic ability as well.

Kiel's bound for Indiana.

20. Josh Garnett, OL

Every team inside the AP poll would take Garnett in a heartbeat. In fact some of the schools are even recruiting him as an OT.

He's 6'5" and 275 pounds, and I think his best spot is actually LG. He's a good pass protector, but he may not be suited for primetime in space.

Yet, Garnett has schools like Notre Dame, Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Auburn, and USC all hot after him.

19. Shaq Thompson, DB

At 6'2" and 200 pounds, Thompson is a great safety prospect with a great canvas of versatility. He projects best as a free safety, but he can play the run like a SS and zone cover like a boundary corner.

Notre Dame and USC are two AP Top 25 teams to watch out for, but there are more.

Toss in some sneaky cover skills, and you start to think maybe he can play some boundary-zone corner. Thompson has offers from Cal, UCLA, and Washington, among many more.

18. Quay Evans, DT

Evans is an elephant at DT in the middle for a defense.

Explosive and strong at 6'2" and 320 pounds, Evans can stop, stack, drop, sit, and anchor in the middle to make a mess with the best of them. Pushing the pocket from the middle versus the pass is also one of his specialties.

Mississippi State, Alabama, LSU, USC, Oregon, and Ole Miss are all in the hunt.

17. Reggie Ragland, LB

One of my favorite players in this year's class, Ragland is a huge, 6'4", 245-pound LB who has also played WR for his prep squad.

He's a future ILB at Alabama and fits right into their scheme, but I'm sure any AP poll program could make room for Ragland.

Ragland is very instinctive, physical at the point of attack, sheds well, and plugs the run, while also showing solid blitz ability.

16. Landon Collins, DB/LB

Collins stands a stout 6'0" and 210 pounds and is an excellent box safety who can double down as a Rover/OLB. He plays the run well, but he's also a great athlete with some range to cover.

Whether he grows into an OLB or stays at SS remains to be seen, but Collins is easily one of the best defensive players in the country.

It's likely going to be either Alabama or LSU.

15. John Theus, OT

Theus stands a big 6'6", weighs 295 pounds, and is just a flat-out mauler; Theus will get physical and nasty in the run game with anybody on any field.

He does so by just rolling on targets with snap quickness and leg drive.

Theus also shows good movement to seal, pin, reach, trap, and pull to get to the second level.

He's headed to Georgia.

14. Eddie Williams, DB

Williams, a 6'4", 200-pound future safety at Alabama, can also play WR and OLB, but his coverage instincts, range, and route recognition project him best to free safety.

AP poll teams would absolutely adore having a player like Williams, trust me.

He shows natural coverage instincts, free and easy movement on the back end, roaming range, route recognition, and elite ball skills, all of which make Williams a natural interceptor.

13. Keith Marshall, RB

Marshall is a speedy and shifty RB prospect with quick feet, good vision, and excellent explosiveness.

At 5'11" and 185 pounds, he's a huge offensive threat and a touchdown waiting to happen.

Marshall has excellent burst to and through holes, can get to the second level of a defense in minimal steps, and can also be used as a receiver out of the backfield.

He's in the process of setting up trips. Watch out for Georgia and Notre Dame.

12. Stefon Diggs, WR/RB/DB

Diggs is as dynamic, versatile, and special with the football in his hands as any player in the country.

Auburn, Virginia Tech, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina are just a few AP poll teams hot after Diggs.

At 6'0" and 190 pounds, he is a quicker-than-fast athlete who can play WR, RB, DS, and CB while also returning punts and kicks.

Diggs has a ton of schools after him and will be a hot name on the trail but an even hotter player in college.

11. Rushell Shell, RB

At 5'11" and 215 pounds, Shell's a productive back with every-down ability. He has solid explosion, toughness to bang inside, and can also scoot to the edges to head up the perimeter.

You can see the run strength on tape, but Shell is not just a power back as you can also see the burst to and through holes as well as some breakaway speed.

Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, West Virginia, and Alabama are hot for Shell, but he may be Pitt's to lose.

10. Jameis Winston, QB

Winston is a 6'4", 190-pound QB prospect with dual-threat abilities.

He has just about every tool you need to succeed in any situation as a QB: arm strength, accuracy, vision, instincts, quick feet, and leadership.

Florida State just locked him up over Alabama, LSU, Stanford, and Ohio State, among teams in the AP Poll.

9. D.J. Humphries, OT

Humphries is a super-athletic OT pledged to Florida, with offers from South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and many others.

He is 6'6", 270 pounds, and easily the most naturally gifted athlete among offensive linemen in the country.

Humphries is a future All-American LT.

He is a shadow to pass rushers and gives them fits.

8. Arik Armstead, DE/OT

At 6'8" and 280 pounds, Armstead is a huge DE and could play OT in college. He's also a great basketball prospect

Armstead is also a great athlete, strong at the point of attack, has good feet, can close, and can set the edge against run.

He's committed to USC, where he says he will play DE.

7. Noah Spence, DE

Spence is a big, 6'4", 240-pound speed rusher and is viewed as the best pass-rushing DE in America. He has a sharp first step and burst to close on the passer and finish.

AP poll teams like USC, Florida, and Notre Dame are on Spence's final list.

That burst I just described is a main trait that separates the good from the great pass-rushers. Spence stays clean, is strong enough to convert speed to power, and can do this standing up. 

6. Eddie Goldman, DT

From 4-3 DT to 3-4 DE, I can put Goldman everywhere except 4-3 weak-side DE.

He stands with a 6'4", 305-pound frame and has play strength, snap quickness, and anchor ability to stop the run.

Goldman can also push the pocket from the middle and has a fight to pressure as a pass-rusher.

Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida State, Florida, and South Carolina are just a few teams that are involved in the Goldman sweepstakes. 

5. Kwon Alexander, OLB

At 6'2" and 210 pounds, Alexander defines the term "sideline to sideline" as an LB. He easily can beat RBs to holes and OLs with angles.

Alexander can also factor as a blitzer and stay on the field in passing situations with ease due to his easy change of direction to cover RBs and TEs.

Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oregon, and Florida State are a few teams inside the AP Top 25 that Alexander is looking at.

4. Mario Edwards, DE

This came down to Texas and Florida State, and the Noles beat the Longhorns.

Edwards stands 6'4", weighs 270 pounds, and plays the DE position with athleticism, speed, and quickness like a shooting guard.

Edwards can play the run with solid strength and get after the passer. Pick which you want him to do, and he'll destroy an offense.

3. Andrus Peat, OT

Peat has offers from AP poll teams like Nebraska, USC, Florida State, Alabama, Oregon, Auburn, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Stanford, Oklahoma, and Florida, among a slew of others.

A heady player whom I think will be one of the types of OTs that sets his targets up two to three snaps down the line, Peat is up to 300 pounds now on his 6'7" frame.

Combine added girth with great technique, set quickness, patience, balance, nimble feet, athleticism, and mirror ability, and you got something.

2. Johnathan Gray, RB

Gray is a ferocious RB prospect who has offers from AP poll squads like TCU and Texas A&M.

He's 5'11", 195 pounds, and has it all: speed, quickness, power, run strength, vision, quick feet, instincts, explosiveness, quick-cut ability, tackle-breaking ability, great hands, and more.

This season could be his best yet, and that's saying something because he has more than 6,000 yards and 100 TDs in the past two years.

Gray is committed to Texas.

1. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR

DGB may be the most wanted man in football right now.

He has AP poll teams like Oklahoma, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, LSU, and Texas all after him.

He's a 6'6", 220-pound WR who runs a sub-4.4 40-yard dash and has length, a huge strike zone, leaping ability, catch-in-a-crowd ability, RAC skills, and separation quickness.