College Football Recruiting 2012: Where are the Top 25 Running Backs Headed?

Running backs are a coveted position every recruiting cycle as it's a position that can be an impact spot early on for a program. This year, we have several talented rock-toters who I think can play as freshmen and several others I think will be starters after a year or two.

The more critical question is, where will they be doing their running? We're going to try to get you some answers, so come inside and check it out.

25. Drew Harris

At 6'1", 205 pounds, Harris is a workhorse type who can shoulder the running game for an offense by himself.

As a junior, Harris carried the ball 227 times for 1,960 yards and 28 touchdowns. His sophomore year saw him tote the rock over 300 times. He's a downhill, physical runner with solid run strength to push piles and break tackles.

Florida State, Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame and Miami are just some of the high profile offers he holds.

24. Jonathan Williams

Williams is a 5'11", 205-pound RB who has a trait I really love in backs—decisiveness.

He has a bit of a no-nonsense approach to running. When he sees a hole or alley forming, he sticks his foot in the ground and bursts to get there.

He shows some juice to scoot through and can beat a linebacker to the alley. Williams also has solid speed and can even factor as a receiver out of the backfield on third downs.

Missouri has his commitment.

23. Vonte Jackson

A slickster as a runner, Jackson stands 6'0", 185-pounds and is a very elusive.

He's a got a long and lean frame and his game based on speed, quickness and agility.

He's primed to rush for over 1,000 yards this season after falling just short at 956 last year.

Jackson is bound for Wisconsin.

22. Jovon Robinson

Robinson is a big, rugged back with a 6'1", 220-pound frame.

He won't wow you with his speed or ability to make dazzling long runs and highlight plays, but at the end of the game you'll know he was there.

Robinson is very physical, shows good vision, flashes patience and is very decisive in his decision making with the ball.

He's heading to Auburn.

21. D.J. Foster

Foster is similar to Drake in playing style, as he also is a dynamic athlete at the RB position.

He's 6'0", 185 pounds and, while he needs to tack on some more mass on his frame, he does show great speed and playmaking ability.

Foster can make a defender miss with some serious shake 'n' bake moves as a RB, and can catch the ball like a receiver.

Auburn, USC, Arizona State and Oregon are his final four.

20. Kenyan Drake

Drake has a chance to really develop into a major part of his offense in college as he has a fine skill set. At 6'0",195 pounds, he is a super athlete who can really explode with the football.

His burst is extremely apparent on film and he even flashes soft hands. I can easily see him becoming a jack-of-all-trades type of offensive weapon, where he can split time between the running back and receiver, lining up in the slot on third downs.

He'll do damage at Alabama.

19. Keivarae Russell

Russell is a back who has a game predicated on quickness. He can jump, pick and slide to holes very quickly, get up field in a flash, make a defender miss in tight spaces and has great elusiveness.

He's only 170 pounds, but his 5'11" frame can put on some weight to hold up in college. Russell can also factor as a returner.

Cal, USC, Notre Dame, Washington and Boise State are his top five.

18. Mike Davis

A smooth and easy going runner, Davis is a shifty type who prides himself on making defenders miss. If you're looking for a back with some wiggle in their style, look no further than Davis.

Weighing in at 5'10", 195 pounds, Davis is dangerous in the open field. But what makes him special is his explosion out of cuts at the junction point of routes in the passing game. Linebackers will have fits trying to cover Davis in college.

He's headed to Florida.

17. T.J. Yeldon

At 6'1", 200 pounds, Yeldon is the top RB prospect in Alabama this year. He has excellent size, but has home run potential since he shows a good burst and long speed on tape.

Some teams like him on defense, but Yeldon feels RB is his top spot. He will be an every-down runner in college.

Auburn has him lined up.

16. Brian Kimbrow

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-yard dash.

Quick, slippery, elusive and explosive, Kimbrow is a versatile offensive weapon. 

Kimbrow is going to Vanderbilt.

15. William Mahone

Mahone is like Savon Huggins; a 6'0", 195-pound back with solid pop and quickness. He's a quicker-than-fast athlete who also has good run strength.

Mahone doesn't shy away from tugging it up the middle and will bang with the big boys. He plays faster than many think.

Pitt, Notre Dame, Penn State and Michigan State are the core contenders.

14. Byron Marshall

At 5'10", 195 pounds, Marshall makes most of his money on the edges. He's quick to escape to turn the corner and, if he gets his shoulders square upfield, he's gone.

He easily will be able to be used on sweeps, pitches and screens in college. Marshall is dangerous in space and can split the safeties deep.

Cal, USC, Oregon, Notre Dame, Washington and Arizona State are the main six.

13. Greg Garmon

Big backs with vision are among my favorite types, and Garmon is exactly that.

At 6'2", 200 pounds, you can almost see his eyes processing information quickly on tape and he sees blocks very well.

Once he makes his selection of where to attack, he sticks his foot in the ground and charges upfield, showing excellent speed. He should be an exciting player in college.

North Carolina, Iowa, Pitt, Michigan and Illinois are the core schools he's considering.

12. Alex Ross

Ross is a physical runner who never backs down from defenders. At 6'1", 205 pounds, he loves to mix it up in between the tackles and dares tacklers to challenge him in alleys.

Ross gets to and through holes with solid explosion and decisiveness. He wastes no time and knows what he wants to get out of each carry.

Oklahoma has him locked up.

11. Mario Pender

At 6'0" and over 200 pounds, Pender 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.

10. Wes Brown

Brown is a very solid running back prospect from the Mid-Atlantic region and has the tools be a complete runner on the collegiate level. He's solid in all areas of his game and stands at 6'0" and 190 pounds.

He can pick and slide to holes and he has the juice to skate through. Look for Brown to develop into a very solid back down the line.

Maryland, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Syracuse are some of the many schools he's considering.

9. Barry Sanders Jr.

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 Stanford are his main four.

8. Warren Ball

Ball is a 6'2", 200-pound running back who is equally good as a receiver out of the backfield. We use the term "every down" back a lot when evaluating running backs, but Ball is the epitome of the term.

He will be able to tote the rock on the first two initial downs, but he will also be able to be used as a featured pass-catcher in the air assault portion of his team's offense. 

Ball is committed to Ohio State.

7. Randy Johnson

Johnson shows athleticism that speaks to me as being quicker than fast. At 5'9", 180 pounds, he's an elusive ball carrier who can shake and bake with the best of them.

Dangerous in the open field, he always looks for even the smallest crease to skate through and can hide well behind his blockers to pick and slide to holes.

He's headed to Miami, and I expect him to stay committed there.

6. Matt Jones

Jones is a big-back prospect who stands a large 6'3", 210 pounds. Most big backs are stiff, straight-line bruising types, but Jones is the contrary.

He has very good athleticism and has good wiggle for a big back. He is decisive with his reads, hits holes hard and can also be used as a receiver.

Jones is committed to Florida.

4. Trey Williams

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

He's committed to Texas A&M.

4. Brionte Dunn

Dunn is your classic big-back prospect. He's a bruiser who does the dirty work in between the tackles and loves to mix it up in run alleys. At 6'1", 215 pounds, he's a chugger who relishes contact.

I like the way Dunn finishes runs and plays to his size upon contact. He's physical and has excellent run instincts.

Dunn is pledged to Ohio State, but keep an eye on Michigan, Penn State and Miami among a few more.

3. Keith Marshall

Marshall shows a skill set that is based on speed and quickness. He has a good burst to scoot to the second level, can shake and bake in the open field and has solid run instincts. 

He's an elite-caliber recruit at 5'11", 185 pounds with nimble feet and is a pure home run hitter. Marshall can score from anywhere on the field in every way possible. Great vision, wiggle, elusiveness and playmaking ability all are attached to his name.

Georgia, Notre Dame and Florida seem to be standing out along with Alabama, USC, Auburn, FSU, Miami, North Carolina and South Carolina.

2. Rushel Shell

At 5'11", 215 pounds, Shell is among the best running backs in the country. He has elite vision, awareness and run instincts to go along with great speed and run strength.

Shell will be an every-down carrier as a collegiate player as he shows the toughness, size and run strength to stay between the tackles, while also solid hands and speed as a receiver out of the backfield.

Pitt is the favorite, but Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Penn State are among Shell's many, many suitors.

1. Johnathan Gray

With production that amounts to over 6,000 yards and 109 touchdowns over the past two seasons alone, Gray has a chance to firmly entrench himself into the Texas and U.S. High School football record books this senior season.

At 5'11", 195-pounds, Gray has elite vision, feel, instincts, elusiveness, speed and quickness. He's as complete a running back as there is in the nation and maybe to come out in the past several years.

Texas has him locked up.