College Football Recruiting 2012: Top 10 Recruiting Classes Entering September

With September quickly approaching, it marks an important month. Sure, yours truly has a birthday at the start of the month, but it marks the start of the season. Coaches will really be set in their routines of game-planning each week, so recruiting for them may take a very, very tiny backseat.

So it's a crucial month to examine a program's recruiting efforts to examine their classes up to this point. For us, we're going to take the top 10 classes heading into September, to let you know which teams are among the elite in recruiting, right now.

Happy September!

10. Oklahoma

The pre-season No.1 team checks in just inside the top 10 entering the season kickoff with 12 commitments.

Although, the class is not as big as some of the others on this list, a third of the class are ESPNU 150 players.

The top player in the class so far is 4-star WR Durron Neal, who is joined by fellow 4-star recruits RB Alex Ross and WR Sterling Shepard.

Toss in Ty Darlington, John McGee among a talented group of others and you see this class in moving in the right direction. 

9. Texas A&M

A&M holds 21 players in their current recruiting class, and pretty much are almost about done with 2012 recruiting.

I'm not sure if it's because of the preseason buzz the Aggies have this year or the possible SEC expansion but Mike Sherman has hauled in quality talent.

You start with players like QB Matt Davis, RB Trey Williams, LB Jordan Richmond and WR/DB Corey Thompson. Toss in ATH's Bralon Addison and Darion Moore plus Jaevon Richardson and this class shapes up to be a great one.

8. Auburn

Auburn has really gotten a bang for their buck, as quality seems to be the theme for the defending champs in their 2012 recruiting efforts.

They've got 15 commitments and four are inside the ESPNU 150. Yet, Scout.com has the Tigers with over an 80 percent rate of players rated 4-stars or higher. Wow.

QB Zeke Pike, RB T.J. Yeldon, WR Ricardo Louis, TE Ricky Parks and LB Cassanova McKinzy are the leaders of the quality class Gene Chizik has hauled in thus far.

7. Miami

Shocked to see Miami this high because of the, you know, scandal? Probably so, but the Canes have done a very good job in recruiting this year, and I actually see them hanging on to most of the class.

They have five players of the ESPNU 150 out of their 24 commitments. Al Golden has fostered great relationships around the 305 prep football scene and it's paid off.

DE Jelani Hamilton is the headliner followed by players like LB Keith Brown and RB Duke Johnson.

6. Clemson

Clemson has 16 commitments right now, and there is good reason for Tiger fans to get geeked about their class.

DB Travis Blanks is one of the very best DBs in the entire country, as the 6'1", 195-pounder can double as a DS or CB. DE Martin Aiken is one of the top pass rushers according to Scout.com and OT Patrick Destefano is destined to be a top flight starter.

With a great 2011 recruiting class in their back pocket, Clemson has shown they're back at it in 2012.

5. Michigan

Big Blue is back on the trail and they are back big time. Michigan has the No.1 class in the nation according to Scout.com, yet they fall at this slot on my rankings list.

However, Brady Hoke has 23 commitments and a ton of talent headed for Ann Arbor. OT Kyle Kalis is one of the top at his position.

Hoke's four LBs of Joe Bolden, Kaleb Ringer, James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone make up the top LB class in the country.

CB Terry Richardson, OT Erik Magnuson, DE Chris Wormley and TE Devin Funchess should impact for Michigan as well.

4. Florida

Florida has 17 pledges with seven players being tagged as ESPNU 150 talents. CB Brian Pooled is a 5-star talent, as is OT D.J. Humphries and both players are sure to be multi-year starters.

Six foot six, 315 pounds, Jessamen Dunker is the most intriguing player in the class. He shows great size, balance, excellent feet, knee bend and incredible athleticism. He's still a bit raw, but college coaching should help him reach his amazing potential.

While he is still rated 4-stars, don't sleep on 6'3", 210-pound RB Matt Jones. Jones reminds me a bit of Eddie George on tape, and could even play LB.

3. Alabama

'Bama also has 17 commits. This Crimson Tide class has a chance to make a serious push for No.1 as the recruiting cycle wears on.

DB/ATH Eddie Williams is one of the best athletes in the country, as he projects to be a rangy 6'4", 205-pound free safety.

The other headliner is 5-star LB Reggie Ragland. A huge, 6'4", 245-pounder that blows ball carriers up at the point of attack, Ragland is an above average athlete, strong and instinctive.

He will be the next great ILB in Tuscaloosa.

2. Florida State

Jimbo Fisher has hauled in consecutive (at the very, very worst) top 10 classes for FSU in his two years leading the charge in recruiting last season being his first as head coach.

Fisher's biggest commitments of his 16 total are clearly 5-star DE Mario Edwards and QB Jameis Winston, each ranked tops at their position. 6'4", 270 pounds, Edwards is as big as a DT and as athletic as a LB.

Winston is a 6'4", 190-pound dual threat type that also is an excellent baseball prospect.

Florida State also has a bit of a sleeper in 4-star OT Alphonse Taylor, a 6'6", 340-pounder that can play both OT and OG. Watch out for Chris Casher, Dante Fowler, Marvin Bracy, Justin Shanks, Mario Pender and PJ Williams too.

1. Texas

According to ESPNU, half of Texas' class is in the top 150. Half. Nine out of 18 total commit. Plus the other nine aren't slouches, either.

Mack Brown has another QB in Connor Brewer who is said to have an "it" factor. WR Cayleb Jones is a 5-star player per Scout.com and so is OT Kennedy Estelle and DT Malcom Brown.

But the player I'm pumped about is RB Johnathan Gray who simply has ran for over 6000 yards and 109 TDs in just the past two seasons alone.