College Football Recruiting 2012: Hot Seat Coaches Scaring Away Recruits

It isn't too late to start to speculate about which coaches are on the hot seat now is it? Speculation runs afoot week in and week out, and this 2012 season is no different.

Any time the word "hot seat" is even in the same zip code as a coach, recruits take notice. Recruiting classes are always affected when uncertainty emerges around a head coach's job security.

For this read, we're going to take a look at a couple coaches who could be on the hot seat and are seeing their current recruiting classes be affected by it.

Chip Kelly

Kelly may not be on a super-hot seat and probably, out of the other coaches on this list, is the most likely to be back next year.

However, he does have a cloud over him with the Willie Lyles scandal and NCAA investigation. That is the main reason why it is not that big of a shock to see Oregon have just eight total commitments right now.

Yet, with that said, the Ducks are in the consideration of some of the country's top talent like Kwon Alexander and Josh Garnett. But, just based how it looks right now, recruits are shying away from playing in Eugene.

Rick Neuheisel

The Bruins have been struggling on the recruiting scene the past couple years after starting off with two red-hot classes under Rick Neuheisel.

This 2012 class currently has 11 commitments, which is about par for the course, but, when you look deeper, you can can see that only two players in this class are rated at least 4-stars.

The Bruins have gotten off to a slow start this year, and coming in, Rick Neuheisel was hearing the whispers of a hot seat. Things don't look good in Westwood right now.

Mark Richt

Now, now, before you UGA and SEC fans start getting on my case, hear me out. Personally, I don't believe Mark Richt is on a big time hot seat, but the talk just won't stop.

I know the Dawgs have begun to circle the wagons and talk has subdued for the time being, but tell me why Richt only has 12 commitments right now, which is the third least in the SEC?

That's not the norm for Georgia recruiting and shows that the rumors of Richt's hot seat are at least somewhat affecting their efforts on the trail.

Even 5-star RB Keith Marshall felt he needed to ask AD Greg McGarity about Richt's future on a visit earlier this month.