National Signing Day 2012: Which Top Schools Will Win out Big?

As college football bowl season approaches, the downtime these coaches have will be all about recruiting, which is an extremely vital part of a successful program. 

Sure, having the right coaches call great plays helps make a school better, but if you can't recruit at a high level, that program will never win a championship nor become a powerhouse in college football.

Recruiting may seem like a daunting task, and while it's very competitive, it's also great to watch everything unfold. 

Top recruits must make crucial life decisions, and schools hope they land their most coveted players. National signing day isn't until February 1st, 2012, which means the class rankings are sure to change.

However, it's already clear that these three schools will be home run hitters this offseason. 

Texas Longhorns 

The state of Texas lives and breathes football, and if there's an elite player from the state up for grabs, chances are he's going to play for the Longhorns. 

In fact, of the Longhorns 25 commits, only three are not from the state of Texas. They currently sit atop the class ranks for ESPN, Rivals.com and Scout.com, and will remain near the top when it's all said and done. 

The Longhorns' top commits are running back Johnathan Gray, who is listed as ESPN's No. 1 RB, defensive tackle Malcom Brown and wide receiver Cayleb Jones. 

Texas will have some impact freshman for the 2012 season, and it's all thanks to Mack Brown and his staff's ability to recruit. 

Michigan Wolverines

A year ago, things weren't looking all that great for the Wolverines, but the firing of Rich Rodriguez and the hiring of Brady Hoke has made all the difference in the world. 

Rated No. 6 by ESPN, No. 3 by Rivals.com and No. 2 by Scout.com, the Wolverines are locks for prime talent this coming year. 

Michigan's top commit is cornerback Terry Richardson, but several recruits are heavily interested in the Wolverines because of their fresh start and amazing tradition. 

The many list of recruits interested in Michigan include No. 1 wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, who is listed at 6'6", 220 pounds and is considered the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation by Rivals, No.2 by Scout and No. 3 by ESPN.

Alabama Crimson Tide 

Nick Saban has had great success at Alabama, and that will continue for as long as he remains head coach.

Ranked the top three of recruiting classes by ESPN, Rivals and Scout, the Crimson Tide will see even more commits fly in as signing day approaches, especially if they win their second BCS title in two years. 

The more a team wins, the better it'll be when it comes to recruiting. Alabama knows how to do that, and since it is rich with tradition and history, it's easy to pitch prospects to come play for the Crimson Tide. Not to mention the classes are easier there than some other schools. 

Alabama's top commit is athlete Eddie Williams, who will most likely play in the secondary. However, the Crimson Tide are also in the running for three of the top five players in ESPNU's Top 150. 

Green-Beckham, top defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and top defensive end Noah Spence all have Alabama on their list. When three of the best recruits in the country are all considering once school, you know that program is in the right place.