No. 1 Texas
(commitment
list)
With the rare exception, Texas has been a mainstay in the Top 10 of Scout's
recruiting rankings. While the Longhorns have
stacked talent up and down the sidelines for years, one exception has been at
running back. Over the last four years, Texas has signed one running back ranked
higher than 15th nationally, Chris
Whaley '09 who has since been moved to H-Back. That trend changed this year
as Texas has a commitment from the No. 1 running back in the nation in Malcolm
Brown (6-1/220) of Cibolo. Brown is bringing some help with him in the form of
six offensive linemen headlined by 5-Stars Christian
Westerman (6-5/295) of Chandler, Ariz. and Garrett
Greenlea (6-7/285) of Klein.
No. 2 Ohio
State (commitment
list)
The Buckeyes' Class of 2011 is headlined by Scout's No. 1 quarterback Braxton
Miller (6-2/190) of Huber Heights. Capable of running by most defenses,
Miller has let his big arm do most of the talking this year as he's struggled
with an ankle injury. Farther ahead as a passer than Terrelle
Pryor, Miller should make a seamless transition into the Ohio State offense
during the course of his career.
No. 3 Alabama
(commitment
list)
Alabama has been the gold standard of recruiting in the deep south the past
three years with three straight Top 5 finishes. The Crimson Tide is poised for a
fourth straight Top 5 finish as they've flexed their national muscle with
commitments from difference makers such as Scout's No. 1 safety HaSean
Clinton-Dix (6-2/200) of Orlando, Fla. and 5-Star linebacker Trey
DePriest (6-2/230) of Springfield, Ohio. Alabama looks to reload on offense
with four commitments from receivers headlined by Marvin
Shinn (6-4/195) of Prichard.
No. 4 Oklahoma
(commitment
list)
Oklahoma finished with the No. 2 class in the country last year, and the Sooners
are following up with a strong 2011
campaign. As is typical for Oklahoma, the Sooners are dipping down into Texas
for some of its best players. Scout's No.1 receiver Trey
Metoyer (6-2/185) and 5-Star running back Brandon
Williams (6-0/190) hail from Whitehouse, Texas and Pattison, Texas
respectively. Quarterback Kendal Thompson (6-2/180) of Moore, Okla. is a bit of
a wildcard for the Sooners as he's a much better runner than passer; a stark
contrast from the signal callers we've come to see light up scoreboards in
Norman.
No. 5 Florida
(commitment
list)
The Gators entered a rebuilding season in 2010, and it looks like they're 
planning on reloading in the very near future. Florida finished with the No. 1
class in 2010, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them make a run for the top
spot again (although Texas is going to be tough to beat). Florida currently has
18 commitments headlined by Scout's No. 2 quarterback Jeff
Driskel (6-4/230) of Oviedo and are high on the lists of 5-Stars around the
country including receiver Sammy
Watkins (6-1/180) of Fort Myers and running back Savon
Huggins (6-0/200) of Jersey City, N.J.
No. 6 Stanford
(commitment
list)
Two years ago we wrote of Stanford as being the surprise team in recruiting as
the Cardinal finished 15th in Scout's recruiting rankings, and while Stanford
probably won't finish with a Top 5 class once all the schools fill out their
scholarship allotment, it's no longer a surprise to see them amongst the elite
teams in the nation in recruiting. Afterall, they're certainly among the elite
teams on the field now with a 7-1 record and a Top 10 national ranking.
Stanford's reach is national; their 22 commitments come from 14 different states
including 4-Star linebackers James
Vaughters (6-2/232) of Tucker, Ga. and Antony
Sarao (6-1/220) of Absecon, N.J.
No. 7 Notre
Dame (commitment
list)
Irish Head Coach Brian Kelly may be known as a spread offense aficionado, but he
knows without big men, no offense works. Notre Dame's two highest rated recruits
are both offensive linemen. Conor
Hanratty (6-4/290) of New Canaan, Conn. is ranked the No. 3 guard in the
nation, and Matt Hagerty (6-6/281) of Aztec, N.M. is the No. 7 tackle.
No. 8 LSU
(commitment
list)
The top talent in the state of Louisiana is as good as it's been since the Class
of 2004 that included future stars in receiver
Early
Doucet and defensive tackle Glenn
Dorsey. As is typical in the Pelican state, the LSU is getting the Tiger's
share of the best players including 5-Star linemen La'el Collins (6-4/275) of
Baton Rouge and Anthony
Johnson (DT, 6-2/300) of New Orleans. It's not all about the big men though
as Jarvis Landry (5-11/190) of Lutcher is arguably the most college ready
receiver in the nation.
No. 9 Arkansas
(commitment
list)
Head Coach Bobby Petrino's high flying Arkansas Razorbacks have gotten the
attention of players from outside of their typical Southeast/Texas recruiting
base and gotten commitments from players such as 4-Star receivers Quinta
Funderburk (6-3/200) of Chesapeake, Va., and Keante
Minor (6-2/195) of East Saint Louis, Ill. as well as 4-Star safety Kelvin
Fischer (6-0/180) of Gilber, Ariz. Make no mistake about it though, Arkansas
continues to recruit its area well, landing the nation's No. 4 ranked offensive
tackle in Brey
Cook (6-7/310) of Springdale, Ark.
No. 10 North
Carolina (commitment
list)
The Tar Heels may not have consciously focused on rebuilding the core of an
offense, but one has to surmise that North Carolina is going to see some very
talented players mature together as a unit. North Carolina has a pair of 4-Star
quarterbacks committed in Everett
Golson (5-11/170) of Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Marquise
Williams (6-3/215) of Charlotte. The quarterbacks make up two of North
Carolina's five highest rated commitments. The other three? Offensive linemen.
Including the No. 3 offensive tackle in the country Kiaro
Holts (6-5/270) of Indianapolis, Ind.
No. 11 Florida
State (commitment
list)
Florida State closed the Class of 2010 with a flourish that reminded many
recruitniks of the Seminoles of old adding four players after Thanksgiving
ranked in the Top 10 at their respective positions including Scout's No. 2
linebacker and corner in Jeff
Luc and Lamarcus
Joyner respectively. Florida State has continued the momentum in to the
Class of 2011 with one of its biggest coups in big athlete James
Wilder (6-3/215) of Tampa. Wilder is being recruited to play running back,
but it's a testament to his versatility that he's ranked No. 1 as an outside
linebacker. Safety Karlos
Williams (6-1/205) of Davenport, Fla. is the type of big defensive back
typically associated with a rival in Florida that produced the likes of Ed
Reed, Kenny
Phillips and Sean Taylor.
No. 12 Georgia
(commitment
list)
After finishing outside of the Top 20 for the first time, Georgia has come back
with renewed focus on taking care of its home state. 11 of Georgia's first 16
commitments are from the Peach State, and the Bulldogs still have their eyes on
big prizes such as Scout's No. 2 running back Isaiah
Crowell (6-0/210) of Columbus and the No. 1 tight end Jay
Rome (6-6/240) of Valdosta. Battling the Crimson Tide for both players could
go a long way in determining which SEC power finishes higher in the final
rankings.
No. 13 Nebraska (commitment
list)
The team of the '90s didn't fare as well in the '00s as Oklahoma and Texas took
center stage in the Big 12, but a resurgent season on the field in '09 has led
to big
recruiting dividends off the field in '10 including Scout's No. 3 running back
Aaron Green (5-11/185) of San Antonio, Texas. Head Coach Bo
Pelini made his name with defense, but it's on the offensive side of the
ball that the Huskers are scoring the most early wins including Green and a pair
of talented quarterbacks in athlete Jamal
Turner (6-1/170) of Arlington, Texas and Bubba
Starling (6-5/190) of Gardner, Kan.
No. 14 Oklahoma
State (commitment
list)
It's a deep year for running backs in the state of Texas and Oklahoma State made
sure they didn't miss out and grabbed Scout's No. 7 back nationally in Herschel
Sims (5-9/190) of Abilene. The Cowboys also picked up a commitment from
dual-threat quarterback J.W.
Walsh (6-2/200) of Denton, Texas. Walsh is a perfect fit for what the
Cowboys do on offense. He can run past most defenders on the front seven, and he
has a strong enough arm to keep the safeties honest. Walsh should put up big
numbers for the Cowboys before his career is done.
No. 15 Clemson
(commitment
list)
Clemson capitalized on the huge success of C.J.
Spiller by recruiting two of the top running backs in the country to try and
become the next Spiller. 4-Star Marlin
Lane (6-0/205) of Daytona has been committed Clemson since before his junior
season, which may have been the best thing for him. Lane missed his junior
season with an injury and has struggled to get back to form as a senior. There's
been no such worry with Scout's No. 3 running back Mike
Bellamy (5-10/190) of Punta Gorda, Fla., a 4.3 forty rocket of a back.
No. 16 Texas
Tech (commitment
list)
The list of running backs that Red Raider Head Coach Tommy Tuberville has sent
to the NFL is long and distinguished dating back to his days at Ole
Miss, and two of Texas' finest have cast their lot with Texas Tech. Kenny
Williams (5-10/206) of Pflugerville and Bradley
Marquez (5-11/185) of Odessa are both rated 4-Stars by Scout.
No. 17 South
Carolina (commitment
list)
A recent addition, but familiar team, to the Top 25 are the South Carolina
Gamecocks. A November 1st commitment from 5-Star offensive tackle Brandon
Shell (6-7/310) of Goose Creek, S.C. can bring a team out of the 30s
quickly. South Carolina has done some of its best work following a good start to
the football season. Its three highest rated commitments including Shell, 4-Star
receiver Damiere
Byrd (5-10/16) of Erial, N.J. and 4-Star running back Shon
Carson (5-9/195) of Lake City, S.C. have all occurred after October 1st.
No. 18 Pittsburgh
(commitment
list)
Pittsburgh has been the most consistent recruiter in the Big East the past
several seasons, and it looks like the Class of 2011 will be no different. The
only Big East member ranked in Scout's Top 30, the Panthers have rolled up a
balanced class that includes five 4-Star players playing five different
positions including wide receiver Bill
Belton (5-10/190) of Atco, N.J., defensive tackle Marquise
Wright (6-3/260) of Paramus, N.J., and safety Terrell
Chestnut (5-10/180) of Pottstown, Pa.
No. 19 USC (commitment
list)
For those that argue average star rank per player is the only thing that
matters, remove USC's two special teams commitments and the Trojans have average
a whopping 3.72 stars for its remaining 11 commitments, third only behind Texas
and Ohio State. What the Trojans lack in numbers, they're making up for in
talent including the most exciting player in the country Scout's No. 1
cornerback DeAnthony
Thomas (5-10/175) of Los Angeles. Thomas could make an impact at literally
every skill position on the field from defensive back to running back to wildcat
quarterback and return man.
No. 20 Auburn
(commitment
list)
A testament to the talent on Auburn's commitment list is that of the teams in
the Top 25 only USC (12) has less
commitments than the Tigers (13). A surprising run at a
BCS Championship and a Heisman Trophy candidate could play major dividends for
Auburn heading in to the final stretch of the recruiting season, adding to a
talented core of commitments including quarterback Kiehl
Frazier (6-3/215) of Springdale, Ark. and cornerback Jonathan Rose (6-2/180)
of Leeds.
No. 21 Mississippi
State (commitment
list)
Speaking of teams heading in the right direction, Head Coach Dan
Mullen has his Bulldogs ranked in the Top 25 this late in the season for the
first time in years, and recruits are taking notice. Maybe the biggest surprise
of the recruiting season in the deep south was the commitment of Scout's No. 8
receiver Nickolas
Brassell (6-1/180) of South Panola High School, an Ole Miss stronghold for
years.
No. 22. Washington
(commitment
list)
While the rebuilding process at Washington hit a speed bump in 2010, the
recruits across the country have seen enough of the Huskies to know they're
headed in the right direction long term. With a limited home state recruiting
base, it's paramount that the Huskies keep its top in state talent home, and so
far so good as Washington has secured commitments from tight end Austin
Seferian-Jenkins (6-7/245) of Gig Harbor and receiver Kasen
Williams (6-3/215) of Sammamish, both rated 5-Stars by Scout.
No. 23 Ole Miss (commitment
list)
Not that the Rebels have given up on trying to bring Brassell to Oxford, but
should he decide to stick with Mississippi State, the receiver position should
remain in good hands with Donte
Moncrief (6-3/212) of Raleigh, Miss. Moncrief is rated 4-Stars by Scout and
has steadily risen in the rankings through the spring and summer as he's
dominated his competition.
No. 24 Michigan State (commitment
list)
The Spartans scored early with a spring commitment from 5-Star linebacker Lawrence
Thomas (6-4/230) of Detroit. Thomas is the nation's No. 2 ranked outside
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Lawrence Thomas
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linebacker and he has the size and versatility to play a multitude of roles for
the Spartans including edge pass rusher or moving inside to play a big run
stuffer in the middle. He has the size of a defensive end but has the type of
exceptional athletic ability that has characterized Alabama's big backers the
last several years.
No. 25 Tennessee
(commitment
list)
Head Coach Derek Dooley and his staff have done a remarkable job taking over a
volatile situation in Knoxville and bringing a stabilizing force to Tennessee
that has the Vols currently ranked No. 25. Quarterback Justin
Worley (6-4/197) of Rock Hill, S.C. is a heady signal caller that has thrown
for a couple of miles worth of yards in the Palmetto State.
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