The final version of the Scout.com National Hot 100 was released earlier today. Running back Chris Wells (Akron, Ohio) still claims the top spot as the nation’s top overall prospect. Wells, 6-1.5 and 225 pounds, is headed to Ohio State and took over the Scout.com No. 1 position over several worthy prospects like Andre Smith (Birmingham, Ala.), Sam Young (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma City, Ok.) and Vidal Hazelton (Chatham, Va.). Those four prospects round out the Scout.com top five.
Smith and Young are the nation’s top two offensive line prospects as they slide in as the nation’s No. 2 and No. 3 overall prospects behind Wells. Smith is undecided between Alabama, Southern Cal, LSU, Florida State, Florida and Ole Miss while Young just committed to Notre Dame last Thursday. McCoy, the nation’s top defensive prospect, was impressive as anyone in San Antonio, Texas during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, will decide between Oklahoma, USC and LSU.
A topic of great debate for the last 11 months among the Scout.com recruiting team was who is the top wide receiver in the country? Is it Vidal Hazelton (Chatham, Va.) or Percy Harvin (Landstown, Va.)? The nod is final now and it goes to Hazelton. In all fairness to Harvin they are just different players who bring something completely different to the table for Southern Cal and Florida respectively. Hazelton is bigger and more of a pure receiver at this stage while Harvin is a player that’s just great in space with his speed and quickness. Hazelton is the No. 5 rated overall prospect and he is going to be a Trojan while Harvin is the No. 8 overall prospect and he’s headed to Gainesville.
Checking in at No. 6 is Sergio Kindle (Dallas, Texas), who had an amazing season on both sides of the ball for Wilson High School. Kindle is staying home and playing for the national champion Texas Longhorns. Safety Myron Rolle, the nation’s pre-season No. 1 prospect according to Scout.com, is now at Florida State and taking classes. He is No. 7 rated prospect. Micah Johnson (Fort Campbell, Ky.) came to San Antonio with a point to prove, that he was a linebacker and not a defensive tackle. This star from the Bluegrass State was rated as the nation’s top d-tackle prospect but in Texas he showed he had the speed and quickness to play linebacker in the SEC at Kentucky. He is the Scout.com No. 9 rated prospect.
Rounding out the top 10 is quarterback Mitch Mustain (Springdale, Ark.). Mustain, backed out of his commitment to Arkansas, flirted with a few schools like Notre Dame and Tennessee, and is now re-committed to the Razorbacks.
There were a few movers and shakers in the new and final Scout.com National Hot 100 like cornerback/wide receiver Ken Beasely (Orange, Texas), defensive tackle Al Woods (Elton, La.), running back Keiland Williams (Chatham, Va.), linebacker Brandon Spikes (Shelby, N.C.) and wide receiver David Ausberry (Lemoore, Calif.). Beasley, Woods, Spikes and Ausberry were all four star prospects that were bumped to five stars while Williams jumped five spots at the running back position all the way to No. 3 in the country.
Safety Elijah Fields (Duquesne, Pa.), offensive lineman Joe Thomas (Lakewood, Calif.), quarterback Jevan Snead (Stephenville, Texas), wide receiver Damien Williams (Springdale, Ark.), defensive tackle Derrick Simmons (Fairfield, Calif.), cornerback Raeshon McNeil (Mocksville, N.C.), and running back Kevin Collier (Churchville, N.Y.) all found their way into the Scout.com National Hot 100 for the first time.