National Signing Day 2012: Top 25 Uncommitted Football Recruits

Eddie Goldman

By Bud Elliott

Is your school still in the running for one of the 25 best uncommitted college football prospects? Head here for more college football recruiting coverage.

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Jan 27, 2012 - National Signing Day is just around the corner (Febauray 1), and many of the top recruits in the country remain uncommitted. They'll take their final visits this weekend, if they have any left. Then they'll hunker down and make their choices over the weekend before putting pen to paper next Wednesday. Or not, as some kids won't have their minds made up, and will elect to wait until they do. That's fine for the elite of the elite, but schools won't exactly hold a spot for the average joe. For those on this list, however, they can do pretty much whatever they want. Click each player's name for the most up-to-date news on his recruitment.

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Related: What to expect from your new 5-star QB | How to lose your mind on Signing Day

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1. Dorial Green-Beckham. 6'6", 220 pounds, excellent speed and athleticism. He's considered the top receiver prospect since Julio Jones and A.J. Green in 2008. And many think he's better. And he's the best prospect in the state of Missouri in forever. Oh, and nobody says anything negative about his character. The consensus five-star recruit is humble, quiet and polite. DGB, as he is known, is considering the Arkansas Razorbacks, Missouri Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners and Alabama Crimson Tide. The former three are considered much more likely destinations than the latter two.
2. Arik Armstead. 6'8", 290 pounds of defensive end? Or so he thinks. Armstead insists on playing defensive end. He's a much better prospect as an offensive tackle, and at that position, he'd be the top recruit in the state of California. His finalists all tell him what he wants to hear (defensive end). Armstead can probably succeed at either, but he is talented enough to still be a top draft choice at offensive tackle provided he switches in time to play two seasons at the position. Armstead was committed to USC, but decommitted after a disagreement between his brother Armond Armstead and USC's doctors about an injury. Armstead wants to play with his brother, who will transfer. And while once thought to be a Cal lock, this is now a heated battle between the Golden Bears, Oregon Ducks, Auburn Tigers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Armstead is a consensus five-star as an offensive tackle or "athlete" recruit, and a four-star as a defensive end.
3. Kyle Murphy. The West Coast, and specifically California, has a ridiculous amount of offensive line talent this year. If Armstead realized he should play offensive tackle, he'd be the headliner. But since he thinks he is a defensive end, California's Murphy is the top listed offensive tackle out west. 6'7" and 275 pounds, he has great feet, plays with toughness, doesn't let his game slip when facing lesser competition, and is a smart kid. A consensus five-star, Murphy is choosing between the Stanford Cardinal and USC Trojans. Stanford was thought to be a lock here, but a recent visit to USC has made this less certain in the minds of recruiting insiders.
4. Stefon Diggs. Speed, speed and more speed. The 6'1", 190-pound receiver out of Maryland is seriously fast. And he's not small, like many track guys. Diggs seems to have narrowed his choices to Auburn and the Florida Gators, having raved about both visits. Diggs is another consensus five-star, and his recruitment has been wild.
5. Eddie Goldman. 6'4", 310 pounds, defensive tackle. Score another top recruit for the Beltway, as this Washington DC prospect has been known in recruiting circles since his sophomore year. Goldman is extremely powerful, with decent quickness for his size. Few defensive tackles can make an impact as a freshman, but Goldman is one of the few. There are some questions about his effort, but many elite players take plays off in high school. Depending on who you ask, Goldman is headed to either Auburn or to the Florida St. Seminoles, with Alabama still having a chance. The national champions in this decade have, for the most part, had dominating defensive lines. It all starts up front. Goldman is a consensus five-star recruit.
6. Nelson Agholor. 6'1", 180, athlete (receiver). Agholor is an electric receiver out of Tampa. He's not as fast as Diggs, and the competition he faces playing for the private Berkley Prep isn't exactly anything to write home about, but he can sky for the ball and make people miss in the open field. With the ball in his hands, he is special. Agholor holds more than 40 scholarship offers, and is thought to be down to Florida and USC. A visit to Los Angeles looms this weekend and will not make Florida's coaches comfortable. Does he want to stay home or get away? This consensus five-star recruit has the ability to impact the SEC or Pac-12 race immediately.
7. Ronald Darby is yet another undecided kid from the mid-Atlantic. The 5'11", 175-pound Maryland cornerback might be the fastest player in this class. Darby possesses elite track speed and shows some solid cover skills. He was at one time committed to Notre Dame, but backed out of that pledge. He lists a top four of Florida State, the Clemson Tigers, Auburn and Notre Dame, in no specific order. However, most believe Notre Dame is not a player in this race, and that the Seminoles are the favorite to land Darby due to the elite track program in Tallahassee and Darby's friendship with FSU commitment and fellow sprinter, Marvin Bracy. Like all the recruits on this list so far, Darby is a consensus five-star prospect.
8. Darius Hamilton. The Greg Schiano saga has thrown a wrench into the recruitment of this 6'4", 255-pound New Jersey defensive end. Hamilton was expected to go to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights over Florida and Cal, but now, it's a whole new ballgame. Hamilton plays the run very well, but also shows the ability to rush the passer. He is an NFL legacy, as his dad, Keith, played for the New York Giants for almost a decade. Hamilton is a consensus five-star recruit as well.
9. Tracy Howard is the second corner on our list. Out of South Florida, the 5'11", 175-pound Howard possesses excellent cover skills, particularly in man-to-man. Some question his speed, but he more than holds his own against the speediest competition in the country. Howard is rated four or five stars by most services. Howard has advanced technique for a high school cornerback. He seems to have narrowed his list to Florida, Florida State and the Miami Hurricanes. He'll visit the Canes this weekend, as they try to keep him home. Florida plays a lot of man coverage and is thought by many to be the favorite here.
10. Josh Harvey-Clemons. The recruitment of the 6'5", 200 pound Georgia linebacker has been fun to cover. Harvey-Clemon's recruitment is being handled by his grandfather, who is a quote machine. Mark Richt, Will Muschamp and Jimbo Fisher are all jockeying for spots in the church piew next to JHC, as he is known. And Richt even went to jail for this kid! Harvey-Clemons is not an instant-impact player, as he needs at least a year in the weight room. But the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida State and Florida don't seem to mind, as he is super athletic. This race is too close to call.
11. Thomas Johnson. This speedy 5'11", 175-pound receiver out of Dallas is a former Texas Longhorns commitment. He decommitted from the Horns about a month ago, and took an official visit to Oregon. Some expect the four-star to pick Texas A&M.
12. Leonard Williams. Talk about potential. This 6'5", 260-pound defensive end out of Daytona is just scratching the surface. Williams is a tough player who could grow into one of those jumbo defensive ends in a 4-3 defense that never lets the tight end off the LOS and into his route, or who simply walks the opposing offensive tackle back into the quarterback, all while consistently shutting down the run. Williams is a consensus four-star and is still underrated in my mind. Auburn, Florida and Florida State are the favorites here, though numbers play a large role. Florida State currently has three five-star defensive ends committed, and taking a fourth would be tricky. Given that, Auburn is the trendy pick.
13. Andrus Peat. Another excellent offensive tackle from the West. This 6'7", 280-pound pass protector is out of Arizona. No 'Zona schools are in contention, however, as Peat will select from the Nebraska Cornhuskers, USC and Stanford. His brother plays for Nebraska and they are the overwhelming favorite. Peat is a consensus five-star player.
14. Devin Fuller is one of the top athlete recruits in the country. Capable of playing receiver, cornerback, or, in some systems, quarterback, this 6'0", 185-pound recruit out of New Jersey has a host of suitors. Fuller was thought to be headed to Rutgers, but with Schiano taking the Tampa Bay job, his recruitment is very much up in the air. Fuller is a consensus four-star player.
15. Davonte Neal, like Fuller, is another talented athlete recruit. The 5'9", 170 pound Arizona prospect is electric. The Arizona Wildcats hired his high school coach to be an assistant staffer, and that has the Wildcats in the mix. Neal is originally from Ohio and the Ohio St. Buckeyes are also very much alive here. Neal is a consensus four-star player.
16. Aziz Shittu, a talented defensive tackle out of California, seems to change his mind on his college choice every day. The 6'3", 275-pound defensive lineman is considering most of the top Pac-12 teams. Shittu is a consensus four-star player.
17. Jordan Diamond is a large (6'6", 290) offensive tackle out of Chicago. He's considering the Wisconsin Badgers, Auburn, Arkansas and the Michigan Wolverines. Diamond is a consensus four-star player.
18. Zach Banner is yet another top offensive lineman from the West Coast. Out of Washington state, he is the son of Okland Raiders great Lincoln Kennedy. The 6'9", 330-pound offensive tackle is considering much of the Pac-12, but USC is thought to hold the lead. While he didn't improve as much as some expected during his high school career, Banner is still a consensus four-star player.
19. Jeremy Liggins might be the most interesting prospect in this class. The 6'3", 270-pound quarterback (yes, quarterback) out of Mississippi holds offers from much of the SEC. He's narrowed his choices to the two SEC schools from the Magnolia state, and both the Mississippi St. Bulldogs and Mississippi Rebels have been hard after him. Liggins will announce Monday night. He is a consensus four-star player.
20. Armani Reeves is a consensus four-star cornerback our of Massachusetts. The one-time Penn St. Nittany Lions commitment dropped PSU after news of the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke. The 5'11" corner is a cousin of Charles Barkley. He is believed to slightly favor Michigan over Ohio State, but the race is too close to call at this point.
21. Kwon Alexander is a talented linebacker out of Mobile, Alabama. Alexander recently tore his ACL, but that hasn't stopped Alabama, Auburn and the LSU Tigers from pursuing him. Due to scholarship limits, Alabama cannot sign everyone, and space may be an issue there. The race is too close to call for this consensus four-star player.
22. Joel Caleb is a special athlete from Virginia. The 6'1, 205-pounder is more about power than speed, though he's not slow either. There's an intense battle here between the West Virginia Mountaineers and Virginia Tech Hokies for this four-star. Ohio State doesn't seem to have room, but if that changes, watch out for the Buckeyes.
23. Ricardo Louis is a very talented athlete out of Miami. He committed to Auburn, decommitted and committed to Florida State, and has since decommitted again. The four-star will decide between the two schools on signing day and plans to play receiver, though many believe the 6'2", 210-pound Louis could also be a quality defensive back.
24. Dalvin Tomlinson is a great recruit to cover. He's a Georgia state champion wrestler, a talented musician, and an excellent defensive end. The 6'3", 260 pound Tomlinson is a consensus four-star player, and will choose either Alabama, Georgia or the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on signing day.
25. Avery Young is a promising developmental offensive line prospect out of Florida. The 6'6", 270-pound young has a narrow frame, but that hasn't stopped Florida, Auburn, Georgia, Alabama and Miami from pursuing him. The four-star will make his choice on National Signing Day, and this one is too close to call.