Top 100 High School Football Prospects for 2012

The first 5Q Top 100 for the 2012 class, led by Eddie Goldman, Keith Marshall, and Kwon Alexander, with state and position breakdowns and the earliest commitments.

Originally published February 10, 2011, by Matt Hansen.

Published eight days before National Signing Day 2011, this was the first 5Q Top 100 for the 2012 recruiting class. The background is that recruiting fans behave like children on Christmas morning, reviewing this year's class and immediately asking what comes next.

The top of the board:

  1. Eddie Goldman, DT, Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, DC)
  2. Keith Marshall, RB, Millbrook (NC)
  3. Kwon Alexander, OLB, Oxford (AL)
  4. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Hillcrest (MO)
  5. Noah Spence, DE, Bishop McDevitt (PA)
  6. Andrus Peat, OT, Corona Del Sol (AZ)
  7. Shaquille Thompson, ATH, Grant (CA)
  8. Johnathan Gray, RB, Aledo (TX)
  9. Arik Armstead, OT, Pleasant Grove (CA), committed to Southern California
  10. John Theus, OT, The Bolles School (FL)

Only six of the hundred had committed anywhere yet. Ohio State led with three, followed by Alabama, Florida State, LSU, and Southern California with two apiece, and Texas Tech with one.

Florida and Texas each placed 14 players on the list, followed by California with nine and Georgia and Ohio with eight each. Those five states accounted for 53 of the 100. The article notes the Midwest was unusually deep that year. By position, offensive tackle led with 13, while defensive tackle, receiver, defensive end, and running back each cleared 10. Eleven players were listed at the catch-all "athlete" spot.

Several names further down the list became far better known later, including Jameis Winston at 48, Stefon Diggs at 14, Landon Collins at 32, Mario Edwards at 16, D.J. Humphries at 23, Dante Fowler at 24, Nelson Agholor at 21, Barry Sanders Jr. at 43, and Reggie Ragland at 99. The Michigan-relevant entries were linebacker James Ross at 80 out of Orchard Lake St. Mary's, defensive tackle Dan O'Brien at 95 out of Flint Powers Catholic, and offensive tackle Kyle Kalis at 51, then committed to Ohio State and later a Michigan signee.

This is the February 2011 edition of the ranking. The list was revised substantially by that April, with Green-Beckham moving to the top spot and Goldman to second.

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