TheMaxPreps Fresh Faces Top 100 looks at top, young talent that has already emerged from the class of 2012. Notes and observations from the 11-month process;
Louisiana Talent Yet To Emerge
After an extraordinarily talented class of 2011 took no time to make its presence felt last season, the state of Louisiana, never bereft of talent, has only two players on the list. Last year, Jermauria Rasco, Kenny Hilliard, Beau Fitte and others made it clear they were ones to watch.
One year later, La’El Collins, Jarvis Landry, Jeremy Hill, Anthony Johnson and Alonzo Lewis also appear to be major recruits, in what could be an epic in-state haul for LSU.
The 2012 class probably won’t be as talented, but it’s a sure thing that more high-caliber recruits will emerge this season.
Early Evaluations Can Be Tricky
It’s hard to evaluate players at such a young age because they don’t develop physically until their junior season in many cases.
Linemen can be very tricky to predict. How a player’s frame looks as a ninth grader may be very different than how it looks as a senior. Usually, players have to grow into their bodies, though some may grow in the wrong direction and not have weight that is properly distributed.
When it comes to quarterbacks, dual-threat QBs seem to make a bigger splash at an earlier age than a pure pocket thrower, who take more time to develop and fine-tune their mechanics.
Running backs and wide receivers can stand out at a very early age and can be easier to forecast.
Texas Has Backs Again
The state of Texas has a very strong crop of running backs for the class of 2011, including Aaron Green, Malcolm Brown, Herschel Sims and Bradley Marquez. From the looks of it, the class of 2012 will also have a stable of talented backs, including Trent Jackson, Dennis Smith and Timothy Wright.
Others not on the list that could emerge as top recruits at running back include Reagan Randle (Harper), Jonathan Gray (Aledo) and Terrance Taylor (Diboll), though other players from deep 5A programs will certainly emerge as sophomores and juniors.
Different Strokes
It’s safe to say that in nearly all places, it’s rare for freshmen to make an impact on the varsity level. In some places, however, freshmen aren’t even allowed to play varsity.
The Chicago Catholic League, for example, forbids freshmen from playing on varsity squads during league games. Other leagues have similar stipulations. Even in places that have no rules against it, carrying freshmen on a varsity roster seems to be more common in certain regions of the country than in others.
For example, it’s not all that uncommon to see ninth graders on the rosters of teams from the Southeast or Northeast, but freshmen on varsity squads in West Coast states appear few and far between.
2013 No. 1?
An early favorite to make this list next season is Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.) running back Kelvin Taylor, the son of New England Patriot Fred Taylor.
By all accounts, Taylor is a physical specimen for his age. He was a 1A first team all-state selection this past season as an eighth grader, which is almost unheard of. Other incoming freshmen to watch include Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) quarterback Kelly Hilinski, Fayetteville (Ark.) quarterback Austin Allen and Hawaii product Reeve Koehler, an offensive lineman.
Pigskin in the Big Apple
New York City football coaches think that the Big Apple is a wildly untapped and under-appreciated pool of talent, and they’re probably right.
After all, roughly 1.1 million students are enrolled in New York City public schools alone. Strictly from a statistical standpoint, more than a handful of those have to be endowed with Division I football talent. However, in such a basketball-crazed city, many athletes who could have a bright future in football opt to play hoops. Those that stick with football can sometimes fly under the radar.
Wayne Morgan should help shine some light on the PSAL as he could be a major recruit in the class of 2012. This would help continue to establish the Big Apple as a producer of college-ready football talent.
Gems in Missouri
Missouri is a state that has some high-ceiling talent in 2012. Michael Rose, Dorial Green and Marquise Bostic were each some of the most dominant freshmen at their position.
One can argue there was not a better ninth grader at linebacker, receiver or defensive end than Rose, Green, and Bostic, respectively. This is potentially good news for Tigers fans, as Mizzou often goes outside of state borders to secure talent. The Tigers have three potential blue chippers in their own backyard, but will have to fend off a number of Big XII foes to land them.
