Top 15 SEC Verbal Commitments

It’s still a long time until National Signing Day but with the season coming to a close I figured now would be a good time to look at the top 20 SEC verbal commitments as of right now. If you enjoy the “recruiting” talk then make sure you check out our Top 10 Uncommited Recruits that we posted last week and our U.S. Army All-American Bowl notebook that went up on the site yesterday.

#1 D.J. Humphries/OT, Charlotte, NC

Commitment: Florida

Chad Simmons: Humphries has great feet and flexibility. He really gets in and out of his stance well and he can both run and pass block. He is very explosive off the ball and he can drive his opponents down the field.

#2 Landon Collins/S, Geismar, LA

Commitment: Alabama

NationalUnderClassmen.com: Fantastic explosion at the point of attack, Gets downhill fast on the run, has great ball skills to make the big play and to cover ground in the secondary. He is a scary hitter with great power and physicality like a linebacker.

#3 John Theus/OT, Jacksonville, Fl

Commitment: Georgia

EliteScoutingServices.com: He is big and athletic. Those are two traits you can’t teach. He can play either tackle spot in college and excel.

#4 Keith Marshall/RB, Raleigh, NC

Commitment: Georgia

FinestPreps.com: Marshall possesses the cutting ability, quickness, burst and breakaway speed of a future All-American, but more importantly holds a GPA of over 4.0 and stands out just as much academically as he does athletically. He relies largely on this intelligence and vision to find the open seams in a defense. Then he uses natural athleticism to make defenders miss and burst into the open field. If this guy is allowed to get to the edge, WATCH OUT!

#5 Gunner Kiel/QB, Columbus, IN

Commitment: LSU

FinestPreps.com: His throws all have tremendous ball placement and he puts the ball where only his receiver can make a play on it. Kiel also does a good job of hitting his receiver in stride. Gunner also always seems to put perfect touch on the ball, whether he is lofting it over the head of helpless defenders or zipping it through traffic.

#6 Eddie Williams/S-ATH, Panama City Beach, FL

Commitment: Alabama

Tom Lemming: Big but not clumsy, he aggressively fills when stopping the run, will attack plays behind the line, can turn and run with the swiftest of receivers, and can handle tight ends in man coverage. He may grow into an LB

#7 Trey Williams/RB, Houston, TX

Commitment: Texas A&M

Scott Kennedy: Williams is a home-run threat with the ball in his hands. He has excellent change of direction, acceleration, and top end speed. He’s a small back, but he’s tough.

#8 Chris Black/WR, Jacksonville, FL

Commitment: Alabama

Tom Lemming: Chris is not the tallest WR around but uses his 36″ VJ to his great advantage. He brings speed, quickness, and creativity to the wide receiver position. He runs precise routes, has a second gear, accelerates quickly, and once he gets a half step on a defender that’s when the fun starts.

#9 Shaq Roland/WR, Lexington, SC

Commitment: South Carolina

Chad Simmons: As a receiver, he has great body control and can go up and get a ball anywhere on the field. He has long arms, strong hands, and he is someone that can stretch the field.

#10 T.J. Yeldon/RB, Daphne, AL

Commitment: Alabama

CFBZ:  Stood out at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He’s very athletic and it takes more than one guy to bring him down. Makes tacklers miss in a variety of different ways.

#11 Geno Smith/CB, Atlanta, GA

Commitment: Alabama

Tom Lemming: Slightly built but there’s not a better cover corner in the country. He explodes to the ball, shows good leaping ability, timing, and anticipation. He dominated everyone he went up against in 2010 and he’s exceptional when the ball is in the air.

#12 Jonathan Bullard/DE, Shelby, NC

Commitment: Florida

PrepStar.com: It’s hard to look across the class of 2012 and find a defensive end more productive than Bullard was while destroying the prep ranks in North Carolina last year as a junior. He’s simply on another level.

#13 Channing Ward/DE, Aberdeen, MS

Commitment: Ole Miss

Scott Kennedy: Undersized at defensive end but with a good frame to grow, Ward makes up for his lack of bulk and strength with his athleticism and excellent technique coming off the ball. He rarely lets a blocker get into his chest and uses his hands well to set up a rip or swim move to effortlessly get around a blocker.

#14 Jonathan Taylor/DT, Millen, GA

Commitment: Georgia

Tom Lemming: In person he looks the part and on film you can see what all the hoopla is about. Taylor can split the double-team, redirects quickly and can stuff the run.

#15 Reggie Ragland/MLB, Madison, AL

Commitment: Alabama

Andrew Bone: Ragland is big athlete and reminds many people of former Alabama Butkus Award winner Rolando McClain. He has excellent size, speed and very physical.