1. Joel Caleb - Clover Hill, Athlete   6-3, 205, Virginia Tech
 
Caleb amassed more than 30 scholarship offers and was widely considered the top player in the state before the 2011 season began. But a torn meniscus slowed him in his senior season, causing him to fall in state rankings. Still, he was a unanimous pick to top The A-List. "Certain guys just have that ‘it' factor, and I think he's one of them," one coach said. Caleb has great size and good speed. He's expected to play wide receiver in college. But one voter said he's a good enough passer to play quarterback in a spread offense. "He throws the ball better than a lot of spread quarterbacks I see across the country."

 2. Deon Clarke - L.C. Bird, LB, 6-2, 205, Virginia Tech   

Clarke picked up 10 scholarship offers from across the ACC, Cincinnati and Tennessee. A fast linebacker who can cover sideline to sideline, Clarke had a strong senior season. "There's more and more people talking about Deon Clarke and the type of player he is," one coach said. "He's well respected across the area. Some people said he was better than Curtis Grant," the Ohio State freshman who was the No. 1 player on last year's A-List. "He's an athletic guy that can make plays at the linebacker position," added another coach. "He can cover. He can run. He's instinctive. He's got a huge upside."

3. Desmond Frye - Thomas Dale, Safety, 6-2, 170, Virginia Tech   

Frye hurt his wrist, and Thomas Dale used a run-first offense, so Frye didn't get to display his skills as a wide receiver much this year. But he shined on defense. One coach says he plays defense like a centerfielder: He drops back and covers a lot of ground. "He's tougher than you think for a guy that's been a receiver his whole life. He'll come up and hit you," said another. "He's proven he's physical." The tall, lean player got five offers, including Virginia and Maryland, before settling on Virginia Tech in April.

4. Tyrell Chavis - Varina,     DL, 6-4, 280, Virginia

Praised for his quick feet and ability to explode off the line, Chavis was called the best defensive lineman in the state. "Big linemen like him that can run are hard to find and hard to come across," one voter said. "When you find one, everyone's interested in him." Another said he has the look of an SEC nose tackle. He had three offers, including Boston College and Vanderbilt, before committing to Virginia in June. He also was credited for playing so well on both sides of the ball. Chavis may go to Fork Union for a year because of academic reasons. But because of his football potential, recruiting him was a "no brainer."

5. Nigel Williams - Benedictine, DL, 6-4, 263, Virginia Tech 

He picked up six offers – all from the ACC – before committing to Tech in July. "He's intriguing, because he's a defensive end that could possibly grow into a defensive tackle," one voter said. "You don't see a lot of guys with his size and athleticism." He's athletic and can rush the passer. He improved greatly from his junior year to his senior year. One coach said Williams is twice the player he was as a junior. He's good with his hands, too, and can shed blockers. He also plays well in space. Williams also played tight end on offense, caught a few touchdown passes and showed the ability to block.

6. Maurice Canady - Varina,   Athlete, 6-1, 175, Virginia  

Canady had a tremendous year as Varina's quarterback. "The guy lit it up all over the place," one coach said. Between his sophomore and junior years, he grew almost two inches, gained 15 pounds and took time off his 40-yard dash. Canady had five offers, including East Carolina, Delaware and Old Dominion, before committing to Virginia in June. "I thought he was more of a I-AA guy," one coach said. "He had a really good senior year and showed that he belongs at the Division I level. He's expected to play cornerback, but has the ability to play wide receiver or safety.

7. Andre Miles-Redmond - Hermitage,   OL, 6-3, 265, Virginia 

Miles-Redmond had offers from Virginia Tech and N.C. State when he committed to Virginia in June. The question for Miles-Redmond is whether he'll play center or tackle. "He carries his weight beautifully and can run," one voter said. He runs well enough to play defensive line. But he may need a few years to grow into his body, another coach added. "I think he's going to be a really good player. … He's got great feet, great athleticism. He moves really well in the box."

  8. Augie Conte - BSH, OL, 6-6, 270, Virginia Tech  

Conte has incredible size and strength. He benched 360 pounds and squatted 440. "He's a freak in terms of strength," one coach said. But Conte is relatively new to football – he's been playing for four years. So he needs more time to develop. He's planning to grayshirt and take a year at Fork Union where he hopes to improve his footwork and quickness. One coach remembers him bloodying his nose at a camp. "What stood out was how he competed." Conte had offers from Virginia, Maryland and Old Dominion before committing to Virginia Tech.

 9. Colby Cooke - Goochland,   K, 6-3, 195, Vanderbilt  

Kickers seldom enter the discussion of recruiting since programs often try to get their kickers to walk on. But when a good enough kicker comes along, a college will ultimately offer a scholarship. Vanderbilt and Virginia offered. Once he committed to Vanderbilt, others tried to sway him. He's got good size and fits the mold of the big SEC kicker. "This guy looks like a tight end," one coach said. Cooke's longest field goal was 51 yards this year. He will grayshirt and has the opportunity to kick or punt at Vanderbilt.

 10. Thomas Meadows - Goochland,   P, 6-1, 175, Purdue  

While Cooke kicked the field goals at Goochland, Meadows punted. He had an offer from Richmond before committing to Purdue. "You don't see many kickers getting scholarship offers, especially two from one school," one coach said. "It's amazing. It really is." One coach said Meadows and Cooke were almost equal in terms of ability. Another said he thought Meadows was actually a little better. "Meadows' upside as a punter is really good," added another.

 11. Yahkee Johnson - RB, L.C. Bird,   RB, 5-7, 165, Undecided 

Johnson is as good of a high school football player as there is. "This guy ran for 2 million yards," one coach said. Actually, it was 2,509. He also rushed for 37 touchdowns. But sometimes high school success isn’t enough to get recruited. "His size is an issue, no question about it," one voter said. "But if you look around the NFL, there are a lot of small running backs who are productive. … I’m shocked he doesn’t have more schools after him." Old Dominion and Delaware State are among those that have offered Johnson. If just one FBS school decides to take a risk on him, the coach added, others will follow. "Someone’s going to get a steal."

 12. Michael Birdsong - Matoaca,   QB, 6-5, 225, James Madison 

In the two-year history of The A-List, Birdsong is the only player expected to play quarterback in college. He’s got the build of an NFL quarterback, is "strong as an ox" and has a "cannon for an arm." The only question is if he’s quick enough. "He does a lot of good things," one coach said. He’s a pro-style quarterback headed to a spread offense, so some adjustment will be necessary – either from Birdsong or from JMU. "I think he’s a great get for them," another coach added. "I can’t believe he didn’t get a 1-A offer."