2009 Athlon Consensus 100 released

This year, Athlon has upped the ante and made the most complete top-100 recruiting ranking even better. Two more lists have been added to the AC100. The usual suspects — Rivals, Scout, ESPN and PrepStar — are still around, but in 2009, they will be joined by Max Emfinger and Offense-Defense (O-D). The list will be the truest national average of recruiting rankings ever constructed. So without further ado…

The winner is: Matt Barkley, QB, Santa Ana, Calif.

The Mater Dei Monarch is no shock at number one. He is atop three of the five lists and deservedly so. He has every tool needed to be successful at the next level. Great size, great arm, great leadership skills and great off-the-field attitude. There are no weaknesses to his game. The Future USC Trojan should step onto campus and challenge for playing time immediately.

The USC machine doesn’t end there, however. It also boasts five other AC100 members (Morrell Presley, Randall Carroll, Kevin Graf, Patrick Hall, Vontaze Burfict). The six AC100 commits are not tops, though, as Ohio State currently has seven. Texas — and its 19 verbal pledges — also claims seven AC100 prospects. It is no surprise that Mack Brown and Co. are off to a great start for the class of ’09. Michigan and Georgia are close behind the leaders with four AC100 pledges of their own.

The story last season was the wide receiver position. It was quite possibly the most loaded class of pass catchers ever. This class is solid once again, although it is not as top heavy as ’08. The tight end class also takes a dramatic step back from last year. Scouts could have made a case for five or six AC100 tight ends last year. This season, there are only two AC100 tight ends and both are a bit undersized. None are at the same talent level as the likes of Kyle Rudolph or Blake Ayles.

Defensively, the front seven is very well represented in 2009. Defensive tackle is a premium position in football and there are 10 AC100 space-eaters — led by Lufkin, Texas’ Jamarkus McFarland — in this class and four of those are in the top-14 nationally. The end position is led by Phoenix, Ariz. prep star Devon Kennard. Kennard recently narrowed his list to five schools: Texas, USC, Arizona State, UCLA and Cal.

A very strong linebacker group is led by Hawaiian standout Manti Te'o and future Ohio State Buckeye Dorian Bell.

Another story line is the Midwest. Ohio claims the early lead for the coveted 4th spot on the state rankings list — Florida, California and Texas are always the top three. Illinois also boasts three AC100 prospects, Pennsylvania has five and Michigan has a pair. Even states that are normally subpar — Wisconsin and Minnesota — are at two-decade highs when it comes to producing talent.

Of course, the South has plenty of talent as well. It is a strong year in the Carolinas, Virginia and Louisiana. After seeing one or two kids crack the AC100 last season, South and North Carolina claim four members each in 2009. This season is a much better year in Louisiana as well — at least at the top. The “Sportsman's Paradise” has a much stronger class at the top this season with four AC100 members and two in the top 14 nationally.

Here is a quick look at how the AC100 breaks down: