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You couldn't pay me to live in Fargo. Apologies to West Fargo Gopher Fan.
Official 2021 Gophers Football Recruiting Updates Thread: Links, Tweets, Videos etc
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What if you were a MN kid that didn't hate the badgers as much as we do and were offered to walk on there?
tmvander
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Hey now, I'm there too!
tmvander
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Not a chance...if I'm offered a walk on spot somewhere vs a scholarship I'm taking the scholarship. Only team I'd consider as an 18 yr old is a gopher walk on spot...of course I'm biased.
MplsGopher
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Can you honestly imagine what a Gophers bagman would even look like???
Some old Norweigen guy ...
"Heck ya mean twenty thousand??? That's a heckava lot! I dunno .... I think I'm gonna offer him five, ya know???"
GopherDog1
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No. The football players are on full scholarship or PWO or walk on. This is not UMD.
Drinking out of a Red Wing Pottery Pepe design coffee cup too!!! Wow! Gotta be the guy!!Can you honestly imagine what a Gophers bagman would even look like???
Some old Norweigen guy ...
"Heck ya mean twenty thousand??? That's a heckava lot! I dunno .... I think I'm gonna offer him five, ya know???"
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Sorry. My apologies to anyone that is stuck in Fargo.
NorthernLakesGopher
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And some coupons. I'll throw in a few coupons.Can you honestly imagine what a Gophers bagman would even look like???
Some old Norweigen guy ...
"Heck ya mean twenty thousand??? That's a heckava lot! I dunno .... I think I'm gonna offer him five, ya know???"
I'm not saying it is hopeless. But, half the guys on your list are not playing...the best ability is availability.
CAB does make big catches and he's solid but is he somebody you game plan for?
We have been told Mafe has upside...other than in the uniform and a play every other game...have we really seen it? He has been here four years.
The highly regarded young guys...either have not seen the field yet...which is a pretty big red flag.
Or again, yah...they flash every other game for a play.
You can't win the Big Ten with the performances exhibited this season by too many guys.
Think Cashman, did he get you excited and make you wonder why the heck they didn't play him more? Part of it was there were guys ahead of him. Then when every time he blitzed he sacked the QB...did you wonder why they stopped asking him to blitz? ...And then they remembered again. He made plays.
Winfield made plays. Barber, Renner, Steven Richardson, Winston de, Jonathan Celestin, the Huff Bros. Martin etc etc tons of other guys who were overshadowed made plays. We do not have guys on this roster showing us on game day they are either already good or showing us they will be good. That's recruiting. The stars don't matter if you can't coach em up.
Developing guys is one thing...shouldn't somebody just walk on campus and say look at me I'm good!! How can there be virtually nobody who fits that description. Mo has been awesome the last two years...he has been here four years because we had other backs. We don't now. He goes out of the game and we can't get back to the line of scrimmage with the other backs.
btowngopher
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Most of the players you mentioned didn’t just show up and make plays. The players you mentioned also span across like 6 years, you’re comparing that to a one year window. The back up running backs aren’t bad. Wiley despite a lot of criticism on here is averaging 4.9 a carry and Potts while getting dinged up is averaging over 10 per carry.
Bob_Loblaw
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You can't divide scholarships in the FBS. They all have to be full rides.
Bob_Loblaw
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I'm a fan of all of the Gophers (regardless of who recruited them) but I think you have a higher standard for Fleck recruits than you do Kill recruits.
MplsGopher
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Not true. FBS is a headcount sport, meaning any fractional ride counts as a full ride, and you're only allowed ot have 85 counters each year. But the only rule that exists is that you have to award at least 90% of the max each year.
Well, there could be truth in that but I just don't see performance right now. Can you pick out the next guy showing you he might go to an NFL training camp eliminating Bateman, Mo, Tanner, CAB, and somebody else? Who other than somebody on the roster with an NFL body is playing like he should be getting even one vote for all conference...gotta be a few guys but there used to be more? No?
What's the Success Rate of 5-Star QB Recruits from Last 5 Years?
MICHAEL FELDERMAY 1, 20140
Getty Images
The 5-star quarterback is one of the nation's most coveted recruits. As the 2015 cycle gets heated with spring evaluations and revs up for the coming camp season, four players hold the distinction of being 5-star players, according to 247Sports: Josh Rosen, Ricky Town, Torrance Gibson and Kyler Murray.
Kyle AllenEric Gay/Associated Press
In 2014, Kyle Allen was the only quarterback to draw the 5-star distinction. The Arizona quarterback, who enrolled early at Texas A&M, is the front-runner in many minds to win the starting job over Kenny Hill, his lone competition.
Max Browne, a 2013 5-star recruit, is playing the backup role to Cody Kessler at USC in his second season, while fellow 2013 5-star Christian Hackenberg is the starter at Penn State and tracking for big success.
While the jury is still out on those young men's futures, a look at the previous five seasons shows a truly mixed bag when it comes to the cream of the quarterback crop in recruiting. From 2008 to 2012, 10 quarterbacks earned the distinction of being 5-star players, an average of two per year, although no players garnered the accolade in 2010.
The 2008 class all sits in various stages of the NFL. Dayne Crist, who started at Notre Dame before transferring to Kansas, is currently a free agent after being waived by the Baltimore Ravens prior to the start of the 2013 season. The Seattle Seahawks recently acquired Ohio State alum Terrelle Pryor as another backup to Russell Wilson, something Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times noted, despite discussion of Pryor changing positions.
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EJ Manuel, a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, is 10 games into his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and has posted 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 1,972 yards passing. While his NFL future remains to be written, he left college as a success, winning an ACC championship and the Orange Bowl in Florida State's return to the BCS stage.
Although Crist never truly got going in college, both Pryor and Manuel had solid collegiate careers. Pryor helped the Buckeyes win the Sugar Bowl in 2011 following the 2010 season and the Rose Bowl following the 2009 campaign. The kid was a decorated collegiate player, earning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award after starting nine games in 2008 as well as the Rose Bowl MVP the next season.
Scandal will accompany Pryor's name, but on the field the former 5-star certainly came close to living up to the hype. He helped his team to three BCS bowls, was a productive player and, had he been around for his senior year, would have likely been mentioned in the Heisman discussion.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Of the 2009 class, two are currently on NFL rosters, while the third 5-star, Garrett Gilbert, is hoping to be selected in May's NFL draft.
Matt Barkley was a collegiate stud who saw his draft stock take a hit during a senior year where his USC Trojans team struggled to string together wins. Although he is an NFL backup, at USC and in the Pac-12 Barkley found his way toward the top of many career achievement lists.
As a four-year starter who was the heart and soul of the USC program during his time, Barkley certainly lived up to the 5-star billing.
Garrett Gilbert seemed poised to do the same on the wings of his freshman performance for Texas in the BCS National Championship Game. However, his next year was disastrous and ultimately led to Gilbert transferring to SMU after he missed most of the 2011 season with a shoulder injury.
The former 5-star finished his career throwing for over 6,000 yards with the Mustangs and 36 touchdowns. Gilbert missed the last two games of 2013 with a knee injury, but he is an interesting commodity in the draft, as ESPN's Kevin Weidl notes:
For his part, Gilbert is realistic about his chances.
"I've got no idea. I really don't. … In all honesty, I'd really just love the opportunity to continue to play this game somewhere, and that's what I'm looking for," he told the Houston Chronicle.
Russell Shepard, the third 5-star in the mix for the 2009 class, never actually played quarterback in college. Shepard spent time as a running back-wide receiver hybrid before settling at wide receiver with the LSU Tigers. Whether scored as a receiver or a converted quarterback, Shepard struggled to find his way, some of which can be attributed to LSU's lack of inventiveness on the offensive side of the ball.
The undrafted quarterback turned receiver is now a special teams contributor and reserve receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 2011 class boasted two 5-star quarterbacks, both of the dual-threat variety: Jeff Driskel and Braxton Miller. Although draft-eligible, both are back at school for their senior campaigns, Miller the only one of the two who had serious prospects for the 2014 NFL draft.
Driskel, who was injured for the bulk of 2013, has struggled to show the skills that made him the nation's No. 1 quarterback. The Florida Gators QB has been inconsistent, inaccurate and not as swift on the move as expected upon enrollment.
Meanwhile, Miller has lived up to the top billing associated with 5-star recruits. He came in and stole the Ohio State starting job as a freshman, and despite being limited in his passing ability, the kid was clearly the Buckeyes' best option at the position. The last two seasons have seen Miller lead undefeated regular-season campaigns and wow observers with his ability to heave the deep ball or go the distance on both broken plays and designed runs.
Miller's upcoming senior campaign is all about getting his team a Big Ten championship and a spot in college football's inaugural playoff. Individually, Miller is a Heisman front-runner and a name on every college football fan's short list of elite players. As he polishes the throwing elements of his game, the NFL is certainly a viable option. Depending upon his performance and improvements in 2014, he could find himself pushing into the first round.
Driskel's goals are not quite as lofty. The quarterback has to work with new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to develop an efficient offense and hopefully return to the ball-control team that went to the Sugar Bowl following the 2012 season.
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Finally, the most recent class worth noting is the 2012 duo of 5-star quarterbacks: Jameis Winston and Gunner Kiel.
Winston has already etched his name into history with a Heisman Trophy, an ACC championship, a BCS National Championship and a host of other awards to his name at Florida State. The 2014 campaign is about repeating for the redshirt sophomore, as well as elevating his NFL stock from "one of the best quarterbacks" to "the best quarterback" for the 2015 draft.
The other 5-star, Kiel, will finally get to show what he can do after two seasons of sitting on the bench. The Notre Dame enrollee was buried on the depth chart in South Bend in 2012 and then forced to burn a year waiting to play after transferring to Cincinnati. Kiel, as Tom Groeschen of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported, looked ready to play in the spring game, and folks will get to put eyes on the former top-ranked quarterback recruit.
Quarterback is a mixed bag, not because stars do not matter, but rather because it is a position that requires incredibly favorable conditions for players to succeed. Natural talent is great, but if coaching changes or injuries occur, not to mention the struggle to adjust to the collegiate landscape, natural talent does not solve the problems.
Of the five players during the time period who could be drafted into the NFL, only three were selected: Barkley, Pryor and Manuel. Pryor, of course, was a supplemental draft pick by the Oakland Raiders. In that same group of five, four are currently on NFL rosters, while Crist sits as an unaffiliated free agent. Although only Manuel is a true starter, the 80 percent roster rate is still quite high, and Gilbert hopes to add his name to that list, making it five of six on NFL rosters.
In 2014, the nation will be watching all seven of the active 5-star players, each of whom is set to start for his current program, except for Browne at USC. The quarterback position is not an easy one, and as guys jockey for team and individual success, even the big names are not guaranteed to produce.
MICHAEL FELDERMAY 1, 20140
Getty Images
The 5-star quarterback is one of the nation's most coveted recruits. As the 2015 cycle gets heated with spring evaluations and revs up for the coming camp season, four players hold the distinction of being 5-star players, according to 247Sports: Josh Rosen, Ricky Town, Torrance Gibson and Kyler Murray.
Kyle AllenEric Gay/Associated Press
In 2014, Kyle Allen was the only quarterback to draw the 5-star distinction. The Arizona quarterback, who enrolled early at Texas A&M, is the front-runner in many minds to win the starting job over Kenny Hill, his lone competition.
Max Browne, a 2013 5-star recruit, is playing the backup role to Cody Kessler at USC in his second season, while fellow 2013 5-star Christian Hackenberg is the starter at Penn State and tracking for big success.
While the jury is still out on those young men's futures, a look at the previous five seasons shows a truly mixed bag when it comes to the cream of the quarterback crop in recruiting. From 2008 to 2012, 10 quarterbacks earned the distinction of being 5-star players, an average of two per year, although no players garnered the accolade in 2010.
| 5-Star Quarterbacks | |
| Year | Player |
| 2008 | Dayne Crist |
| EJ Manuel | |
| Terrelle Pryor | |
| 2009 | Matt Barkley |
| Garrett Gilbert | |
| Russell Shepard | |
| 2010 | -- |
| 2011 | Jeff Driskel |
| Braxton Miller | |
| 2012 | Gunner Kiel |
| Jameis Winston | |
| 247Sports Composite Rankings |
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EJ Manuel, a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, is 10 games into his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and has posted 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions and 1,972 yards passing. While his NFL future remains to be written, he left college as a success, winning an ACC championship and the Orange Bowl in Florida State's return to the BCS stage.
Although Crist never truly got going in college, both Pryor and Manuel had solid collegiate careers. Pryor helped the Buckeyes win the Sugar Bowl in 2011 following the 2010 season and the Rose Bowl following the 2009 campaign. The kid was a decorated collegiate player, earning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award after starting nine games in 2008 as well as the Rose Bowl MVP the next season.
Scandal will accompany Pryor's name, but on the field the former 5-star certainly came close to living up to the hype. He helped his team to three BCS bowls, was a productive player and, had he been around for his senior year, would have likely been mentioned in the Heisman discussion.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Of the 2009 class, two are currently on NFL rosters, while the third 5-star, Garrett Gilbert, is hoping to be selected in May's NFL draft.
Matt Barkley was a collegiate stud who saw his draft stock take a hit during a senior year where his USC Trojans team struggled to string together wins. Although he is an NFL backup, at USC and in the Pac-12 Barkley found his way toward the top of many career achievement lists.
As a four-year starter who was the heart and soul of the USC program during his time, Barkley certainly lived up to the 5-star billing.
Garrett Gilbert seemed poised to do the same on the wings of his freshman performance for Texas in the BCS National Championship Game. However, his next year was disastrous and ultimately led to Gilbert transferring to SMU after he missed most of the 2011 season with a shoulder injury.
The former 5-star finished his career throwing for over 6,000 yards with the Mustangs and 36 touchdowns. Gilbert missed the last two games of 2013 with a knee injury, but he is an interesting commodity in the draft, as ESPN's Kevin Weidl notes:
For his part, Gilbert is realistic about his chances.
"I've got no idea. I really don't. … In all honesty, I'd really just love the opportunity to continue to play this game somewhere, and that's what I'm looking for," he told the Houston Chronicle.
Russell Shepard, the third 5-star in the mix for the 2009 class, never actually played quarterback in college. Shepard spent time as a running back-wide receiver hybrid before settling at wide receiver with the LSU Tigers. Whether scored as a receiver or a converted quarterback, Shepard struggled to find his way, some of which can be attributed to LSU's lack of inventiveness on the offensive side of the ball.
The undrafted quarterback turned receiver is now a special teams contributor and reserve receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 2011 class boasted two 5-star quarterbacks, both of the dual-threat variety: Jeff Driskel and Braxton Miller. Although draft-eligible, both are back at school for their senior campaigns, Miller the only one of the two who had serious prospects for the 2014 NFL draft.
Driskel, who was injured for the bulk of 2013, has struggled to show the skills that made him the nation's No. 1 quarterback. The Florida Gators QB has been inconsistent, inaccurate and not as swift on the move as expected upon enrollment.
Meanwhile, Miller has lived up to the top billing associated with 5-star recruits. He came in and stole the Ohio State starting job as a freshman, and despite being limited in his passing ability, the kid was clearly the Buckeyes' best option at the position. The last two seasons have seen Miller lead undefeated regular-season campaigns and wow observers with his ability to heave the deep ball or go the distance on both broken plays and designed runs.
Miller's upcoming senior campaign is all about getting his team a Big Ten championship and a spot in college football's inaugural playoff. Individually, Miller is a Heisman front-runner and a name on every college football fan's short list of elite players. As he polishes the throwing elements of his game, the NFL is certainly a viable option. Depending upon his performance and improvements in 2014, he could find himself pushing into the first round.
Driskel's goals are not quite as lofty. The quarterback has to work with new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to develop an efficient offense and hopefully return to the ball-control team that went to the Sugar Bowl following the 2012 season.
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
Finally, the most recent class worth noting is the 2012 duo of 5-star quarterbacks: Jameis Winston and Gunner Kiel.
Winston has already etched his name into history with a Heisman Trophy, an ACC championship, a BCS National Championship and a host of other awards to his name at Florida State. The 2014 campaign is about repeating for the redshirt sophomore, as well as elevating his NFL stock from "one of the best quarterbacks" to "the best quarterback" for the 2015 draft.
The other 5-star, Kiel, will finally get to show what he can do after two seasons of sitting on the bench. The Notre Dame enrollee was buried on the depth chart in South Bend in 2012 and then forced to burn a year waiting to play after transferring to Cincinnati. Kiel, as Tom Groeschen of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported, looked ready to play in the spring game, and folks will get to put eyes on the former top-ranked quarterback recruit.
Quarterback is a mixed bag, not because stars do not matter, but rather because it is a position that requires incredibly favorable conditions for players to succeed. Natural talent is great, but if coaching changes or injuries occur, not to mention the struggle to adjust to the collegiate landscape, natural talent does not solve the problems.
Of the five players during the time period who could be drafted into the NFL, only three were selected: Barkley, Pryor and Manuel. Pryor, of course, was a supplemental draft pick by the Oakland Raiders. In that same group of five, four are currently on NFL rosters, while Crist sits as an unaffiliated free agent. Although only Manuel is a true starter, the 80 percent roster rate is still quite high, and Gilbert hopes to add his name to that list, making it five of six on NFL rosters.
In 2014, the nation will be watching all seven of the active 5-star players, each of whom is set to start for his current program, except for Browne at USC. The quarterback position is not an easy one, and as guys jockey for team and individual success, even the big names are not guaranteed to produce.
Probably very true.
How the NFL's starting QBs ranked as recruits
ByKEVIN BOILARD Jul 26, 2019
The path to NFL stardom is so long that sometimes it’s hard to see or remember where it started. Before the glory, there are grueling training camp practices. Before those, there’s the foundation built in college. And before that, there’s the hype generated as a recruit.
Heading into the 2019 NFL season as training camps are set to begin, we looked back at every potential starting quarterback to see where they ranked as recruits coming out of high school or junior college. Some followed winding paths to the professional routes, while others traversed more direct routes. All of them have a chance to compete for Super Bowl LIV in the NFL’s 100th season.
Of all the talented signal callers you’ll find here, only five of them were five-star recruits in the 247Sports Composite. There might be a few more, but six quarterbacks have been in the league so long that they actually predate the modern recruiting era.
This list will feature all 32 NFL teams, highlighting every quarterback with a chance to win a starting job this summer. It will include star-ratings (if available), overall rank and recruiting class for each player.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
[Class of 1996; No Ranking]
Approaching 42 years of age, Tom Brady predates the modern recruiting era/247Sports Composite. In a piece revisiting Brady as a high school athlete in the mid-1990s, 247Sports Recruiting Analyst Charles Power estimated that the six-time Super Bowl champion would be a “mid to low four-star prospect today.” Brady left San Mateo, California, for the University of Michigan, where he battled for playing time before the Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
Sam Darnold, New York Jets
4-Star Recruit; No. 148 in Class of 2015
Sam Darnold turned heads with his athleticism at San Clemente (California) High School, where he starred on both the football field and the basketball court. Although he ended up going to USC and staying in Southern California, Darnold also considered Duke, Northwestern and Oregon. Darnold went third overall to the Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft and posted a 4-9 record in 13 starts as a rookie.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
3-Star Recruit; No. 199 in JUCO Class of 2015
Josh Allen didn’t start generating buzz until his JUCO days at Reedley College in California. Still, Allen was not heavily recruited and enrolled at Wyoming. Although he played outside the Power Five, Allen’s strong arm and prototypical frame (6-5, 237 lbs.) were enough for NFL talent evaluators to fall in love with him. He went seventh overall to the Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft and completed 52.8 percent of his pass attempts as a rookie.
Josh Rosen/Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins
Rosen: 5-Star Recruit; No. 11 in Class of 2015
Fitzpatrick: [Class of 2001; No Ranking]
The Dolphins’ starting quarterback is currently undetermined. A battle between Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick is expected to take place at training camp this summer. Rosen was the top quarterback in the 2015 recruiting cycle before attending UCLA, while Fitzpatrick enrolled at Harvard before the modern recruiting era. These two quarterbacks are separated by 14 years and a world of difference when it comes to recruiting pedigree.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
[Class of 2000; No Ranking]
The 247Sports Composite didn’t exist when Ben Roethlisberger was in high school, but his ranking probably would have been flawed if it did. That’s because Roethlisberger started out as a wide receiver at Findley (Ohio) High School and didn’t play quarterback until his senior year. Also a star basketball and baseball player, Roethlisberger took his talents to Miami (Ohio) University and became a first-round pick of the Steelers. He is heading into his 16th NFL season and has already won two Super Bowls.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
3-Star Recruit; No. 409 in Class of 2015
Lamar Jackson was far from a picture-perfect prospect coming out of high school, but recruiting experts knew there was something special about his athletic ability. Jackson, who is from South Florida, decided to leave the Sunshine State and chose Louisville over offers from Miami and Florida. While at Louisville, Jackson won a Heisman Trophy (2016) and went on to become a first-round pick of the Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft. He lifted Baltimore to an AFC North title in his first professional season.
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
3-Star Recruit; No. 1,029 in Class of 2013
Baker Mayfield wasn’t always the star he is today. The former first-overall draft pick of the Cleveland Browns ranked outside the top 1,000 recruits in the 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2013. It took a while for Mayfield to make a name for himself, starting his career as a walk-on at Texas Tech before transferring to Oklahoma and winning the Heisman Trophy as a senior. He is now one of the NFL’s fastest-rising stars, after throwing 27 touchdown passes as a rookie.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
3-Star Recruit; No. 707 in Class of 2006
Andy Dalton was an under-the-radar recruit who stayed in state, enrolling at TCU after starring at Katy (Texas) High School. Dalton redshirted his freshman year with the Horned Frogs, then started each of the next four seasons. During this time, Dalton developed into an interesting enough NFL prospect for the Bengals to take him with a second-round pick in 2011. He has since been named to three Pro Bowls.
(Deshaun Watson as a high schooler; Photo: 247Sports)
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
4-Star Recruit; No. 42 in Class of 2014
Deshaun Watson was the top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 247Sports Composite coming out of Gainesville (Georgia) High School back in 2012, so it should come as no surprise that he had offers to play for every major program in the Southeast and beyond. Watson committed to Clemson in February of 2012 and led the Tigers to a National Championship roughly five years later, prompting the Texans to take him with the 12th-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl and won an AFC South title last season.
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
4-Star Recruit; No. 42 in Class of 2008
Andrew Luck was billed as a generational talent coming out of college, but that wasn’t the case for him as a recruit. Believe it or not, Luck was ranked behind Notre Dame flameout Dayne Crist and NFL draft bust Blaine Gabbert in the 2008 recruiting class. Luck left the Houston area and enrolled at Stanford, where he developed much of the pedigree we know today. He succeeded Peyton Manning as the first-overall pick of the Colts in 2012 and has since gone on to make four Pro Bowls.
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
3-Star Recruit; No. 491 in Class of 2011
Marcus Mariota wasn’t the easiest recruit to uncover, considering the fact that he played his high school ball in Honolulu, Hawaii. Nevertheless, Mariota garnered enough interest on the West Coast to land an offer from the University of Oregon. Mariota started for three years and won the Heisman Trophy during his final season in Eugene, then entered the 2015 NFL Draft and went second overall to the Titans. He has been a serviceable starter, when healthy, at the professional ranks.
Nick Foles, Jacksonville Jaguars
3-Star Recruit; No. 613 in Class of 2007
Nick Foles came from a hotbed of NFL talent at Westlake (the same high school that produced Drew Brees) in Austin, Texas. Foles originally committed to Arizona State, then flipped his commitment and enrolled at Michigan State, before ultimately transferring to Arizona. The future Super Bowl MVP was a solid enough quarterback to land with the Eagles as a third-rounder in 2012, but no one could have predicted what would come next. Foles has one of the most unique career arcs in NFL history.
Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City Chiefs
3-Star Recruit; No. 398 in Class of 2014
Patrick Mahomes may be the NFL’s reigning MVP, but he was once a more heralded baseball recruit than football recruit. Although his father played in the MLB, Mahomes chose to star on the gridiron at Texas Tech over offers to play for Oklahoma State and Rice. The eye-popping numbers Mahomes put up with the Red Raiders warranted the Chiefs to select him with the 10th-overall pick in 2017. So far, he has looked like the biggest steal of that draft.
Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
[Class of 2000; No Ranking]
Philip Rivers came up through Athens (Alabama) High School before the Modern Recruiting Era, but that didn’t stop N.C. State from finding him and luring him away from the likes of Auburn and Alabama. Rivers started four seasons with the Wolfpack and was named ACC Player of the Year as a senior. He went fourth-overall in the 2004 NFL Draft and landed with the Chargers as part of the now-famous Eli Manning trade.
Joe Flacco, Denver Broncos
3-Star Recruit; No. 365 in Class of 2003
Joe Flacco, who went to Audubon (New Jersey) High School, was mostly recruited in the Northeast. A big-bodied passer with a powerful arm, Flacco committed to Pitt and began his college career in the ACC. A lack of playing time, however, led Flacco to transfer to Delaware, where he set several school passing records and competed for an FCS championship. He was a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 and won a Super Bowl MVP before being traded to the Broncos this offseason.
Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
4-Star Recruit; No. 315 in Class of 2009
Following in the footsteps of older brother and former first-overall pick David, Derek Carr was a well-known recruit. His high school career started at Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, but Carr transferred to Bakersfield Christian (California) for his senior year. Carr considered a handful of West Coast teams but ultimately chose Fresno State, where he crushed most of his brother’s passing old passing marks. He went in the second-round of the 2014 NFL Draft and has since established himself as the Raiders’ franchise quarterback.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
[Class of 2011; No Ranking]
Carson Wentz is a curious case, since hardly anyone knew his name before the 2016 NFL Draft. Went was a multi-sport athlete who flew way under the radar at Bismarck Century (N.D.) High School and did not receive a rating in the 247Sports Composite. From there, he went to North Dakota State and grew his profile part of a program that won five consecutive FCS National Championships. Injuries have limited his action through three professional seasons, but he still oozes with the potential that made him a second-overall pick.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
3-Star Recruit; No. 601 in Class of 2011
Dak Prescott first showcased his ability to lead as a dangerous, dual-threat quarterback at Houston (LA) High School. Although Prescott considered LSU, he ultimately left his home state of Louisiana to attend Mississippi State. Prescott was named First-Team All-SEC twice, but his inconsistent passing skills made him a mid-round prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Cowboys scooped him up with a fourth-round pick and have been very happy ever since.
Eli Manning/Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Manning: [Class of 1999; No Ranking]
Jones: 2-Star Recruit; No. 2,020 in Class of 2015 (by 247Sports)
The Giants can go one of two very different ways in 2019. They can stick with Eli Manning, who predates the Modern Recruiting Era at 38 years old but has delivered the franchise a couple Super Bowl victories, or they can go with the young gun in Daniel Jones. Even though he’s 16 years younger than Manning, it’s not like Jones has a better recruiting profile on which to lean. He didn’t have a rating in the 247Sports Composite before choosing Duke over Princeton and eventually becoming the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
(Dwayne Haskins as a high schooler; Photo: 247Sports)
Case Keenum/Dwayne Haskins/Colt McCoy, Washington Redskins
Haskins: 4-Star Recruit; No. 91 in Class of 2016
Keenum: 2-Star Recruit; No. 1,818 in Class of 2006
McCoy: 3-Star Recruit; No. 405 in Class of 2005
The Redskins have options under center, starting with a pedigreed passer from Potomac, Maryland, in Dwayne Haskins. If the Ohio State product isn’t ready, they can always turn to trade acquisition Case Keenum, whose stars as a recruit match the number of Conference USA MVP awards he won while at Houston. The outside option is Colt McCoy, a former small-town Texas kid who went on to have his No. 12 jersey retired by the Longhorns. Haskins has the most potential, but Keenum and McCoy have enjoyed decent NFL careers — something you wouldn’t guess just by looking at their recruiting profiles.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
3-Star Recruit; No. 53 in JUCO Class of 2003
Aaron Rodgers’ skill wasn’t always as obvious as it is today. In fact, he was an unheralded prospect who received very little Division-I interest coming out of Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California. Rodgers garnered more attention from top-tier programs after a solid freshman year at Butte Community College, but he still wasn’t even the top-rated JUCO quarterback prospect in the country. Rodgers transferred to Cal with three years of eligibility and ultimately became a first-round draft pick, before winning a Super Bowl and two NFL Most Valuable Player awards with the Green Bay Packers.
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
3-Star Recruit; No. 1,302 in Class of 2008
After a decent high school career in Michigan, Kirk Cousins was a three-star recruit considering Western Michigan and other schools in the Midwest, such as Toledo and Northern Illinois, as a recruit. Then he got the call from Mark Dantonio, who recruited Cousins to be the quarterback in his first class at Michigan State. Cousins was redshirted for the 2007 season but went on to become a four-year starter with the Spartans and a fourth-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
5-Star Recruit; No. 6 in Class of 2006
Scouts knew they were seeing something special when they came to watch Matthew Stafford play at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas. He was a unanimous 5-star recruit and the top quarterback prospect in the country. Stafford had offers to become a star in the Big-12 — with teams such as Texas and Oklahoma — but he chose to go to Georgia, where he spent part of his childhood. While many top-rated recruits fail for one reason or another, Stafford is one who lived up to every expectation by starring for the Bulldogs and becoming the first-overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears
4-Star Recruit; No. 206 in Class of 2013
Mitchell Trubisky has been leaning on his athleticism ever since his days as a recruit. He was ranked as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2013 by 247Sports, after winning Ohio’s Mr. Football award for his efforts both through the air and on the ground during his senior year at Mentor High School. Trubisky, who had an offer to play for the Buckeyes, left the State of Ohio to enroll at North Carolina and play in Larry Fedora’s fast-paced offense. Although it took him a few years to land the starting job with the Tar Heels, Trubisky was ultimately selected second overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
3-Star Recruit; No. 833 in Class of 2003
A highly productive and decorated quarterback at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Matt Ryan caught the eye of schools such as Notre Dame, Iowa and Boston College as a recruit. Ryan, who was also the captain of the basketball and baseball teams at his high school, gave his commitment to BC in 2002. He would go on to be named ACC Player of the Year in 2007, selected third overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008 and awarded the league MVP in 2016.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
5-Star Recruit; No. 26 in Class of 2007
Before Cam Newton was an NFL MVP for the Carolina Panthers or a Heisman Trophy winner for the Auburn Tigers, he was a five-star recruit at Westlake (Georgia) High School. Then the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the country, Newton gave his commitment to Florida and originally started his college career with the Gators before it was derailed due to off-the-field issues. Newton regrouped at the JUCO level, led Blinn College to a championship, then did the same for Auburn and became the first-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
[Class of 1997; No Ranking]
Drew Brees predates the Modern Recruiting Era and, therefore, has no ranking upon which we can reflect. We do know, however, that Brees was a three-sport athlete at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, and nearly pursued a college baseball career over football. His recruitment was somewhat hindered by his height (6’0”) and the fact that he tore his ACL during his junior year. Brees, whose only major offers came from Purdue and Kentucky, chose the Boillermakers. Two decades later, he’s rewriting the NFL record books.
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5-Star Recruit; No. 16 in Class of 2012
Back in 2012, the 247Sports Composite had James Winston as the both the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the country. He was also decent baseball prospect, selected in the MLB Draft out of Hueytown High School. Florida State offered him the opportunity to play both sports, so Winston went with the Seminoles over offers from 16 other schools (seven of which hailed from the SEC). Winston won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship as a redshirt freshman in Tallahassee, then went first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
3-Star Recruit; No. 1,102 in Class of 2007
Although Russell Wilson had an offer to play for Wisconsin coming out of Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia, the under-sized signal caller pursued a more circuitous route to Madison. An MLB Draft pick out of high school, Wilson enrolled at NC State to play both sports, turning down other ACC offers from Duke and Virginia Tech. After a redshirt year and three seasons as the starting quarterback with the Wolfpack, Wilson spent a grad-transfer year at Wisconsin before going on to win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks at the next level.
Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
4-Star Recruit; No. 213 in Class of 2013
Jared Goff was the No. 15 quarterback in both the 247Sports Composite and the Top247 coming out of Marin Catholic in Greenbrae, California. He competed in the Elite 11 Finals and was recruited by most of the big schools in the Pac-12. Goff chose Cal over offers to play for Boise State and Washington State, later becoming the first true freshman in school history to start a season opener. He would go on to be selected first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
2-Star Recruit; No. 2,034 in Class of 2010
Jimmy Garoppolo did not have glowing prospects to play in college as only a two-star recruit coming out of Rolling Meadows (Illinois) High School. His only scholarship offers came from Eastern Illinois, Illinois State and Montana State. Garoppolo chose Eastern Illinois, broke Tony Romo’s school records and won the Walter Payton Award as the best offensive player at the FCS level before being selected by Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
ByKEVIN BOILARD Jul 26, 2019
The path to NFL stardom is so long that sometimes it’s hard to see or remember where it started. Before the glory, there are grueling training camp practices. Before those, there’s the foundation built in college. And before that, there’s the hype generated as a recruit.
Heading into the 2019 NFL season as training camps are set to begin, we looked back at every potential starting quarterback to see where they ranked as recruits coming out of high school or junior college. Some followed winding paths to the professional routes, while others traversed more direct routes. All of them have a chance to compete for Super Bowl LIV in the NFL’s 100th season.
Of all the talented signal callers you’ll find here, only five of them were five-star recruits in the 247Sports Composite. There might be a few more, but six quarterbacks have been in the league so long that they actually predate the modern recruiting era.
This list will feature all 32 NFL teams, highlighting every quarterback with a chance to win a starting job this summer. It will include star-ratings (if available), overall rank and recruiting class for each player.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
[Class of 1996; No Ranking]
Approaching 42 years of age, Tom Brady predates the modern recruiting era/247Sports Composite. In a piece revisiting Brady as a high school athlete in the mid-1990s, 247Sports Recruiting Analyst Charles Power estimated that the six-time Super Bowl champion would be a “mid to low four-star prospect today.” Brady left San Mateo, California, for the University of Michigan, where he battled for playing time before the Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
Sam Darnold, New York Jets
4-Star Recruit; No. 148 in Class of 2015
Sam Darnold turned heads with his athleticism at San Clemente (California) High School, where he starred on both the football field and the basketball court. Although he ended up going to USC and staying in Southern California, Darnold also considered Duke, Northwestern and Oregon. Darnold went third overall to the Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft and posted a 4-9 record in 13 starts as a rookie.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
3-Star Recruit; No. 199 in JUCO Class of 2015
Josh Allen didn’t start generating buzz until his JUCO days at Reedley College in California. Still, Allen was not heavily recruited and enrolled at Wyoming. Although he played outside the Power Five, Allen’s strong arm and prototypical frame (6-5, 237 lbs.) were enough for NFL talent evaluators to fall in love with him. He went seventh overall to the Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft and completed 52.8 percent of his pass attempts as a rookie.
Josh Rosen/Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins
Rosen: 5-Star Recruit; No. 11 in Class of 2015
Fitzpatrick: [Class of 2001; No Ranking]
The Dolphins’ starting quarterback is currently undetermined. A battle between Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick is expected to take place at training camp this summer. Rosen was the top quarterback in the 2015 recruiting cycle before attending UCLA, while Fitzpatrick enrolled at Harvard before the modern recruiting era. These two quarterbacks are separated by 14 years and a world of difference when it comes to recruiting pedigree.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
[Class of 2000; No Ranking]
The 247Sports Composite didn’t exist when Ben Roethlisberger was in high school, but his ranking probably would have been flawed if it did. That’s because Roethlisberger started out as a wide receiver at Findley (Ohio) High School and didn’t play quarterback until his senior year. Also a star basketball and baseball player, Roethlisberger took his talents to Miami (Ohio) University and became a first-round pick of the Steelers. He is heading into his 16th NFL season and has already won two Super Bowls.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
3-Star Recruit; No. 409 in Class of 2015
Lamar Jackson was far from a picture-perfect prospect coming out of high school, but recruiting experts knew there was something special about his athletic ability. Jackson, who is from South Florida, decided to leave the Sunshine State and chose Louisville over offers from Miami and Florida. While at Louisville, Jackson won a Heisman Trophy (2016) and went on to become a first-round pick of the Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft. He lifted Baltimore to an AFC North title in his first professional season.
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
3-Star Recruit; No. 1,029 in Class of 2013
Baker Mayfield wasn’t always the star he is today. The former first-overall draft pick of the Cleveland Browns ranked outside the top 1,000 recruits in the 247Sports Composite for the Class of 2013. It took a while for Mayfield to make a name for himself, starting his career as a walk-on at Texas Tech before transferring to Oklahoma and winning the Heisman Trophy as a senior. He is now one of the NFL’s fastest-rising stars, after throwing 27 touchdown passes as a rookie.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
3-Star Recruit; No. 707 in Class of 2006
Andy Dalton was an under-the-radar recruit who stayed in state, enrolling at TCU after starring at Katy (Texas) High School. Dalton redshirted his freshman year with the Horned Frogs, then started each of the next four seasons. During this time, Dalton developed into an interesting enough NFL prospect for the Bengals to take him with a second-round pick in 2011. He has since been named to three Pro Bowls.
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
4-Star Recruit; No. 42 in Class of 2014
Deshaun Watson was the top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 247Sports Composite coming out of Gainesville (Georgia) High School back in 2012, so it should come as no surprise that he had offers to play for every major program in the Southeast and beyond. Watson committed to Clemson in February of 2012 and led the Tigers to a National Championship roughly five years later, prompting the Texans to take him with the 12th-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl and won an AFC South title last season.
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
4-Star Recruit; No. 42 in Class of 2008
Andrew Luck was billed as a generational talent coming out of college, but that wasn’t the case for him as a recruit. Believe it or not, Luck was ranked behind Notre Dame flameout Dayne Crist and NFL draft bust Blaine Gabbert in the 2008 recruiting class. Luck left the Houston area and enrolled at Stanford, where he developed much of the pedigree we know today. He succeeded Peyton Manning as the first-overall pick of the Colts in 2012 and has since gone on to make four Pro Bowls.
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
3-Star Recruit; No. 491 in Class of 2011
Marcus Mariota wasn’t the easiest recruit to uncover, considering the fact that he played his high school ball in Honolulu, Hawaii. Nevertheless, Mariota garnered enough interest on the West Coast to land an offer from the University of Oregon. Mariota started for three years and won the Heisman Trophy during his final season in Eugene, then entered the 2015 NFL Draft and went second overall to the Titans. He has been a serviceable starter, when healthy, at the professional ranks.
Nick Foles, Jacksonville Jaguars
3-Star Recruit; No. 613 in Class of 2007
Nick Foles came from a hotbed of NFL talent at Westlake (the same high school that produced Drew Brees) in Austin, Texas. Foles originally committed to Arizona State, then flipped his commitment and enrolled at Michigan State, before ultimately transferring to Arizona. The future Super Bowl MVP was a solid enough quarterback to land with the Eagles as a third-rounder in 2012, but no one could have predicted what would come next. Foles has one of the most unique career arcs in NFL history.
Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City Chiefs
3-Star Recruit; No. 398 in Class of 2014
Patrick Mahomes may be the NFL’s reigning MVP, but he was once a more heralded baseball recruit than football recruit. Although his father played in the MLB, Mahomes chose to star on the gridiron at Texas Tech over offers to play for Oklahoma State and Rice. The eye-popping numbers Mahomes put up with the Red Raiders warranted the Chiefs to select him with the 10th-overall pick in 2017. So far, he has looked like the biggest steal of that draft.
Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
[Class of 2000; No Ranking]
Philip Rivers came up through Athens (Alabama) High School before the Modern Recruiting Era, but that didn’t stop N.C. State from finding him and luring him away from the likes of Auburn and Alabama. Rivers started four seasons with the Wolfpack and was named ACC Player of the Year as a senior. He went fourth-overall in the 2004 NFL Draft and landed with the Chargers as part of the now-famous Eli Manning trade.
Joe Flacco, Denver Broncos
3-Star Recruit; No. 365 in Class of 2003
Joe Flacco, who went to Audubon (New Jersey) High School, was mostly recruited in the Northeast. A big-bodied passer with a powerful arm, Flacco committed to Pitt and began his college career in the ACC. A lack of playing time, however, led Flacco to transfer to Delaware, where he set several school passing records and competed for an FCS championship. He was a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 and won a Super Bowl MVP before being traded to the Broncos this offseason.
Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
4-Star Recruit; No. 315 in Class of 2009
Following in the footsteps of older brother and former first-overall pick David, Derek Carr was a well-known recruit. His high school career started at Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, but Carr transferred to Bakersfield Christian (California) for his senior year. Carr considered a handful of West Coast teams but ultimately chose Fresno State, where he crushed most of his brother’s passing old passing marks. He went in the second-round of the 2014 NFL Draft and has since established himself as the Raiders’ franchise quarterback.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
[Class of 2011; No Ranking]
Carson Wentz is a curious case, since hardly anyone knew his name before the 2016 NFL Draft. Went was a multi-sport athlete who flew way under the radar at Bismarck Century (N.D.) High School and did not receive a rating in the 247Sports Composite. From there, he went to North Dakota State and grew his profile part of a program that won five consecutive FCS National Championships. Injuries have limited his action through three professional seasons, but he still oozes with the potential that made him a second-overall pick.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
3-Star Recruit; No. 601 in Class of 2011
Dak Prescott first showcased his ability to lead as a dangerous, dual-threat quarterback at Houston (LA) High School. Although Prescott considered LSU, he ultimately left his home state of Louisiana to attend Mississippi State. Prescott was named First-Team All-SEC twice, but his inconsistent passing skills made him a mid-round prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft. The Cowboys scooped him up with a fourth-round pick and have been very happy ever since.
Eli Manning/Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Manning: [Class of 1999; No Ranking]
Jones: 2-Star Recruit; No. 2,020 in Class of 2015 (by 247Sports)
The Giants can go one of two very different ways in 2019. They can stick with Eli Manning, who predates the Modern Recruiting Era at 38 years old but has delivered the franchise a couple Super Bowl victories, or they can go with the young gun in Daniel Jones. Even though he’s 16 years younger than Manning, it’s not like Jones has a better recruiting profile on which to lean. He didn’t have a rating in the 247Sports Composite before choosing Duke over Princeton and eventually becoming the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Case Keenum/Dwayne Haskins/Colt McCoy, Washington Redskins
Haskins: 4-Star Recruit; No. 91 in Class of 2016
Keenum: 2-Star Recruit; No. 1,818 in Class of 2006
McCoy: 3-Star Recruit; No. 405 in Class of 2005
The Redskins have options under center, starting with a pedigreed passer from Potomac, Maryland, in Dwayne Haskins. If the Ohio State product isn’t ready, they can always turn to trade acquisition Case Keenum, whose stars as a recruit match the number of Conference USA MVP awards he won while at Houston. The outside option is Colt McCoy, a former small-town Texas kid who went on to have his No. 12 jersey retired by the Longhorns. Haskins has the most potential, but Keenum and McCoy have enjoyed decent NFL careers — something you wouldn’t guess just by looking at their recruiting profiles.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
3-Star Recruit; No. 53 in JUCO Class of 2003
Aaron Rodgers’ skill wasn’t always as obvious as it is today. In fact, he was an unheralded prospect who received very little Division-I interest coming out of Pleasant Valley High School in Chico, California. Rodgers garnered more attention from top-tier programs after a solid freshman year at Butte Community College, but he still wasn’t even the top-rated JUCO quarterback prospect in the country. Rodgers transferred to Cal with three years of eligibility and ultimately became a first-round draft pick, before winning a Super Bowl and two NFL Most Valuable Player awards with the Green Bay Packers.
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
3-Star Recruit; No. 1,302 in Class of 2008
After a decent high school career in Michigan, Kirk Cousins was a three-star recruit considering Western Michigan and other schools in the Midwest, such as Toledo and Northern Illinois, as a recruit. Then he got the call from Mark Dantonio, who recruited Cousins to be the quarterback in his first class at Michigan State. Cousins was redshirted for the 2007 season but went on to become a four-year starter with the Spartans and a fourth-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
5-Star Recruit; No. 6 in Class of 2006
Scouts knew they were seeing something special when they came to watch Matthew Stafford play at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas. He was a unanimous 5-star recruit and the top quarterback prospect in the country. Stafford had offers to become a star in the Big-12 — with teams such as Texas and Oklahoma — but he chose to go to Georgia, where he spent part of his childhood. While many top-rated recruits fail for one reason or another, Stafford is one who lived up to every expectation by starring for the Bulldogs and becoming the first-overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears
4-Star Recruit; No. 206 in Class of 2013
Mitchell Trubisky has been leaning on his athleticism ever since his days as a recruit. He was ranked as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2013 by 247Sports, after winning Ohio’s Mr. Football award for his efforts both through the air and on the ground during his senior year at Mentor High School. Trubisky, who had an offer to play for the Buckeyes, left the State of Ohio to enroll at North Carolina and play in Larry Fedora’s fast-paced offense. Although it took him a few years to land the starting job with the Tar Heels, Trubisky was ultimately selected second overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
3-Star Recruit; No. 833 in Class of 2003
A highly productive and decorated quarterback at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Matt Ryan caught the eye of schools such as Notre Dame, Iowa and Boston College as a recruit. Ryan, who was also the captain of the basketball and baseball teams at his high school, gave his commitment to BC in 2002. He would go on to be named ACC Player of the Year in 2007, selected third overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2008 and awarded the league MVP in 2016.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
5-Star Recruit; No. 26 in Class of 2007
Before Cam Newton was an NFL MVP for the Carolina Panthers or a Heisman Trophy winner for the Auburn Tigers, he was a five-star recruit at Westlake (Georgia) High School. Then the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the country, Newton gave his commitment to Florida and originally started his college career with the Gators before it was derailed due to off-the-field issues. Newton regrouped at the JUCO level, led Blinn College to a championship, then did the same for Auburn and became the first-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
[Class of 1997; No Ranking]
Drew Brees predates the Modern Recruiting Era and, therefore, has no ranking upon which we can reflect. We do know, however, that Brees was a three-sport athlete at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, and nearly pursued a college baseball career over football. His recruitment was somewhat hindered by his height (6’0”) and the fact that he tore his ACL during his junior year. Brees, whose only major offers came from Purdue and Kentucky, chose the Boillermakers. Two decades later, he’s rewriting the NFL record books.
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5-Star Recruit; No. 16 in Class of 2012
Back in 2012, the 247Sports Composite had James Winston as the both the No. 1 player in the state of Alabama and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the country. He was also decent baseball prospect, selected in the MLB Draft out of Hueytown High School. Florida State offered him the opportunity to play both sports, so Winston went with the Seminoles over offers from 16 other schools (seven of which hailed from the SEC). Winston won the Heisman Trophy and a National Championship as a redshirt freshman in Tallahassee, then went first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
3-Star Recruit; No. 1,102 in Class of 2007
Although Russell Wilson had an offer to play for Wisconsin coming out of Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia, the under-sized signal caller pursued a more circuitous route to Madison. An MLB Draft pick out of high school, Wilson enrolled at NC State to play both sports, turning down other ACC offers from Duke and Virginia Tech. After a redshirt year and three seasons as the starting quarterback with the Wolfpack, Wilson spent a grad-transfer year at Wisconsin before going on to win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks at the next level.
Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
4-Star Recruit; No. 213 in Class of 2013
Jared Goff was the No. 15 quarterback in both the 247Sports Composite and the Top247 coming out of Marin Catholic in Greenbrae, California. He competed in the Elite 11 Finals and was recruited by most of the big schools in the Pac-12. Goff chose Cal over offers to play for Boise State and Washington State, later becoming the first true freshman in school history to start a season opener. He would go on to be selected first overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
2-Star Recruit; No. 2,034 in Class of 2010
Jimmy Garoppolo did not have glowing prospects to play in college as only a two-star recruit coming out of Rolling Meadows (Illinois) High School. His only scholarship offers came from Eastern Illinois, Illinois State and Montana State. Garoppolo chose Eastern Illinois, broke Tony Romo’s school records and won the Walter Payton Award as the best offensive player at the FCS level before being selected by Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Bob_Loblaw
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There are folks on here that think that I'm a Kill apologist, but your level of playmakers for Kill recruits goes down to guys like Winston, Barber, the Huff Bros, and Jonathon Celestin.
As others have pointed out, it's kind of difficult because many of these guys are so young, but here is my list of players who are of a higher caliber or are more likely to play in the NFL than these guys that were Fleck recruits. I am not going to include any true/RS FR.
Braelen Oliver
Benjamin St. Juste
Boye Mafe
Curtis Dunlap
Blaise Andries
Daniel Faalele
DeAngelo Carter
Brevyn Spann-Ford
John Michael-Schmitz
- - There are also a number of younger guys who have already shown more in flashes (at this stage in their career) as many of those guys you listed.
We won 11 games last year. We were talented. I'm in the camp that Kill/Claeys deserve credit for leaving a program with talent. Fleck deserves credit for developing that talent, bringing in more talent, and coaching/inspiring the team. It's not binary - Fleck or Kill.
This year was a disappointment. We will likely finish 2-3 in the Big 10 and I'm not making excuses for that. Kill only had a higher than 40% winning percentage in 2 of his 5 seasons. I try to avoid the Kill vs. Fleck arguments and like I said, I also give Kill credit for a lot of those guys last year, but Fleck has added talent to the program.
I for one skipped most of that.
GopherDog1
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Not me but I am waiting for the Cliff Notes version.
GopherFanatic19
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Thread getting hijacked about non gopher recruiting news for the 100th time
BroncoRedux
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I stopped reading when he didn't mention Kyler Murray, unfortunately that was at the end.
MNVCGUY
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Was going to say the same thing. His post listed off a bunch of guys who had time to develop and really hit their stride late in the their college careers and he compared them up against a bunch of young guys who are just getting started.
salzie
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this has been told to him numerous time, he doesn't care.
salzie
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Correct, there are no partial scholarships in FBS
salzie
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You have that wrong. Headcount means everyone that gets a scholarship is a full ride.
FCS is equivalency, which is where you can split them up
College Football Scholarships | D1 Football Scholarships
Learn how to get a football scholarship, how many football scholarships are available by division, and how to boost your chance of securing offers.
www.ncsasports.org
UpAndUnder43
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This is factually incorrect. You get a full ride or nothing. This isn't wrestling or track.
UpAndUnder43
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So back to 2021 recruiting news after a few pages off.
Tammy Burger, the outspoken (in a good way) mother of Deven Eastern, has been hinting strongly on Twitter that she knows of some recruits ready to commit. She has been very involved since her son committed. Hosting other recruits and their parents for a lake weekend (ala the Coughlins when building the empire class) and her some, along with Ortiz, seem to be recruiting kids hard.
Lets hope she is on to something.
Also, her kid is a monster. Was a weird offer/commit in my opinion but he dominates high school football and is a physical specimen.
Tammy Burger, the outspoken (in a good way) mother of Deven Eastern, has been hinting strongly on Twitter that she knows of some recruits ready to commit. She has been very involved since her son committed. Hosting other recruits and their parents for a lake weekend (ala the Coughlins when building the empire class) and her some, along with Ortiz, seem to be recruiting kids hard.
Lets hope she is on to something.
Also, her kid is a monster. Was a weird offer/commit in my opinion but he dominates high school football and is a physical specimen.
- Status