Before Hard Knocks: Remembering Rams' new HBO stars as recruits

Hard Knocks, the annual summer-time tradition from HBO that lifts the curtain on NFL training camps, premiered on Tuesday night and as usual the show had social media buzzing. This year’s show follows the Los Angeles Rams as they prepare for the upcoming season. Some of the names on the show might be new to NFL fans, but recruiting fans will recognize several of the major players. Here’s a look back at where some of the premiere’s stars stacked up as high school recruits.

As a recruit: Goff was the nation’s No. 140 overall player in the Class of 2013 and committed to California in March of 2012. Other programs like Washington State showed interest, but he never budged from his commitment to the Bears. He went on to have a terrific career at Cal statistically and while the rebuilding program didn’t have tremendous success in terms of wins and losses, he did enough to impress NFL teams enough to be selected No. 1 overall in this year’s NFL Draft.

Hard Knocks storyline: Goff was the clear star of the first episode, from being cursed at by Rams quarterback coach and former Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke to not knowing which direction the sun rises or sets, it was a classic rookie premiere.

As a recruit: Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell often talks about his regrets when it comes to Gurley’s ranking, but he still finished the 2012 cycle as the nation’s No. 42 overall player. He committed to Georgia just a few weeks before Signing Day in 2012 as the Dawgs held off in-state programs North Carolina and N.C. State to nab Gurley’s signature. He went on to a terrific career at Georgia and despite suffering an ACL injury during his junior season, he was still selected by the Rams in the first round of 2015 NFL Draft.

Hard Knocks storyline: Gurley, who enters the season as the de facto face of the Rams franchise, showed off his trash-talking skills and was also serenaded by fans and teammates alike on his birthday.

As a recruit: The former four-star prospect had his share of options as a high school star and was recruited hard by West Virginia and Michigan before committing to West Virginia than a month before Signing Day in 2009. Austin shifted from running back to wide receiver while in college and excelled, earning his way to a first-round selection by the Rams in 2013.

Hard Knocks storyline: Outside of Goff, Austin was probably the most featured players during Tuesday’s episode, first for his struggles with cramps on the practice field, then for his indoctrination to Pokémon Go.

As a recruit: Ogletree was one of the nation’s top prospects in the class of 2010 and the Atlanta-area star elected to stay close to home, committing to Georgia in the summer before his senior season. Despite efforts from the likes of Alabama, Florida and several others, he never wavered on his commitment. He went on to a great career at Georgia and was selected in the first round by the Rams in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Hard Knocks storyline: Ogletree kicked off the show by celebrating the birth of his new child and also shared some friendly trash talk with former Georgia teammate Gurley.

As a recruit: Long was actually ranked three different times by Rivals.com, first as a four-star in the Class of 2009, then as the nation’s No. 1 overall prep player in 2010 and then as a five-star junior college player in the Class of 2012. Long actually signed and enrolled at West Virginia in 2010 before being dismissed without ever playing in a game. He then transferred to New Mexico, where he had a standout season before transferring again to Iowa Western Community College. He eventually finished his career with Maryland, playing in two productive seasons before going undrafted in 2015. He has yet to play in an NFL regular season game.

Hard Knocks storyline: Rams head coach Jeff Fisher made it abundantly clear that no guests were allowed at the team dorms, but Long broke the rules and became the first player to be released on this year’s show. Long didn’t remain on the open market for long as he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles shortly after being released.