Five-Star Checkup: Five-stars from top-five teams
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Mondays during the college football season, we check in on former five-stars to see how they are panning out at the next level and beyond. This week, we take a look at one five-star from each of the teams in the top five of the College Football Playoff rankings.
As a recruit: Fromm emerged as an FBS prospect early in his high school career, but it was Alabama, not Georgia, that initially showed Fromm the most love. That hard work led to an early commitment to the Tide, but once Kirby Smart left Tuscaloosa for Athens, Fromm became a prime target and eventually flipped to the in-state Bulldogs.
What he did this week: Fromm has weathered any criticism over his play during the middle of the year and continues to be the consistent leader of the Bulldogs' offense. In Saturday’s win over Auburn, he completed 13-of-20 passes for 193 yards and two scores, adding to what has been the best season of his young career. Fromm is completing 67 percent of his passes on the year and has a 19-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Despite ultra-talented true freshman Justin Fields behind him on the roster, Fromm continues to keep a lock on the starting quarterback job in Athens.
As a recruit: Gary’s recruitment was played out on the national stage as the former No. 1 overall player took official visits to Michigan, Clemson, Auburn, Ole Miss and USC. But the Wolverines and assistant coach Chris Partridge – Gary’s one-time high school coach – did enough to land Gary’s signature on National Signing Day in 2016.
What he did this week: Gary missed several games this season due to injury but is rounding back into form and he played very well in limited snaps on Saturday. He finished the game with four tackles and one quarterback hurry. Despite battling health issues, Gary is having his highest-graded season, according to Pro Football Focus, and if he finishes the season strong it’s likely he will be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, should he declare.
As a recruit: Hayes had an eventful high school career that included an early commitment to USC, followed by a move to California. That didn’t last long and he moved back to Michigan and looked at the Wolverines, Ohio State and Notre Dame before committing to the Irish following the conclusion of his senior season.
What he did this week: The Irish have just one five-star on their roster, a testament to the excellent job of evaluating and development by the current Notre Dame staff. After missing time earlier in the season with nagging injuries, Hayes has returned to form lately and played his highest-graded game of the year against Florida State, according to Pro Football Focus. He didn’t record a sack in the game but did have three tackles, along with two quarterback hurries. Hayes is also having his best overall season according to PFF, but unlike others on this list he’s likely to return for his senior year in an effort to improve his draft standing.
As a recruit: Lawrence was the No. 1 player in the country for long stretches in the 2016 class, but ended up finishing second behind Michigan’s Gary in the rankings. Despite his national profile, it was a regional battle for his commitment for the most part, with Clemson beating out North Carolina, NC State and several others to land his commitment.
What he did this week: The Tigers have a litany of five-stars, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but the other Lawrence gets the nod this week after having another excellent game. In Saturday night’s win over Boston College, Lawrence had three tackles, including one sack, and continues to draw extra attention from opponents on a weekly basis. Lawrence has been dominant from the day he stepped on campus and is likely to be a first-round draft pick if he declares for the 2019 NFL Draft.
As a recruit: A native of the Southeast, Williams moved to California for high school but elected to come back to the South and committed to Alabama over Georgia, Auburn and several others.
What he did this week: We did an all-Alabama version of the five-star checkup last week but still had extra five-stars to highlight this week and that’s where Williams comes into play. He played 75 snaps in the Tide’s victory over Mississippi State on Saturday night, allowing just one quarterback pressure despite facing a much-celebrated Bulldogs defensive line. Williams stepped in and started as a true freshman. He hasn’t looked back since and is likely to be a high pick in next year’s NFL Draft if he chooses to declare early.
