The football season is around the corner and as always, NFL.com releases its top 100 list for the upcoming season. Years ago, all these players were ranked and went through the recruiting process. We take a look back on how those things played out. Here are the top 20:
NFL TOP 100 AS RECRUITS: Nos. 21-40 | Nos. 41 - 60 | Nos. 61 - 80 | Nos. 81-100
FACT OR FICTION: Notre Dame will have fight to keep Deuce Knight's pledge
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CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
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20. CJ Stroud
Ohio State did not offer until very late but once the Buckeyes got involved they became the front-runner, especially since Stroud modeled his game after Justin Fields in many ways. Ironically, Georgia (where Fields had played before transferring to Ohio State) was the other main contender in Stroud’s recruitment along with Michigan, Oregon and USC. He was the second-best QB in the California state rankings behind Bryce Young. Stroud had two monster seasons at Ohio State where he threw 85 touchdowns and he was the second overall pick (behind Young) in the 2023 draft. Stroud had one of the best rookie years of all time last season.
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19. Roquan Smith
Ranked No. 77 overall and sixth at outside linebacker, Smith committed to UCLA on signing day but didn’t send in his paperwork as then-DC Jeff Ulbrich was leaving for the NFL. Days later, Smith flipped to Georgia. He ended up as the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft and has been phenomenal with 851 tackles and 20 sacks.
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18. Justin Jefferson
Jefferson could not commit to LSU until months after signing day because of academic issues, and his only other offer was from Nicholls State, so the Destrehan, La., prospect was assigned a two-star ranking. He had two phenomenal seasons in Baton Rouge with 165 catches for 2,415 yards and 24 touchdowns en route to being the No. 22 pick in the 2020 draft. He already has nearly 400 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 TDs with the Minnesota Vikings.
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17. Micah Parsons
A five-star linebacker, the Harrisburg, Pa., standout originally picked Penn State but backed off that pledge. Ohio State looked like it would land Parsons, but after being let on the ESPN College Gameday set to take a picture with Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State player, it was deemed against NCAA rules and the Buckeyes were out. He ended up signing with the Nittany Lions, where he had 191 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Parsons was the No. 12 overall pick and has been a star for the Dallas Cowboys.
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16. Dak Prescott
After landing a Mississippi State offer at summer camp, the three-star from Haughton, La., committed soon after over offers from Memphis, North Texas and others. Prescott led the Bulldogs to their first No. 1 ranking in school history and he ended up throwing for 9,376 yards with 70 touchdowns and 23 INTs and rushing for 2,521 yards and 41 scores. Prescott was a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he was the rookie of the year and is still the starter. He’s now thrown for nearly 30,000 yards and more than 200 TDs.
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15. Jalen Hurts
Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State and Texas A&M were the four programs Hurts was most focused on late in his recruitment before picking the Crimson Tide. Hurts had a phenomenal career at Alabama but eventually lost the starting job to Tua Tagovailoa. He then transferred to Oklahoma, where he threw for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for 20 more scores for the Sooners. He was a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles and is now one of the best QBs in the NFL. The former four-star has 67 passing TDs and 41 rushing ones.
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14. George Kittle
Kittle chose Iowa over Air Force, his only other offer. Kittle was a legacy since his father, Bruce, played for the Hawkeyes and he was a coach as Kittle was a low three-star from Norman, Okla. Kittle didn’t really have a massive impact at Iowa. In over five seasons he totaled just 48 catches for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns before being a fifth-round draft pick. Everything took off in the pros where he’s been a five-time Pro Bowler with 37 receiving TDs.
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13. CeeDee Lamb
The high four-star receiver from Richmond (Texas) Foster originally committed to Oklahoma only to back off that pledge and then pick the Sooners again over Texas A&M and Ole Miss. In Norman, Lamb had 173 catches for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns in three seasons before being the No. 17 overall pick in 2020 by the Dallas Cowboys. Lamb has more than 5,000 receiving yards with 36 career TDs.
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12. Josh Allen
Allen tried unsuccessfully to get a scholarship to Fresno State and then San Diego State offered a walk-on spot that Allen turned down. He instead went to junior college and then transferred to Wyoming, where he threw for 5,015 yards and 44 touchdowns in his final two seasons. The two-star was the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft. A two-time Pro Bowler, Allen has thrown for 167 TDs and rushed for 53 more.
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11. Fred Warner
The four-star linebacker committed to BYU in the spring before his senior season and even though USC, Nebraska and Washington continued to pursue him Warner stuck with the Cougars. In four seasons at BYU, Warner totaled 264 tackles, seven interceptions and 6.5 sacks before being picked by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round. The San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills standout has been one of the best LBs in the league with 766 career tackles.
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10. Maxx Crosby
Crosby was a two-star prospect out of Colleyville (Texas) Heritage whose only offer came from Eastern Michigan. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2019 draft. One of the best defensive linemen in the league, Crosby has 52 sacks in five seasons and only seems to be getting better.
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9. Travis Kelce
A two-star athlete in the 2008 class, Kelce was the third quarterback taken in Cincinnati’s class as then-coach Brian Kelly told the Cleveland Heights, Ohio, prospect he’d get a shot there and if not would be moved elsewhere. Kelce eventually moved to tight end and in his career he caught just 59 passes for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns. Kelce was a third-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs where he’s now the best TE in the league, has three Super Bowl rings and is, oh, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.
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8. TJ Watt
Minnesota and Northern Illinois were his only other offers than Wisconsin which Watt picked as a three-star tight end. After redshirting and then missing a season due to injury, Watt switched to defense and only in 2016 did his career take off with 11.5 sacks. He ended up as the No. 30 overall pick in the 2017 draft and has played his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he has more than 400 tackles and 96.5 sacks so far.
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7. Trent Williams
A high three-star prospect, Oklahoma beat out Arkansas, LSU, Oklahoma State and others as Texas never offered the Longview, Texas, standout. Williams ended up being the No. 4 pick in the 2010 draft and he’s been arguably the most reliable offensive lineman in the NFL for more than a decade.
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6. Chris Jones
The Houston, Miss., standout committed to Mississippi State before summer camp. In three seasons, Jones had 102 tackles but only 8.5 sacks and then he became an early second-round round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s been arguably the best DL in the league now with 75.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles and three Super Bowl rings.
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5. Myles Garrett
A five-star prospect out of Arlington (Texas) Martin, Texas A&M beat out Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and others. Garrett dominated for the Aggies and finished with 145 tackles and 32.5 sacks in three seasons before being the top pick in the 2017 draft. The No. 2 prospect in his class, Garrett has been elite in the NFL as well with 88.5 career sacks.
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4. Patrick Mahomes
Houston and Rice were Mahomes’ other offers, but when DJ Gillins decommitted from Texas Tech, the high three-star quarterback from Whitehouse, Texas, became the top option for then-Red Raiders coach Kliff Kingsbury. Mahomes physically developed later and then starred at Texas Tech with 11,252 yards and 93 touchdowns in three seasons there. He was the No. 10 overall draft pick (and the second QB after Mitch Trubisky) as Mahomes has become arguably the best player in the league as he’s won three Super Bowls and was Super Bowl MVP three times.
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3. Christian McCaffrey
No. 77 overall was too low as McCaffrey was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 draft. McCaffrey, a Stanford legacy, chose the Cardinal over Oregon, Michigan and many others and he had a great career there where he rushed for 3,922 yards with 21 TDs in three seasons and also caught 10 touchdowns as well. He’s now the best running back in the NFL and he was the league’s rushing yards leader last season.
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2. Lamar Jackson
The four-star committed to Louisville in the summer before his senior season after many showed interest but didn’t pull the trigger. Florida tried to flip him late - and he walked into his signing day ceremony wearing a Gators backpack - but the low four-star stuck with the Cardinals. He won the Heisman Trophy at Louisville before being the No. 32 pick in the 2018 draft. He’s a two-time NFL MVP and has been one of the best QBs in the league.
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1. Tyreek Hill
A mid-level four-star coming out of Garden City (Kan.) Garden City CC, Hill picked Oklahoma State over USC, Alabama and Florida State, but he only played one season in Stillwater because of legal issues and he finished his college career at West Alabama. He was a fifth-round draft pick but has been one of the best receivers in the league with 717 catches, more than 10,000 receiving yards and 76 TDs.
