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The Five-Star Challenge Five-Year Team: Defensive Line

The fifth edition of the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented By Under Armour is in the books and with such an important anniversary of an amazing event, we thought it would be cool to look back at the top five prospects that attended at each position. Today we look at the defensive line.

Note: The order is based on a combination of success at the event, success at the high school level and, in many cases, success in college.

RELATED: Five-Star Challenge Five-Year Team: QBs | RBs | WR/TEs | OL | Full Five-Star Challenge Coverage

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The Skinny: McDowell’s recruiting process may have been both the longest and strangest in the class of 2014, as he did not sign with Michigan State until early April. This came two months after McDowell had committed to the Spartans. The biggest reason for the delay was his mother, who wanted her son at one of his other three finalists: Michigan, Ohio State or Florida State. However, after two months of deliberation, McDowell did finally put pen to paper with the Spartans.

Farrell’s Take: McDowell was always an exceptional talent and was at our debut event in Atlanta as well as in Chicago the next year. His development between those two camps was impressive as he learned to play lower and with more of a mean streak. Now he’s an elite defensive tackle prospect in the eyes of the NFL and he’s a no-brainer for the first round if he keeps developing at the rate he’s going.

The Skinny: Since he arrived at a camp leading up to his freshman season of high school, Gary was on his way to becoming a national recruit. Michigan, Clemson, Auburn, Ole Miss and USC began to pull away. He ended up taking official visits to each of these five schools and committed to Michigan, who was seen as his leader for a good portion of his process.

Farrell’s Take: Gary is near the top of this list because he’s arguably the most talented defensive tackle I’ve scouted in all of my years in this business. While he doesn’t have the college resume yet, his ceiling is higher than anyone’s. A two-time Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge participant, Gary played a bit high his first year but corrected that in year two and his non-stop motor was always evident.

The Skinny: Lawson committed to Auburn almost a year before his National Signing Day, but after the Tigers underwent a coaching change he decided to give a couple of schools a closer look. After taking official visits to both Clemson and Tennessee in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day, he stuck with the Tigers as coach Gus Malzahn was able to once again solidify his commitment. With the Tigers, Lawson has had to overcome some injuries. But he has positioned himself for a big 2016 season plus the possibility of becoming a high first-round pick next spring in the NFL Draft.

Farrell’s Take: Lawson destroyed people at our first event in Atlanta and became a five-star as a result. There were some questions about who was better – Lawson or Robert Nkemdiche in 2013. That’s how good he could be at the top of his game. He’s had some injuries in college, but when he’s on the field, he’s destructive.

The Skinny: As the offers piled up for Hand during his junior year, a trio of favorites slowly began to emerge. Michigan was considered the leader for a good portion of his recruiting process, while Alabama and Florida continued to play catch-up. The Crimson Tide finally surpassed the Wolverines after his official visit to Tuscaloosa in late October, which resulted in his commitment in November. Hand’s first two seasons in Alabama have been rather uneventful, so everyone is interested to see if he finally reaches his potential this fall.

Farrell’s Take: Hand was also at our debut event in Atlanta and then again in Chicago and he was dominant at both. The former No. 1 player in the country hasn’t had his chance to shine at Alabama yet, which will make some wonder why he’s on this list. But he was such a dominant player in high school and has shown signs of breaking out this upcoming season that his ceiling warrants such a lofty spot.

The Skinny: Florida was considered the early favorite for Lawrence, while North Carolina and North Carolina State both fought hard to keep Lawrence in-state. The Wolfpack actually had the last crack at Lawrence on an official visit, but it was Clemson that won out, as it held off NC State, Alabama, Florida and Ohio State. As an early enrollee, Lawrence has already given a glimpse of his abilities during a very impressive spring. Because of this he has positioned himself for playing time as a true freshman, which already has Clemson fans excited.

Farrell’s Take: Like Gary, Lawrence is on here because of his immense potential and high ceiling. He pushed Gary for that No. 1 spot most of the year and for a 350-pound defensive tackle, his array of pass rushing moves and agility is outstanding. He should be a star at Clemson. He was hard to handle at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge.

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