Two-star Checkup: Three who show they belong on big stage
Every Thursday during the college football season we look back on some two-star prospects who are outplaying their high school ranking and helping their teams win games. This week we look at some prospects who helped their teams to surprise performances in Week 3.
RELATED: Five-star checkup | Four-star | Three-star
As a recruit: Huff was a regular on the offseason circuit as a high school recruit and drew several Power Five offers, with Duke, N.C. State and Minnesota among those in pursuit early on. But when it came time to pick a school, North Illinois ended up winning out and he committed the Huskies shortly after an official visit in December 2012.
What he did this week: Huff played a major role in Northern Illinois’ stunning road victory over Nebraska, carrying the ball 16 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. Huff clearly had Power Five talent as a high school prospect and North Illinois has been the benefactor of a nice career from Huff, who is on pace to finish his college career with more than 2,000 yards rushing.
As a recruit: Kelly was a high school quarterback who had a number of options at the FCS level, but wanted to play at the highest level possible, regardless of position. His recruitment came down to Louisiana-Monroe and San Diego State and after committing to the Aztecs without ever visiting campus, he stuck with program after a late official visit eased any concerns he might have had.
What he did this week: Kelly moved to defense upon arriving in San Diego and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact as he played as a true freshman and has been in the lineup ever since. In Saturday’s 20-17 upset victory over Stanford, Kelly had six tackles and two sacks as well as interception in an all-around performance that helped stifle Stanford’s offense. Kelly’s versatility as well as playmaking ability might get him a look from NFL teams if he can continue his impressive start to the 2017 season.
As a recruit: Bailey saw plenty of early interest during his high school career, even collecting offers from FBS programs like East Carolina, MTSU and Troy. However he chose to stay close to home and play at the FCS level for Mercer, signing with the Bears in 2014.
What he did this week: Bailey was part of a Mercer team that traveled to Auburn and gave the Tigers everything they could handle, ultimately losing 24-10. Bailey had a huge game, finishing with 11 total tackles (10 solo), one tackle for loss and one fumble recovery. SEC teams are known for scheduling FCS opponents as a reprieve from conference play, but as Auburn fans can attest, players like Bailey can make the matchups anything but easy victories.