XFL returns with several former five-stars on team rosters
The NFL season just concluded with the Super Bowl but football just started back up with the XFL this weekend. There are former five-stars playing in that league as well. Here is a look:
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Ranked as the No. 10 wide receiver and the No. 26 prospect overall in the 2015 class, Campbell was committed to Michigan early in his recruitment but backed off that pledge and ended up picking Florida State. The Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake standout always had impressive size and he was a smooth route runner but there were questions about his catching ability throughout high school. He did very little with the Seminoles and then planned to transfer to Penn State but ended up at West Virginia where he had a strong 2019 season leading the Mountaineers with seven TD catches averaging more than 24 yards per reception. Still, Campbell went undrafted in the NFL.
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There were a lot of players who didn’t pan out at the top of the 2016 rankings but Davis might be the biggest surprise because he was spectacular as a high school prospect coming out of Gordo, Ala. The top-ranked inside linebacker and No. 5 overall behind only Rashan Gary, Dexter Lawrence, Shea Patterson and Greg Little, Davis was an Alabama legacy and then went to the Crimson Tide but hardly saw the field. He then went to Texas and made a little better impact but went undrafted.
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Elam had one of the wildest recruitments in Rivals history. The five-star safety from West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer committed to Florida but when then-coach Urban Meyer announced he was stepping down only to renege on that decision, Elam backed off his pledge to the Gators. He then committed to Florida State. But after a phone call with Meyer, who pleaded for Elam to rejoin the class, Elam backed off his Seminoles’ pledge and ended up back at Florida. He was a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens but his play declined after his rookie season and his arrest was the last straw before Baltimore parted ways.
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Florida and Georgia were the front-runners for the five-star athlete from Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes but Florida State also made a serious late push before Harvey-Clemons chose the Bulldogs. He started in Athens before finishing his career at Louisville and then was a seventh-round NFL Draft pick. Harvey-Clemons spent a few seasons in Washington before going to the CFL and now to the XFL.
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The top-ranked athlete and the No. 10 prospect in the 2008 class, Hill chose Florida over USC and many others as he played quarterback, running back, safety and all over the field at Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep. A national champion with the Gators who contributed early, Hill ended up going undrafted in 2011 but then pieced together a few years with the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens. The former five-star played in other pro leagues and is now in the XFL.
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Tennessee beat Clemson, Georgia and Florida State for Malone’s services and it was a big one as the five-star was ranked as the fourth-best receiver behind Travis Rudolph, Malachi Dupre and Speedy Noil in the 2014 class. Malone was a stat machine in Knoxville with 104 catches for 1,608 yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons with the Vols. Malone ended up as a fourth-round NFL Draft pick, bounced around to six different teams and is now in the XFL.
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The son of Reggie McKenzie, a former NFL linebacker and longtime NFL executive, the former five-star was a dominant and nearly unstoppable defensive tackle in Northern California and chose Tennessee over Arizona and many others in the summer before his senior season. Plagued by injuries in Knoxville, McKenzie didn’t live up to expectations after being the sixth overall prospect in the 2015 class. He was still a sixth-round NFL Draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, who moved him to offensive guard but it didn’t last long.
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Stanford beat USC and others for the five-star offensive tackle from Mission Viejo, Calif., and everything lined up for a tremendous career since Murphy was an outstanding football prospect and also a shotput champion. Murphy had a stellar career from Day 1 at Stanford and started for four years there but speed rushers were a concern in the NFL and he ended up as a sixth-round pick.
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There was some significant debate about whether Nauta should be a five-star because he didn’t post huge numbers in his senior year at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy but he had incredible size and great hands and he ended up No. 23 overall. He and fellow five-star Jacob Eason worked together well at Georgia, which won out in his recruitment over Alabama and Michigan, although during those years the Bulldogs didn’t throw much to the tight end. Nauta ended up as a seventh-round pick and played briefly for Detroit and Green Bay before heading to the XFL.
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Ranked as the third-best running back in the 2015 class behind Damien Harris and Derrius Guice, Patrick picked Florida State over Alabama and many others. But then the Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek standout got stuck in a running back logjam behind Dalvin Cook and then Cam Akers. Patrick flashed, especially during the 2017 season, but then went undrafted and bounced around the league a little bit.
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Ranked as the second-best receiver in the 2016 class behind only N’Keal Harry, Vaughns picked USC over Alabama, Georgia, Washington and others although it always felt the Trojans were going to land him. The five-star had an incredibly productive career at USC finishing with 222 catches for 2,801 yards and 20 touchdowns during his time with the Trojans. But Vaughns went undrafted and couldn’t catch on in the league.