College Football: High School Stars that also Shined for the Ohio State Buckeyes
The 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes' recruiting class is all but done.ย With 23 recruits signed and sealed, plus two more potential recruitsย on the way, we can now reflect on who could be the breakout stars of this class.ย
From my first two articles in this series, we have seen that star power cannot always predict who will shine and who will fizzle.ย Noted were 3-star high school athletes such asย A.J. Hawk, Santonio Holmes and Malcolm Jenkins who not only starred at OSU, but have also gone on to NFL stardom.ย
Then there were five-star busts like linebacker Mike D'Andrea, who was the top linebacker prospect coming out of high school, but never could get healthy and had a disappointing career at Ohio State.ย
The top two stars in this class predicted to have great college careers are QB Braxton Miller and LB Curtis Grant.ย Will they succeed?ย We will know soon enough, but don't be surprised if prospects like Ron Tanner, Nick Vannett or Antonio Underwood also become household names.ย
In this slideshow, I will highlight players who were predicted to be stars in college and lived up to the hype.
Donte Whitner
1 of 5
Donte Whitner was a 5-star cornerback prospect out of Glenville High School in Cleveland.ย
People projected him to possibly start at cornerback during his freshman season, but coaches moved him to safety,ย where heย shined for three years with Ohio State.ย
Whitner was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Cameron Heyward
2 of 5
Being the son of NFL great Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, much was expected of Cam due to his bloodlines.ย
Genetics did not disappoint.ย
Cameron started as a freshman at defensive end and most notably pushed around Michigan offensive tackle and first round draft choice Jake Long.ย He was a 4-year starter and recently dominated the line during the win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl last month.
His presence on the D-line will be sorely missed.
Chris "Beanie" Wells
3 of 5
Chris "Beanie" Wells was the top 5-star running back prospect in high school.ย
Drawing comparisonsย to Maurice Clarett, Wells did not disappoint.ย He rushed for more than 200 yards as a sophomore against Michigan, sending Lloyd Carr out with his sixth loss to Ohio State.ย
When Wells asked coach Tressel about research into his NFL draft status, Tressel told him not to bother because he was a sure-fire first rounder.ย
Wells was selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draftย by the Arizona Cardinals.
Terrelle Pryor
4 of 5
Terrelle Pryor was the No. 1 recruit in the 2008 class, and he has not disappointed.ย
After somewhat slow freshman and sophomore years, Pryor shined in the 2010 Rose Bowl against Oregon.ย He had a much better junior year and again shined in the 2011 Sugar Bowl, winning MVP honors.ย
Pryorย will be suspended the first five games of the 2011 season, pending appeals, but look for him to solidify himself as one of Ohio State'sย best after his senior season.
Ted Ginn Jr.
5 of 5
Maybe the fastest Buckeye ever, Ted Ginn Jr. was a 5-star cornerback recruit out of Glenville High School in Cleveland.ย He was so fast and explosive that coaches at Ohio State moved him to wide receiver, where he would start all three years of his college career.ย
Selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2007ย NFL Draft, Ginn now plays for the San Francisco 49ers.
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