2013 ESPNU 150: Who Was Robbed of 5-Star Status?

The ESPNU 150 was released today and, as is always the case with lists of this nature, some players were left off, snubbed, shockingly downgraded, underrated or just plain robbed.

Well, I'm here again to discuss the infamous 5-star status. It's the most coveted aspect of recruiting, though it's really only a tool used for fans' amusement. However, prospects keep an eye on their statuses from time to time, too.

For this read, I'm going to give you the top prospects that were robbed of 5-star status.

12. O.J. Howard, TE

Nope, O.J. Howard isn't a 5-star prospect according to ESPNU. He sits at No. 43 overall on the board as a 4-star prospect.

The athletic 6'5", 225-pound TE prospect is a physical and athletic marvel in my eyes and deserves an extra star. I think as the year moves on, with a big season from Howard and some re-shuffling of the board, he'll be in a position to get a fifth star. 

11. Kendall Fuller, CB

Now, I can see why Fuller missed out on getting an extra star attached to his name, because he still needs a bit more seasoning as a DB prospect.

However, he's one of the most athletically gifted players in the country and Rivals.com ranks him at No. 4 overall on their board.

At 6'0" and 185 pounds, Fuller can play DB or WR for a team and has a high ceiling. 

10. Adam Breneman, TE

Breneman is No. 39 on the ESPNU 150 and only has four stars attached to his name. He's the best pure TE prospect in the country on my board and I think he got robbed.

At 6'5", 225 pounds, Breneman is a natural pass-catching seam player with length, soft hands, a large catch radius and solid play speed.

Penn State is getting a great player. 

9. Robert Foster, WR

Foster is the No. 3 overall prospect on Scout.com's board, but both Rivals and ESPNU have him in the mid-20's. 

ESPNU lists Foster at 6'3", 190 ponds. He is among the most explosive and shifty receivers in this year's class. He can get off the line in a flash, has natural, fluid athleticism in his routes and will make plays with the ball in his hands.

Foster has national-level offers. 

8. Antonio Conner, DB

Conner is a very good football player. Scout.com has at No. 7 overall, yet ESPNU lists him at just 25th overall with only 4 stars.

At 6'2" and 200 pounds, Conner is a strong safety-type but has free-safety athleticism and speed. He's a playmaker from the back end and has excellent open-field tackling ability.

He got robbed, in my opinion. 

7. Michael Hutchings, OLB

At 6'2", 210 pounds, Hutchings compares a little bit to Kwon Alexander. Both have similar frames, and both are instinctive, rangy and have good speed.

However, ESPNU lists Hutchings at only No. 57 on their board overall with no 5-star fame for him.

The Golden State native deserves to be moved up, and look for that to happen should he have a monster senior season at De La Salle High School. 

6. Patrick Kugler, OG

Kugler is going to go to Michigan and start early at guard—watch. He'll be an All-Big Ten performer before he leaves, just you watch.

The 6'4", 275 pounder has great technique, is mean and nasty in the trenches and just knows how to block vs. both the run and pass.

It's almost a crime that ESPNU lists him at just No. 121 on their board right now. 

5. Thomas Tyner, RB

Perhaps the nation's fastest player for 2013, Tyner is only the No. 81 best player per ESPNU.

Rivals lists him all the way up at No. 9. At 6'0" and over 200 pounds, Tyner can run by defenses, turn the corner on anybody and is the top home-run threat in the country on my board.

He's battled injuries in the past and that may be the reason why he's lower on the ESPNU 150 than expected. 

4. Su'a Cravens, DB

Rivals has him at No. 5, while Scout.com has him at No. 6 overall.

However, Su'a Cravens is No. 15 on the ESPNU 150 and failed to register 5-star status.

The 6'1', 205-pounder may be the most all-around athletic player in the West this year and could play S, OLB, RB or WR in college. Cravens is a national recruit and a player I thought ESPNU would have in the Top 10, at least. 

3. Ty Isaac, RB

A big 6'2", 220-pound running back with excellent speed, elusiveness and hands, Isaac is a prime-time recruit. Yet ESPNU places him all the way down at No. 68 overall.

Scout.com likes Isaac much more, as they gave him 5 stars and rank him at No. 12 overall. I guess all Isaac has to do is rush for another 2,000 yards as a senior this year and maybe that will get him moved up. 

2. Kenny Bigelow, DL

Bigelow didn't get robbed per se, but he still didn't get his deserved fifth star from ESPNU, as they list him at No. 10 overall.

I'm probably being petty, but come on—Bigelow is a 6'3", 285-pound athletic freak that can play DT, DE and even LB for a team. He's quick off the ball and can make plays anytime and anywhere.

He's headed to USC. 

1. Max Browne, QB

ESPNU failed to give Max Browne a 5-star rating. I'm serious—go see for yourself. In fact, Browne is just the third best QB in the country on the board.

Everyone else seems to have him as their No. 1 signal caller and a Top 10 player, but ESPNU sees it a bit differently. 

Browne's a 5-star prospect. Period. Ask USC.