The Last 10 No. 1 College Football Recruits: Where Are They Now?
Georgia commit Trent Thompson, a 313-pound defensive tackle from Albany, Georgia, is the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2015 in the 247Sports composite rankings.
But what exactly does that mean?
The past 10 No. 1 overall recruits have enjoyed varying success since leaving high school. None has failed to reach the NFL—at least not yet; three were still in college this season—but they haven't all panned out as hoped. In fact, not a single one has made a Pro Bowl.
Still, the path of each No. 1 overall player provides a framework for Thompson's career. How they performed in college, where they were drafted and where they are today will help Georgia fans (and anybody else who is interested) form reasonable expectations.
In order to look forward, we must look back.
OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia (2005)
1 of 10
College Career (2005-08)
Eugene Monroe appeared in 12 games as a true freshman, learning behind first-string left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and also playing right guard. He started six games at tackle as a sophomore and 11 as a junior but didn't really come on until his senior year, when he received the most votes of any All-ACC lineman.
NFL Career (2009-Present)
Monroe was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft; the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him one spot ahead of future Pro Bowl defensive tackle B.J. Raji. He started 62 games in four-plus seasons with the Jaguars before being traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of 2014 draft picks. He has started 22 games in one-plus season with the Ravens, but he missed the end of 2014-15 with an injury.
Current Contract Details
Five years, $37.5 million (runs through 2018)
OT Andre Smith, Alabama (2006)
2 of 10
College Career (2006-08)
Andre Smith became an instant starter at Alabama, manning the left tackle spot for the 2006 Crimson Tide. He made the All-SEC team as a sophomore and won the Outland Trophy as a junior, but he was suspended for the Sugar Bowl against Utah after reportedly meeting with an agent—an NCAA amateurism violation. He declared for the NFL draft one day after the Sugar Bowl.
NFL Career (2009-Present)
Smith looked out of shape at Alabama's pro day and abruptly left the NFL Scouting Combine without notifying anybody. He was criticized for not taking the process seriously, but his talent superseded those concerns, and the Cincinnati Bengals selected him No. 6 overall. He has started 59 games in six seasons with the Bengals, primarily at right tackle, where his strength as a run-blocker can be highlighted.
Current Contract Details
Three years, $18 million (runs through 2015)
RB Joe McKnight, USC (2007)
3 of 10
College Career (2007-09)
Joe McKnight never quite panned out at USC. He was good, but he was not worth the hassle that accompanied his recruitment. He had 743 yards from scrimmage as a freshman, 852 as a sophomore and 1,160 as a junior but never made an All-Pac-10 team. Undeterred, he bypassed his senior year and declared early for the NFL draft.
NFL Career (2010-12; 2014-Present)
McKnight dropped to the fourth round of the 2010 draft, where he was selected by the New York Jets. He had 746 total yards in three years with Gang Green but was released in August 2013.
After spending the 2013 season out of football, he was signed this year by the Kansas City Chiefs, and in September he caught a pair of touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles' tendon in practice the following week and was shut down for the rest of the year. His NFL future is uncertain.
Current Contract Details
One year, $645,000 (free agent in 2015)
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DE Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson (2008)
4 of 10
College Career (2008-10)
Da'Quan Bowers was the biggest recruit in Clemson history; Bobby Burton of Rivals.com once described him as "the closest thing to Reggie White and Bruce Smith we've seen [come out of high school]."
He didn't disappoint in three years with the Tigers, ramping up from a decent freshman season to a very good sophomore season to a world-wrecking junior season in which he led the nation in sacks (15) and finished No. 2 in tackles for loss (25). He declared for the NFL draft after winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy that season.
NFL Career (2010-Present)
Injury concerns pushed Bowers into the second round of the draft, lower than he was expected to be taken. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers scooped him at No. 51 overall and have since watched him become a rotational lineman. He has 66 tackles and seven sacks in 50 career games, struggling all the way with both injuries and off-field setbacks. He brought a gun to an airport in 2013 and was suspended two games for taking performance-enhancing drugs in 2014.
Current Contract Details
Four years, $3.9 million (free agent in 2015)
QB Matt Barkley, USC (2009)
5 of 10
College Career (2009-12)
Matt Barkley enrolled for spring practice in 2009 and won the starting job over Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain. He was the first true freshman to ever start the opener at USC. After an up-and-down first year (15 touchdowns, 14 interceptions), he rebounded with a solid sophomore campaign and a great junior season.
He bypassed the 2011 NFL draft, in which he was assumed to be a first-round pick, to return for his senior year, but the preseason No. 1-ranked Trojans did not live up to expectations, finishing 7-6. Barkley threw 15 interceptions on the year.
NFL Career (2012-Present)
Questions about his arm strength and worries about his senior year dropped Barkley to the fourth round of the draft. He was selected No. 98 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, whose new head coach, Chip Kelly, went 3-1 against Barkley as the head coach at Oregon. Barkley has spent the past two seasons on Philly's third string, rarely playing meaningful snaps, and has a QB rating of 43.8.
Current Contract Details
Four years, $2.7 million (runs through 2016)
DE Ronald Powell, Florida (2010)
6 of 10
College Career (2010-2013)
Ronald Powell appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman and led Florida with six sacks as a sophomore. But he tore his ACL in the 2012 spring game, and after spending the whole summer rehabbing, he injured himself again in fall practice. He took a medical redshirt in 2012 but returned to lead the Gators in sacks (albeit with only four) in 2013. He forewent his fifth year to declare for the NFL draft.
NFL Career (2013-Present)
The New Orleans Saints selected Powell in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, at which point he seemed worth the risk. He made two combined tackles in 14 games as a rookie, contributing mostly on special teams. He will compete for a bigger role next season.
Current Contract Details
Four years, $2.4 million (runs through 2017)
DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (2011)
7 of 10
College Career (2011-13)
Jadeveon Clowney set the SEC freshman sack record with eight in his first year. He followed that up with 13 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and one indelible hit as a sophomore, finishing No. 6 in the Heisman voting. He returned amid much hype as a junior, but injury quibbles and questions about his motor led to a disappointing year. Still, to the surprise of no one, he declared early for the NFL draft.
NFL Career (2014-Present)
The Houston Texans selected Clowney No. 1 overall in 2014 and moved him to outside linebacker, pairing him with J.J. Watt in the hopes of creating an unblockable 3-4 pass rush. Their blueprint, however, was derailed by a mysterious knee injury that limited Clowney to 146 snaps.
In December it was revealed that Clowney would require microfracture surgery, one of the most serious operations a player's knee can undergo. He might never regain his former explosion.
Current Contract Details
Four years, $22.3 million (runs through 2017)
WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri (2012)
8 of 10
College Career (2012-14)
After an average freshman season in 2012, Dorial Green-Beckham broke out with 59 receptions, 883 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore. But after an offseason arrest for allegedly pushing his girlfriend down a staircase, Missouri dismissed Green-Beckham, and he transferred to Oklahoma. The Sooners tried to get him eligible, but the NCAA waiver didn't take, so he had to sit out the season. He declared for the NFL draft without ever playing a game in Norman.
NFL Future
Gil Brandt of NFL.com said he wouldn't draft Green-Beckham in the first round—not just because of his off-field issues, but also because of his unrefined route tree. Regardless, DGB checks in at 6'6", 225 pounds, and has enough speed to stretch the field, which is hard to see 32 teams passing on. Bucky Brooks of NFL.com mocked Green-Beckham at No. 29 overall to the Indianapolis Colts, where a pairing with consummate good-guy Andrew Luck would seem ideal.
DL Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (2013)
9 of 10
College Career (2013-Present)
Robert Nkemdiche does the little things for Ole Miss' defense—the things that show up on film more than the stat sheet. He occupies space and frees linebackers and safeties to come down and make plays against the run. Despite logging just 35 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks, Nkemdiche made The Associated Press All-SEC first team and All-America second team as a sophomore in 2014.
NFL Future
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report called Nkemdiche "a future No. 1 pick at defensive end or defensive tackle" after his freshman season. As a sophomore, he only got better. Ole Miss defensive line coach Chris Kiffin, who grew up watching his father, Monte, coach Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, called Nkemdiche's bull rush against Alabama "the most violent thing I've ever seen on a play," per Bruce Feldman of FoxSports.com.
RB Leonard Fournette, LSU (2014)
10 of 10
College Career (2014-Present)
Leonard Fournette took a while to get going, but once he did, he really did. He had 289 rushing yards and three touchdowns on his final 30 carries of the season, and he also had a kickoff-return touchdown in the bowl game. With seniors Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard (202 carries in 2014) set to depart, Fournette will be the undisputed No. 1 option at LSU next season. Buy as low as you still can on his Heisman stock; it'll only rise from here.
NFL Future
Fournette can't declare until 2017, so it's a little early to project him. But even in an age in which the NFL devalues running backs, he has the talent of a first-round pick. He is 6'1", 230 pounds, and his coaches have called him one of the fastest players at LSU.
That type of size, strength and speed comes around once or twice per decade. We saw it from Adrian Peterson. We saw it from Todd Gurley. That's basically the entire list. Here's hoping Fournette stays healthy.
Note: All contract info via Spotrac.com.
Follow Brian Leigh on Twitter: @BLeigh35
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