Ohio State Buckeyes Football: 5-Star Prospects Who Were Not Stars

In my last article on the best 3-star prospects Jim Tressel has recruited, I argued that Jim Tressel's staff can be trusted in recruiting, as there have been a number of 3-star prospects who became star performers at Ohio State and are having good careers in the NFL. 

In this article, I want to explore the 5-star prospects who did not live up to expectations, proving once again that being a 5-star athlete in high school doesn't insure a top performance on the college football field.

The star ratings will be based on Scout.com.

Jamario O'Neal

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 08: Wide receiver Cornelius Ingram #7 of the Florida Gators carries the ball under pressure from Jamario O'Neal #3 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at the University of Phoenix Stad

O'Neal was labelled Super Mario out of high school and committed to Ohio State before his junior year.  Blessed with speed (4.45 40-yard dash) and size (6'1"), Super Mario began to show that he was not invincible before coming to OSU when he was unable to shut down Mario Manningham in a high school game. 

He did not have a bad career. He played 29 minutes his freshman year and became a starter in Week 6 of his sophomore year, but was never the superstar DB that fellow Cleveland Glenville 5-star Donte Whitner was.  O'Neal was not a bust and made contributions to Ohio State's success.

Connor Smith

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 25: Connor Smith #77 of the Ohio State Buckeyes blocks against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ohio Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 73-20. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

In 2006, Connor Smith was the only one of the top offensive lineman in Ohio that pledged to Ohio State.  Justin Boren would later transfer.  Smith was a must get for OSU and it got him. 

Smith has made contributions, but has never cracked the starting lineup for any extended period of time and has largely been used on special teams.  Scout.com rated him the most dominating offensive lineman in the Midwest, but he was not able to be dominant while at OSU.  He is commended for not publicly complaining about playing time and being a team player and leader.

Mike D'Andrea

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COLUMBUS, OH - AUGUST 24: Linebacker Mike D'Andrea #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes stands on the sideline during the NCAA Pigskin Classic against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on August 24, 2002 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Texas Tec

Mike D'Andrea was in the same recruiting class as A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter.  Of the three, D'Andrea was the most heralded. He was considered to be the nation's No. 1 linebacker prospect and drew comparisons to Andy Katzenmoyer. His toughness showed, as he played through a knee injury his freshman season but was never fully healthy to make a contribution.

With Carpenter and Hawk having such great careers, one wonders how much greater the defense would have been with a healthy Mike D'Andrea.

Eugene Clifford

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COLUMBUS - SEPTEMBER 8: Andre Jones #21 of the Akron Zips carries the ball as he is chased by Thaddeus Gibson #37, Eugene Clifford #32 and A.J. Trapasso #15 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half on September 8, 2007 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus

Clifford was a Parade and USA Today All-American out of high school and also participated in the coveted U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Clifford was not redshirted and played in four games his freshman year.  But he was suspended in 2007 for violating team rules, and the next year was charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly hitting two employees at a restaurant.

Clifford would transfer to Tennessee State and has had a very good career there. He is a prospect for the upcoming NFL draft, but staying at OSU would have given him a national spotlight.

Maurice Clarett

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TEMPE, AZ - JANUARY 3: Running back Maurice Clarett #13 of the Ohio State Buckeyes lunges for the goaline to score the team's second touchdown against the University of Miami Hurricanes during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on January 3, 2

We can only dream what could have happened had Clarett stayed two years after his freshman year.  After helping lead Ohio State to its first national championship since 1970, Clarett went crazy on Ohio State.  Signs were present during his freshman year when he was photographed throwing a jersey in the air and declaring one and done.  His injured shoulder kept him out of spring ball in 2003 and he would never carry the football for Ohio State again.  First, he challenged the NFL and eventually lost his case to enter early. Then was drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos.  Clarett never learned his lesson and was rumored to being "entitled" to special treatment and feeling he could make demands unworthy of a first year third round pick.  He was eventually cut and the Broncos declared that they made a mistake in drafting Clarett.  His history of accusing Ohio State is legendary, likely causing an earlier than expected retirement of AD Andy Geiger and Clarett later was sentenced to jail time.  He seems to have his life in order now and has made good choices and is back in organized football playing for Omaha.  But what could have been?  Could he have won the Heisman twice like Archie?  Could he have led OSU to another national championship the next year?  OSU's running game the year after the national championship season was anemic at best.  Oh what could have been.  Hopefully, Clarett will continue to make good choices.