Ranking Every No. 1 Overall College Football Recruit in the Last 10 Years
Wow, this decade has seen some talented and hyped recruits to come into the college football recruiting world. Some matched the hype, others flamed out. But getting the title of No.1 overall recruit is a gift and curse. 2011 No.1 player, Jadeveon Clowney, said the honor made him work that much harder.
Other players shy away from the pressure and scrutiny and their play suffers. No matter what, the title of No.1 overall recruit sparks a ton of debate and memories. With this list, I've gone ahead and ranked the last 10 year's No.1 overall recruits. Hype, high school productivity talent, college productivity all are just some of the factors used to form my rankings.
Come on take a look!
10. Brock Berlin, QB: Florida/Miami
1 of 11
Berlin was the 2000 National Offensive Player of the Year and this was at a time when the recruiting industry was just taking shape. But if you followed college football, you heard about the legend of Brock Berlin at Evangel Christian in Louisiana.
6'1", 215 pounds, Berlin was a classic drop back passer with intelligence and natural feel for the passing game. He was accurate and could make all the throws.
Berlin chose to sign with Florida and seemed like a the next in line to take over in Gainesville, but never could stay on the field and transferred to Miami. He was never the dominant QB as expected and bounced around the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
9. Derrick Williams, WR: Penn State
2 of 11
Williams was a 6'0", 190 pound speedster in 2000 that was listed as ATH by some but many knew he' be a receiver in college. He was an amazing player on the high school level and had sheer play-making ability.
He chose Penn State over Florida after Ron Zook was let go by the Gators. He saw time at QB, RB and WR as a freshman but developed into a solid receiver down the line. He became an All-Big Ten receiver by the time he left Penn State and third round pick to the Lions in the 2009 Draft.
Williams currently is a receiver for the Lions and in the midst of a three-year contract.
8. Ronald Powell, DE: Florida
3 of 11
Powell was the top overall recruit in 2010 and is now in his sophomore year at Florida. 6'4", 230 pounds, he chose to head to Gainesville over USC as he wanted to be part of the special recruiting Urban Meyer had assembled for Florida.
Long and athletic Powell is a classic defensive end prospect and can even play some linebacker. He's not as big as Jadeveon Clowney but may be stronger at this point. He has snap quickness, speed and quick hands. Big things are expected from Powell this year and Dan Quinn and Bryant Young are now in charge of bringing him along.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Lorenzo Booker, RB: Florida State
4 of 11
Booker was the 2002 top recruit and the running back's recruitment was a classic saga. He came down to Florida State, Notre Dame, USC and Washington. On NSD, Booker committed to Notre Dame before announcing his decision to the public, then when he got to the podium he broke into tears and announced he was going to Florida State.
He took a shot at USC months after by saying chose not to go to USC because he wanted to win national championships. Well he didn't win any at Florida State and turned out to be merely a situational and change of pace back.
Booker became a third round pick to the Dolphins and currently is with the Vikings.
6. Terrelle Pryor,QB: Ohio State
5 of 11
Pryor had his doubters as many felt he had dominated inferior competition in Jeanette, Pennsylvania and was not fit to be a QB.
6'6", 230 pounds he's a physical marvel and has great athletic ability. He's very strong and has a long stride that makes his play speed fantastic. Today Pryor is the starting QB for Ohio State and was a Heisman front-runner for a few weeks during the 2010 season.
He has had some questionable character decisions as he is on suspension o start the 2011 season for selling his team memorabilia. Yet Pryor is beloved in Columbus and has been a steady player for Jim Tressel.
5. Jimmy Clausen, QB: Notre Dame
6 of 11
Clausen took top honors in 2007, but you knew about Clausen for about two years prior to his senior year. Even in Southern California as an eighth grader Clausen had a buzz. 6'2", 210 pounds he had a super quick release and amazing polish.
He had been coached up extremely well and was called the LeBron James of high school football. He chose Notre Dame over USC to get coached up even more by Charlie Weis. Clausen had a solid career in South Bend and left after his junior season, becoming a second pick to the Panthers.
He went through a tough rookie season, but flashed solid play at times.
4. Matt Barkley, QB: USC
7 of 11
With Clausen spurning USC for South Bend, many Trojan fans were not heart broken, as they knew about a sophomore QB from Mater Dei that probably was going to be better than Clausen, named Matt Barkely.
Barkley won Gatorade National Player of the Year honors as a junior in high school and pledged to USC early in the process. He's regarded as a potential first round NFL pick when he comes out and has improved each year he's been at the helm at USC.
Pete Carroll became immediately enamored with MB7 and started the kid on opening day as a true freshman. The 6'2", 225 pounder is a great leader and has great arm strength.
3. Andre Smith, OT: Alabama
8 of 11
Smith chose to stay home and play at Alabama on NSD and immediately became a starter at left tackle in his true freshman year. 6'5", 330 pounds, he displayed great balance, slide and mirror ability to dominate pass rushers in the SEC.
He left after his junior year and became a top 10 pick to the Bengals. Smith held out for way too long and came to camp out of shape and in poor condition, irking head coach Marvin Lewis. He eventually started to flash potential but broke his foot.
He's battled other various injuries in Cincinnati but still has flashed potential to be a great right tackle in the NFL.
2. Ernie Sims, LB: Florida State
9 of 11
Sims took top honors in 2003 and was a two-way nightmare for opponents. 6'", 220 pounds, he dominated competition in Florida as a runner and linebacker.
Sims was so good at running back the Seminole coaching staff seriously considered making him a permanent runner, but his skills at WILL linebacker were too amazing to pass up. There was nothing Sims couldn't do and he flew around the field and made plays all game long. He became the ninth pick in the draft to Lions and fit well into then coach Rod Marinelli's Tampa-2 scheme.
He was traded last year to Philly and is a steady performer for the Eagles.
1. Adrian Peterson, RB: Oklahoma
10 of 11
Peterson was a rare player that many evaluators thought could actually, maybe play in the NFL out of high school. Whether you think its physically possible is a debate, but it was talked about in regards to Peterson.
6'2", 220 pounds, with 4.3 speed he was a man-child. Not just in high school in Texas, but also in Norman for the Sooners. He nearly won the Heisman as a true freshman and became a folk hero almost immediately. He went on to become the seventh overall pick in the 2007 draft and is by most as the best running back in football.
He's a player who actually exceeded the hype.
Honorable &Special Mention: Joe Mauer, QB: Florida State
11 of 11
I'm not sure if you realize but in 2001, Joe Mauer was not just the top high school baseball player in the country, but also the top football player and an elite basketball player too. 6'5", 220 pounds, Mauer had a cannon arm and great mobility in the pocket.
He had great accuracy and vision to see the field and lit up secondaries. He had offers from every big name school and chose Floria State, but many knew he would be the first pick in the MLB Draft.
He's been everything and more for the home-state Minnesota Twins and has won an AL MVP award and a couple batting titles.
As good as Mauer is and has been for the Twins, some say he could have been an even better QB.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
