College Football Recruiting's Top 10 Letdowns of the Last 10 Years
Looking back and reflecting on this past decade, we've seen a lot of players come out of nowhere in the recruiting world and dominate college football. We've also seen some players that we had rated a bit lower than top players at their position, develop into better college players than their counterparts.
Then comes the players that were just sheer letdowns. From not performing up to expectations, to injuries, to transferring, there have some big-time disappointments in college football recruiting.
We're going to take a look at what we think are the top 10 letdowns over this past decade. You may not always agree with parts of this list, some may make you think a bit and some you just may agree with and say it was a no-brainer to make this list.
Without any more delay, here are the top 10 letdowns from the past 10 years.
10. Jason Gwaltney Flaming out
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Gwaltney had the size, speed and strength to become a dominant college runner. And he did not lack the hype either. From Long Island, New York, Gwaltney was once briefly committed to USC, yet ended up signing with West Virginia. The 6'0", 235-pound rock-toter was a big back with little-back speed and quickness.
Morgantown was buzzing over his anticipated arrival, as he was destined to win a Heisman, lead the nation in rushing and become a first-round draft pick. Yet he ran into off the field issues rather quickly, and appeared in just six games in his first season with the Mountaineers.
Gwaltney was thrown off the WVU squad by Rich Rodriguez as the off-the-field and character issues began piling up too high. He skipped classes and team meetings and was even arrested for alcohol and speeding charges. He finished his career at D-III Kean.
9. Ben Olson Not Living Up to the Hype
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Olson burst on the scene using a dominant junior season for Thousand Oaks (CA) High School to gain momentum and light up the camps and combines circuit. He was invited to the prestigious Elite-11 camp and was regarded as not only the best QB there, but also the best in the country. At 6'5", 210 pounds, the lefty had a cannon arm and great mobility.
He ended up signing with BYU, and took his two-year Mormon mission before ever suiting up for the Cougars. When he came back to Provo, he decided he wanted to be closer to home, so he transferred to UCLA. Olson's arrival had Bruin fans looking at him as a savior to the program.
Olson battled injuries and sub-par play during his tenure as the Bruins' signal caller and never looked like the QB at Thousand Oaks High School. He's regarded as one of the biggest busts of the past 10 years.
8. Fred Rouse Leaving Florida State After Just One Year
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Rouse was such a talent that coming out of high school, not only was he generally viewed as the next Randy Moss, but he was a player who might have been able to play in the NFL straight from high school. At 6'4", 210 pounds, he had the size, ball skills and great speed to light up a secondary.
Rouse started for FSU as a true freshman, but after the Orange Bowl he left the team. Bobby Bowden became increasingly irritated by his lack of focus, selfishness and immaturity. He transferred to UTEP and sat out a year in 2007-2008.
Rouse later transferred to Concordia College, a tiny school in Alabama that is not even in the NAIA ranks. He's a perfect example of a big-time let down.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Craig Chambers Transferring from Washington
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I remember a time when Washington fought long and hard to keep Reggie Williams home for the Huskies. Williams was a national prime recruit and all of the national big boys were after him hard. For awhile, it looked like he would not stay home, but down the home stretch Williams committed to U-Dub and became a first-round draft pick.
Craig Chambers was hailed in the same regard as Williams, a big national wide receiver recruit that Washington convinced to stay home. His 6'5", 200-pound frame was even comparable to Williams'. Yet, Chambers never enjoyed any of the same success as Williams did.
Husky fans claim Chambers came in with a sense of entitlement and lacked a true work ethic to earn a starting spot. He asked Tyrone Willingham for a release after his sophomore year, and wound up at Montana, where he suffered a career-ending injury before his senior season.
6. Kyle Wright's Disappointing Play at Miami
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Wright came to Coral Gables billed as a futuristic version of Ken Dorsey, the former Hurricane signal caller that led Miami to a 34-game winning streak and two BCS title game appearances. At 6'3", 220 pounds, Wright, who chose Miami over USC the summer before his senior season, had a cannon arm, escapability, field vision and accuracy.
He was the 2003 Gatorade Player of the Year and top QB recruit in the country. But he never put it together on the field. He was benched several times for backup Kirby Freeman, and his best season was in 2007 where he tossed for just over 1,740 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Wright also battled rumors of lack of focus and other campus distractions while at Miami. He has been on practice squads for the Vikings and 49ers in years past.
5. Whitney Lewis Tenure at USC
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Lewis never wanted to go to USC, so he came to his first fall camp as a freshman with a chip on his shoulder. He was regarded as the top receiver prospect in the country and the 6'1", 215-pounder also had the skills to play running back. He was a like a bigger version of former Arizona State player JR Redmond.
He argued with his parents on signing day because he wanted to go to Florida State, but they wanted him at USC. Norm Chow looked at Lewis to become a jack-of-all-trades revolutionary player, where he would see time at receiver, running back, receiving fullback and in the slot.
Lewis didn't want any of that and didn't want to be at USC. He became overweight and lacked a work ethic. Eventually he transferred to Northern Iowa and flamed out.
4. Willie Williams' Multiple Transfers
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Williams was hailed as a once-in-a-decade linebacker prospect and stood at 6'3", 225 pounds. He could play anywhere on the second level and dominated a game as a linebacker. He really didn't have too many weaknesses to his game, but he lacked strengths off the field.
Williams was even arrested on a recruiting trip to Florida and trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went. He signed with Miami, but his police record was discovered and Miami officials were alerted, who then released him from his scholarship. He transferred to a JC in Los Angeles and wound up in Louisville after that.
It seemed the constant change took a toll on Williams and his game, as he was not the same prospect as we was in high school when he finally got on the field for L'Ville. He's a prospect that is spoken about in "woulda, coulda, shoulda" terms today.
3. Will Hill's Career at Florida
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I remember hearing about Hill as a sophomore and thinking about how he would become a dominant college player wherever he wound up. The hype didn't stop as Hill was regarded as the most athletic player in the country in his senior season in 07-08.
At 6'2", 210 pounds, Hill played QB, RB, WR, CB, FS, KOR, PR and OLB for his high school team in New Jersey. He signed with Florida and Gainesville dreamed of what Hill would do at The Swamp in huge anticipation of his arrival.
Hill wound up at free safety for the Gators, but just never stood out. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman squad, but Hill never lived up to the hype that came with him to Florida. He was not good in coverage, reacted late to fill run alleys and had poor tackling technique. He entered the 2011 NFL draft early as a junior.
2. Ryan Perrilloux's Tenure at LSU
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Perrilloux originally pledged to Texas but switched in the home stretch to in-state LSU. He was supposed to be a dominant college quarterback that could bring LSU to another national title with both his arm and feet. At 6'2", 220 pounds, he was an excellent athlete with a cannon for an arm and 4.5 speed.
But Perrilloux lacked a competitive spirit and motor. He didn't work at his craft and felt he should have been playing over JaMarcus Russell. But an even bigger problem was his off-the-field issues. Perrilloux routinely skipped meetings, classes, study hall and had run-ins with the law.
He became part of an FBI investigation in regards to a Bayou casino and was involved in a major fight at a nightclub. Les Miles finally threw him off the team and Perrilloux transferred to Jacksonville State. He's played in the UFL as a pro and was signed to a future practice squad deal by the Giants.
1. Demetris Summers' Tenure at South Carolina
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Back before the Palmetto State had even heard of Jadeveon Clowney, Alshon Jeffery and Marcus Lattimore, Demetris Summers was the man. The 6'1", 210-pound Summers was not only the best player in the state, but the top running back prospect tin the country in 2001. He had blazing speed, home run ability, instincts and vision.
When he chose South Carolina, the Gamecock program was overcome with joy and he was looked at as a player that could single-handedly put South Carolina in the thick of the SEC title race immediately. Yet, Summers battled several failed drug tests during his stay in Columbia.
He never came close to playing like the phenom that everybody saw him as, and was dismissed from the team in 2005. Not knowing what to do, he did not enter the draft until 2006 and went undrafted. Summers signed a free-agent contract with the Cowboys, but was released shortly after. He plays for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL currently.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
