Ahead of another busy weekend of college and NFL games, see where some of the biggest names in sports were ranked as high school recruits and whether or not their ranking was a Hit or a Miss.
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Goff didn’t have an offer sheet that wowed everyone, but his play on the field was both solid and very impressive. In the 2013 recruiting class, he finished the ranking cycle at No. 140 in the Rivals250. He continued Cal and earned the starting job in his first fall camp. He threw for 3,500 yards that season and didn’t slow down for the next two years.
His consistency throughout his college career helped him become the Los Angeles Rams’ first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Over the next five years, Goff would prove to be a standout NFL quarterback, but he just couldn’t get the Rams over the get over the hump. He made one Super Bowl, but was ultimately traded to the Detroit Lions before the 2021 season and now the Lions have Super Bowl aspirations with him under center.
Despite being ranked the highest in the industry, Goff’s ranking was still too low for a player who ultimately became the No. 1 pick in the draft and led a team to the Super Bowl.
Pronunciation: Miss
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Texas A&M received Hill’s commitment prior to his senior season, but the Aggies were unable to keep him on board while posting a 5-7 record in his senior season Jimbo Visser‘s term of office. The five-stars chose to sign Texas as a member of the 2023 recruiting class and it appears he made the right decision as he hit the ground running as soon as he landed in Austin.
Last season, Hill saw significant playing time in every game. According to PFF, he posted four sacks, 51 tackles, a forced fumble and 19 total quarterback pressures. His play was good enough to earn him Freshman All-America honors and was named co-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
Now in his second season, Hill is one of the key players for Texas. He has already matched his sack total from a year ago and has started every game so far. That five-star rating for Hill seems to have been spot on so far.
Pronunciation: Hit
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The Patrick Mahomes that everyone saw in high school and college was very different than what everyone sees from him now with the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes was a three-star prospect in the 2014 class and signed Texas technology and it wasn’t long before he became a quarterback head coach Cliff Kingsbury‘s offense.
In three seasons with the Red Raiders, Mahomes threw for more than 11,000 yards and 93 touchdowns. Despite all that production, Texas Tech wasn’t able to fill the win column as much as they would like. Regardless, Mahomes had worked his way into becoming a first-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid.
If he continues on his current trajectory, Mahomes has a chance to legitimately lay claim to the title of the greatest quarterback of all time. He already has three Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVP trophies, two NFL MVPs and is a two-time All-Pro.
Again, the Mahomes who played at Whitehouse High School in Texas and earned a three-star rating is not the same player we see on NFL fields today, but the rating was clearly a miss.
Pronunciation: Miss
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Pearce’s high school career was disrupted by the pandemic, but it hasn’t hurt his play at the college level. The North Carolina native got off to a good start during his freshman season at Tennessee. He only played about 60 snaps, but was credited with two sacks and six total quarterback pressures, according to PFF.
Pearce’s second season was truly his coming out party. He posted 13 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 28 quarterback hurries, along with two forced fumbles en route to being named First-Team All-SEC. Pearce hasn’t been as productive this season as he was last year, but he’s still one of the most feared pass rushers in the country.
Evaluations of Pearce during his high school career have been sparse due to the COVID pandemic. He ranked No. 160 in the Rivals250, but that’s certainly too low for a potential first-round pick.
Pronunciation: Miss
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Ward has had a long and winding road Miami but it will all be worth it if the Hurricanes can make the College Football Playoff and push for a national title. Ward, an unclassified candidate in the 2020 recruiting class, enrolled in Incarnate Word and made an impact from the first day he was on campus. He was in the starting lineup when week three arrived and from then on he was off to the races.
After posting 4,650 passing yards with 47 touchdown passes during his sophomore year, Ward transferred to Washington State before the 2022 season and didn’t miss a beat. In two seasons with the Cougars, Ward threw for nearly 7,000 yards, 48 touchdown passes and ran for over 700 yards to go along with 13 rushing touchdowns.
He almost entered the NFL Draft this year, but decided to play out his final season with the Hurricanes. It seems like a good decision so far. This year, the Hurricanes are undefeated and Ward has 20 touchdown passes to go and over 2,200 passing yards.
Even though Ward wasn’t rated as a high school prospect, he certainly proved everyone wrong with his play at the college level. Now in his third program, Ward earned a five-star rating as a transfer prospect and is living up to that hype this season.
Pronunciation: Hit
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Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Rivals.comthe leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
