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They were 2019’s top 100 high school football recruits. Where did they go from there? Max Olson Jun. 22, 2023 On Wednesday, we Published our Recruiting Revisited project on the Class of 2019. It’s our annual reassessment of top college football recruiting classes four years later, with a focus on which programs succeeded in retaining, developing and winning with the players they signed. Now let’s take a look at how things went for the highest-rated recruits in that 2019 cycle. Here are the top 100 recruits of 2019 according to the 247Sports Composite industry rankings and how their careers have played out to date. This year, we’ve sorted them into three groups: players who’ve gone pro, players who are still in school and signees who are out of football. So far, 36 of the top 100 have become NFL Draft picks, 15 were first-rounders and two played in the Super Bowl as rookies. But for many others, the past four years haven’t played out like they expected. So far, 51 players in the top 100 have transferred during their college career. Nine have transferred multiple times. In this era of college football, though, that certainly doesn’t mean they’re busts. And thanks to their extra year of eligibility, there’s still plenty more time for them to break through and play up to their potential. Re-ranking college football's top 25 recruiting hauls of the Class of 2019 Went pro (42 players) LB Nolan Smith, Georgia (No. 1 in Class of 2019 247Sports Composite rankings): The former No. 1 overall recruit was a two-year starter for the back-to-back national champs but had his senior season cut short by a torn pectoral muscle. The Eagles still bet on him with the No. 30 pick in this year’s draft. DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon (No. 2): Thibodeaux lived up to the hype as a two-time All-American for the Ducks and was the No. 5 pick in last year’s draft. The talented pass rusher generated 45 pressures and four sacks over 16 starts with the Giants and made the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team. CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU (No. 3): Stingley wowed everyone in 2019 as a true freshman starter and consensus All-America performer who helped the Tigers win a national title. He was an All-American again in 2020 but missed most of 2021 due to injury. He went to the Texans with the No. 3 pick last year and earned nine starts as a rookie. WR Jadon Haselwood, Oklahoma/Arkansas (No. 4): Haselwood led the Sooners in catches in 2021 and had his best season yet at Arkansas last fall with 59 receptions for 702 yards and three touchdowns. He went undrafted and signed with the Eagles. OL Evan Neal, Alabama (No. 7): Neal was a 40-game starter for the Crimson Tide as a tackle and guard, a team captain and a consensus All-American. The No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft started 15 games at right tackle as a rookie for the Giants. DL Zacch Pickens, South Carolina (No. 8): Pickens was a three-year starter up front for the Gamecocks and their defensive MVP in 2022. The Bears made him a third-round pick this spring. OL Darnell Wright, Tennessee (No. 10): Wright started 42 games over his four seasons with the Vols and had a dominant year at right tackle in 2022 to earn first-team All-SEC honors. The Bears selected him with the No. 10 pick in the draft this spring. DL Zach Harrison, Ohio State (No. 12): A two-year starter, Harrison was an All-Big Ten performer and captain for the Buckeyes and landed with the Falcons as a third-round pick this spring. DB Daxton Hill, Michigan (No. 14): Hill developed into a first-team All-Big Ten defender and two-year starter for the Wolverines. He was the No. 31 pick in last year’s draft and played in 15 games at safety, nickel and on special teams for the Bengals. OL Kenyon Green, Texas A&M (No. 15): Green was a Day 1 starter for the Aggies who could play any spot on the offensive line and became a two-time All-American. The No. 15 pick in 2022 started 14 games at left guard for the Texans as a rookie. DL DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M (No. 16): Leal impressed right away for the Aggies as a three-year starter who became an All-American as a junior. The third-round pick played in 11 games in his rookie season with the Steelers and earned two starts. LB Brandon Smith, Penn State (No. 18): Two-year starter for the Nittany Lions and a third-team All-Big Ten performer whom the Panthers drafted in the fourth round in 2022. Smith played in 12 games as a rookie before an ankle injury put him on injured reserve. LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia (No. 19): Dean developed into the best linebacker in college football and a key leader for the national champs in 2022. The unanimous All-American and Butkus Award winner was a third-round pick by the Eagles who primarily played on special teams as a rookie. WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State (No. 20): A two-year starter and first-team All-American for the Buckeyes in 2021 who went to the Jets at No. 10 in the ‘22 draft, Wilson was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after catching 83 passes for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. DL Travon Walker, Georgia (No. 22): Walker was only a one-year starter on Georgia’s defensive line, but he was so disruptive for the 2021 national champs that he ended up being the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft. He started 16 games for the Jaguars as a rookie and produced 43 pressures and four sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. CB Andrew Booth Jr., Clemson (No. 23): Booth moved into the starting lineup as a junior for Clemson and proved himself as a first-team All-ACC selection. The second-round draft pick dealt with injuries during his rookie year with the Vikings and played in six games. WR George Pickens, Georgia (No. 24): Pickens shined right away for the Bulldogs but suffered a setback in his junior year with a torn ACL. The Steelers still made him a second-round pick, and he had several “wow” moments as a rookie starter while catching 52 passes for 801 yards and four touchdowns. LB Owen Pappoe, Auburn (No. 25): Four-year starter and two-time captain for the Tigers who recorded 256 tackles, 15 TFLs and eight sacks in his career and became a fifth-round pick for the Cardinals. OL Charles Cross, Mississippi State (No. 27): Cross started 22 games in three years with the Bulldogs and earned All-America honors as a redshirt sophomore in 2021. The Seahawks made him the No. 9 pick in last year’s draft, and he started all 18 games at left tackle in his rookie campaign. OL Wanya Morris, Tennessee/Oklahoma (No. 28): Morris became a starter right away for the Vols in 2019 and 2020 and hit the portal after their coaching change. He put together an All-Big 12 season at right tackle in 2022 and is going to Kansas City as a third-round pick. RB Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss (No. 29): Ealy was a dynamic all-purpose player for the Rebels who accounted for 3,644 total yards and 26 touchdowns over three seasons and earned All-SEC and Freshman All-America honors. The undrafted free agent made the Chiefs’ practice squad and is still with them as a hybrid WR/RB. DL Christopher Hinton, Michigan (No. 31): After becoming a two-year starter for the Wolverines’ D-line, Hinton went pro early and wasn’t drafted. He made the Chargers’ practice squad and appeared in four games as a rookie. DB Tyrique Stevenson, Georgia/Miami (No. 37): Stevenson transferred to Miami after two years at Georgia and became a two-year starter for the Hurricanes and a third-team All-ACC pick. The Bears made him a second-rounder this spring. CB Mykael Wright, Oregon (No. 41): Wright impressed right away with the Ducks as a corner and return man, earning Freshman All-America honors in 2019 and making first-team All-Pac-12 in 2020. Wright went undrafted last year and played for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL this spring. CB Chris Steele, Florida/USC (No. 42): Steele transferred from Florida to USC after four months in the program and became a three-year starter for the Trojans who picked up second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2020. Steele went pro early, went undrafted and was a practice squad member as a rookie who was waived by the Seahawks in April. DB Jordan Battle, Alabama (No. 43): The safety became a three-year starter at Alabama who earned All-America recognition in both 2021 and 2022 and was a third-round pick for the Bengals this spring. LB Henry To’o To’o, Tennessee/Alabama (No. 44): To’o To’o was one of the SEC’s top linebackers throughout his four years in the league, racking up 354 career tackles and 31 TFLs over two seasons at Tennessee and two with the Crimson Tide. He’s heading to the Texans as a fifth-round draft pick. DB Lewis Cine, Georgia (No. 45): Cine, a two-year starter, was an All-SEC performer on the Bulldogs’ outstanding 2021 defense and went to the Vikings with the final pick of the first round in 2022. He appeared in three games as a rookie before suffering a broken left leg. RB Zach Charbonnet, Michigan/UCLA (No. 46): After his playing time declined at Michigan, Charbonnet moved home and became the best back in the Pac-12 at UCLA. He rushed for 2,496 yards and 27 touchdowns over two seasons there and went to the Seahawks as a second-round pick. CB Kaiir Elam, Florida (No. 48): A three-year starter for the Gators and a first-team All-SEC selection in 2020 who went to the Bills with the No. 23 pick in 2022, Elam earned six starts for the Bills as a rookie and grabbed two interceptions. WR Joseph Ngata, Clemson (No. 52): Ngata started 25 games over four seasons with the Tigers and hauled in 88 career catches for 1,287 yards and six touchdowns. He went undrafted this spring and signed with the Eagles. DB Nick Cross, Maryland (No. 55): Cross was a three-year starter at Maryland who picked up honorable mention All-Big Ten every year before going pro. The Colts made Cross a third-round pick, and he became one of their top performers on special teams as a rookie. DL Drake Jackson, USC (No. 56): Jackson enjoyed a Freshman All-America debut season and racked up 103 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks as a three-year starter and All-Pac-12 performer for the Trojans. The second-round pick played in 15 games in his rookie season with the 49ers. DE George Karlaftis, Purdue (No. 59): Karlaftis stayed home in West Lafayette and was an All-Big Ten pass rusher in all three of his college seasons. The No. 30 pick in 2022 racked up seven sacks, made the All-Rookie Team and won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs. DB Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame (No. 60): Hamilton immediately proved to be one of Notre Dame’s best players and was a two-time All-American in his three seasons with the Irish. He went to the Ravens with the No. 14 pick, played right away as a rookie and started the final five games of the season to earn All-Rookie Team recognition. OL Sean Rhyan, UCLA (No. 74): A three-year starter who developed into an All-Pac-12 performer for the Bruins, Rhyan joined the Packers as a third-round pick last year, did not appear in a game and received a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. DL Byron Young, Alabama (No. 77): A rotational player early in his career, Young developed into an All-American by his senior year and is joining the Raiders as a third-round pick. WR Jameson Williams, Ohio State/Alabama (No. 82): Williams left a loaded Ohio State receiver room, joined Alabama in 2021 and had an All-America season for the Crimson Tide. Despite suffering a torn ACL in the national title game, Williams still went No. 12 in the draft to the Lions and was able to play in six games at the end of his rookie season. He is suspended for the first six games of 2023 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. DB DeMarcco Hellams, Alabama (No. 84): Two-year starter at safety who led the Crimson Tide with 108 tackles in 2022. The Falcons made him a seventh-round pick this spring. WR Elijah Higgins, Stanford (No. 85): Honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection as a senior after a career-best 59 catches for 704 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins drafted him in the sixth round and are moving him to tight end. WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Nebraska/Kentucky (No. 87): Electric playmaker as a receiver, rusher and returner, Robinson came home for his junior year and put together an All-SEC season in 2021. The third-round pick caught 23 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown in six games as a rookie with the Giants before suffering a torn ACL. QB Sam Howell, North Carolina (No. 93): Howell became the Tar Heels’ all-time leader in passing yards (10,283) and passing touchdowns (92) and did it in just three seasons. The All-ACC playmaker fell to the fifth round of the draft last year, but he earned one start in the season finale and the Commanders are building around him as their QB1 entering the 2023 season. Still in school (49 players) Same school (12) RB John Emery Jr., LSU (No. 13): Emery missed one season due to academic issues but has produced 941 rushing yards, 262 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over 30 games with the Tigers. WR Jordan Whittington, Texas (No. 34): Whittington has fought to overcome injuries in his career and had his best season in 2022, catching 50 passes for 652 yards and one TD and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition. DB Akeem Dent, Florida State (No. 50): The versatile defensive back has started 30 games over four seasons with the Seminoles and recorded 145 tackles and 16 pass breakups. DL Justin Eboigbe, Alabama (No. 62): Regular contributor for the Crimson Tide who has logged 14 career starts but missed most of last season with a neck injury. LB Mase Funa, Oregon (No. 68): Three-year starter for the Ducks who made an impact right away as a Freshman All-American and earned Defensive MVP honors in the Ducks’ Holiday Bowl victory last season. DT Nathan Pickering, Mississippi State (No. 73): Pickering has become a two-year starter for the Bulldogs and has put up 79 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in his career. DB Demani Richardson, Texas A&M (No. 80): Richardson was an immediate difference-maker for the Aggies who developed into a four-year starter and team captain. OL Caedan Wallace, Penn State (No. 81): Three-year starter at right tackle for the Nittany Lions who opted to return after missing five games last season due to injury. DL Faatui Tuitele, Washington (No. 83): Moved into a full-time starting role in 2022 and recorded 12 tackles, 0.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries on 449 snaps. DL Jacob Bandes, Washington (No. 86): Reserve defensive lineman who has appeared in 31 games and logged 29 tackles with one sack. DE Adisa Isaac, Penn State (No. 92): After missing 2021 with a torn Achilles, Isaac had a big comeback season last year with a team-high 11 tackles for loss and four sacks to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors. OL Zeke Correll, Notre Dame (No. 95): Correll started two games at center in 2020 and six games at left guard in 2021, then took over the starting center job for all 13 games last season. Transferred (37) DL Antonio Alfano, Alabama/Colorado/JC (No. 5): Alfano entered the transfer portal during his freshman year after Nick Saban said he “basically quit” the team. He transferred to Colorado and was suspended indefinitely after two months in the program. Alfano said he was struggling with epileptic seizures. He never played a game for the Buffaloes and left in 2021 after an arrest. He went to Independence Community College, did not play last season and is now at Lackawanna College. RB Trey Sanders, Alabama/TCU (No. 6): Sanders overcame injuries early in his career, including from a serious car accident in 2020, and played in 22 games over the past two seasons for Alabama, rushing for 394 yards and three touchdowns. He’s hoping to earn a more significant role at TCU this season. WR Bru McCoy, USC/Texas/USC/Tennessee (No. 9): See if you can keep up with this timeline: McCoy enrolled at USC, transferred to Texas weeks later, transferred back to USC in the summer of 2019, missed that season due to illness, played in 2020, was suspended in 2021 and transferred to Tennessee in 2022. He enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Vols as their second-leading receiver with 52 catches for 667 yards and four TDs. QB Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma/South Carolina (No. 11): Rattler was hyped as a potential No. 1 draft pick early in his career and led the Sooners to a Big 12 title in 2020. After he was benched for Caleb Williams midway through the 2021 season, Rattler moved on to South Carolina and put together a good first season there with 4,026 passing yards, 21 total touchdowns and 12 interceptions. OL Logan Brown, Wisconsin/Kansas (No. 17): Brown finally broke into the starting lineup as a redshirt junior last season, earning three starts early on, but he was dismissed from the program in October for reportedly striking a teammate in practice and transferred to Kansas. WR Theo Wease Jr., Oklahoma/Missouri (No. 21): Wease caught 63 passes for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns over his four years at Oklahoma, with his best season coming in 2020. He transferred to Missouri in December. OL Clay Webb, Georgia/Jacksonville State (No. 26): Webb played sparingly in three years at Georgia and transferred to Jacksonville State, where he earned the starting job at left guard last season. LB Marcel Brooks, LSU/TCU (No. 32): Brooks showed promise as a pass rusher in his lone season at LSU before coming home to TCU. After a brief stint at receiver, Brooks moved back to linebacker in 2022 and suffered a season-ending knee injury after appearing in three games. QB Bo Nix, Auburn/Oregon (No. 33): The SEC Freshman of the Year had an eventful three years on the Plains and sought a fresh start at Oregon in 2022. Nix had an excellent year — 3,593 passing yards, 510 rushing yards, 43 total touchdowns, seven interceptions — and bypassed the draft for one more season with the Ducks. QB Jayden Daniels, Arizona State/LSU (No. 35): After three seasons as the starter at Arizona State, Daniels transferred to LSU and took his game to another level. He was one of the best QBs in the SEC last season and put up 2,913 passing yards, 885 rushing yards, 28 total touchdowns and just three interceptions to lead the Tigers to 10 wins and an SEC West title. WR Dominick Blaylock, Georgia/Georgia Tech (No. 36): Blaylock made an instant impact for the Bulldogs in 2019 but ran into injury issues that slowed his development. He came back in 2022 and had a solid year with 15 catches for 227 yards and one score, and he is now looking to finish his career at Georgia Tech. WR Kyle Ford, USC/UCLA (No. 38): Ford got off to a slow start at USC due to knee injuries and recorded 39 catches for 617 yards and four touchdowns over the past two seasons. He hit the portal this offseason and joined rival UCLA. WR Frank Ladson, Clemson/Miami (No. 39): Ladson has caught 58 passes for 726 yards and seven touchdowns over three seasons at Clemson and one at Miami, where he earned a starting role in 2022. DL Ishmael Sopsher, Alabama/USC/JC (No. 47): Sopsher spent two years at Alabama, one at USC and one at Southwest Mississippi Community College and has appeared in a total of six games. WR Jake Smith, Texas/USC/Arizona State (No. 49): Smith had a promising start at Texas, catching 48 passes for 568 yards and nine touchdowns over his first two seasons, but injuries became an issue. He didn’t play in a game in either of his two seasons at USC and is now trying to reboot his career at Arizona State. TE Baylor Cupp, Texas A&M/Texas Tech (No. 53): Injuries prevented Cupp from breaking through in his three years in College Station, but he got back on track at Texas Tech last season and caught 12 passes for 132 yards and two scores. WR Jeremiah Payton, Miami/JC (No. 54): Payton appeared in 11 games for the Hurricanes and had six catches for 58 yards. He spent the 2022 season at Butler Community College and produced 381 receiving yards and one touchdown on 28 receptions. DB Julian Barnett, Michigan State/Memphis (No. 57): After spending time at wide receiver and cornerback in his two seasons at Michigan State, Barnett transferred to Memphis and has played sparingly. He missed most of last season due to injury. OL Tyler Johnson, Texas/Houston (No. 58): Johnson couldn’t get on the field much at Texas, playing in just one game over three years. He got his career back on track at Houston as the starting right guard in 2022. QB Ryan Hilinski, South Carolina/Northwestern (No. 64): True freshman starter for the Gamecocks in 2019 who lost the job the following year and joined Northwestern, where he has made 11 starts over two seasons. He’ll have to compete with Cincinnati transfer Ben Bryant to regain the gig this fall. QB Graham Mertz, Wisconsin/Florida (No. 65): Three-year starting quarterback for the Badgers who threw for 5,405 yards and put up 46 total touchdowns with 26 interceptions, finishing with a 19-13 record as their starter. Mertz left at the end of the season and is seeking a fresh start at Florida. WR Trejan Bridges, Oklahoma/JC (No. 66): Bridges was suspended for most of 2020 due to a failed drug test and was dismissed from the program in 2021 for his involvement in an armed robbery. Bridges resurfaced at East Los Angeles College last season and is now trying to transfer back up to the Division I level. WR Dylan Wright, Texas A&M/Minnesota/TCU (No. 70): Wright didn’t catch a pass in two years at Texas A&M but had a productive stint with the Gophers, recording 35 catches for 645 yards and three touchdowns over two seasons. Now the Texas native is coming back home to play for TCU. DL Khris Bogle, Florida/Michigan State (No. 71): After earning seven starts over three seasons at Florida, the pass rusher was ready for a big year with the Spartans but missed the final eight games of the season due to injury. DL Jowon Briggs, Virginia/Cincinnati (No. 75): Briggs has started 32 games over two seasons at Virginia and two at Cincinnati and is coming off his best year yet, earning first-team All-AAC honors after producing 60 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and three sacks at nose tackle. OL Amari Kight, Alabama/UCF (No. 76): The backup tackle logged 164 snaps over four seasons at Alabama and is eager to earn a more significant role as a grad transfer at UCF this fall. LB Shane Lee, Alabama/USC (No. 78): Lee had to start right away for the Crimson Tide and earned Freshman All-America recognition in 2019 but ended up getting hurt and losing his starting role. He became a team captain for the Trojans in 2022 and recorded 78 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and two interceptions. RB Devyn Ford, Penn State/Notre Dame (No. 79): Ford rushed for 666 yards and six touchdowns over four seasons at Penn State and was their starting back in 2020. He’s looking to earn more carries with the Fighting Irish this fall. LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Florida/Missouri (No. 88): Reserve linebacker over three seasons at Florida who earned a starting role for Missouri and racked up 77 tackles with a team-high 14 tackles for loss in 2022. LB Rian Davis, Georgia/UCF (No. 89): Inside linebacker who joins UCF this summer after seeing his most extensive action last season, playing 188 snaps and earning two starts for the Bulldogs. RB Mark-Antony Richards, Auburn/UCF (No. 90): Richards followed Gus Malzahn and his staff from Auburn to UCF after 2020 and was the Knights’ third-leading rusher in 2021 with 309 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He primarily played on special teams last season. WR Mycah Pittman, Oregon/Florida State/Utah (No. 94): After three seasons at Oregon, Pittman had his best season yet at Florida State with 32 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns. He re-entered the portal in April and is heading to Utah. DB Erick Young, Texas A&M/JC (No. 96): Young started six games for the Aggies in 2020 but ended up leaving after three years and played last season at Blinn College. OL Kardell Thomas, LSU/Florida A&M (No. 97): Backup guard for the Tigers who logged two starts over four years and will finish his career at FCS Florida A&M. RB Noah Cain, Penn State/LSU (No. 98): Cain came home to Louisiana after three years at Penn State and rushed for 409 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Tigers last fall. He has more than 1,600 career yards and 22 TDs in his career. CB Marquez Beason, Illinois/Alabama A&M (No. 99): Beason suffered a torn ACL as a freshman and had a tough time overcoming injuries but got back on the field as a starting cornerback for Alabama A&M at the FCS level last season. LB Jaren “Stone” Handy, Auburn/Indiana/Charlotte (No. 100): Edge rusher who played sparingly in two years at Auburn, spent one year at Indiana, was dismissed from the program and has resurfaced at Charlotte. Out of football (9) OL Harry Miller, Ohio State (No. 30): Miller started six games for the Buckeyes in 2020 to earn third-team All-Big Ten recognition and appeared in 22 games during his three years in the program. He retired from football in 2022 and has become an advocate for mental health wellness. OL Pierce Quick, Alabama/Georgia Tech (No. 40): Quick was a reserve for three seasons at Alabama and moved on to Georgia Tech, where he earned eight starts at guard last season. OL Devontae Dobbs, Michigan State/Memphis (No. 51): After two years at Michigan State, Dobbs transferred to Memphis and played in five games in 2021. He left the program last summer. LB Quavaris Crouch, Tennessee/Michigan State (No. 61): Crouch was Tennessee’s starting middle linebacker and third-leading tackler in 2020, then transferred to Michigan State after the staff was fired. He started 10 games and logged 75 tackles to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2021 but was dismissed from the program last spring for disciplinary reasons. Crouch is attempting to resume his college career at Charlotte but has yet to join the team. OL Jonah Tauanu’u, Oregon (No. 63): Tauanu’u medically retired from football in 2021 after playing in two games with the Ducks. LB De’Gabriel Floyd, Texas/Alabama A&M (No. 67): Floyd had to sit out his freshman year and medically retire due to spinal stenosis. He attempted to reboot his college career at Alabama A&M in 2022 and played in nine games, but he’s no longer listed on the roster. DL Charles Moore, Auburn/Oregon State/JC (No. 69): Moore left Auburn before his true freshman season, transferred to Oregon State and re-entered the transfer portal in the spring of 2020. He was on the roster at Butler Community College in 2021 but hasn’t played since. DB Brian Williams, Texas A&M (No. 72): Williams played in 20 games over two seasons with the Aggies before retiring from football. He did stay in school and graduated from Texas A&M. CB Scooby Carter, Alabama/JC (No. 91): Carter left Alabama during his freshman year after he was arrested on a domestic violence charge. Carter resurfaced at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, spent two seasons there and had a brief stint in the CFL last year.