Latest news with #high school football
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Counting down the top Rivals 5-star recruits since 2000
Over the past two and half decades of Rivals, there have been more than 500 five-star recruits who have received the highest designation in high school football recruiting. Each had extremely decorated prep careers, dominating in their respective cities, states and at the national level. The majority went on to prolific college careers as well, earning all-conference and All-Americans honors, and taking home plenty of hardware to back it up. Of that group, a number went on to be first-round draft picks, with players like , , and being among the numerous No. 1 overall selections. As we look back at the past 25 years of high school recruiting coverage from the industry's leader, Rivals is counting down its top 32 five-star recruits during that time. Their ranking is formulated by a combination of their prep accolades, recruiting hype, college career and their NFL Draft slot. Professional success doesn't factor into the equation.32. DE Robert Nkemdiche — 2013 High School: (Ga.)Rivals Ranking: No. 1 NFL Draft Selection: No. 29 (2016) An elite three-sport athlete and do-it-all star at the high school level, Nkemdiche was the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2013 cycle. Originally committed to Clemson, he eventually opted to follow his brother, Denzel, to Ole Miss, choosing the Rebels over LSU on National Signing Day. He proceeded to crack All-American teams in each of his three seasons in Oxford, tallying 92 tackles while leading the program to 27 wins during his time with the program. The Arizona Cardinals selected Nkemdiche at the end of the first round in 2016. He played in 38 NFL games across parts of five seasons with Arizona, the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. 31. RB C.J. Spiller — 2006 High School: (Fla.)Rivals Ranking: No. 8College: NFL Draft Selection: No. 9 (2010)One of the best burners to ever come out of the Sunshine State, Spiller racked up well over 5,000 rushing yards at the high school level while also dominating as a track star for Union County. Clemson beat Florida for Spiller's pledge, with Dabo Swinney playing a major role in his recruitment. He went on to establish himself as a program legend after four seasons in Death Valley. Spiller's 7,588 career all-purpose yards ranks third in NCAA history and first among Power Conference players. Well known for his five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Spiller made the Pro Bowl in 2012 and collected over 4,900 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns across eight seasons with five teams. 30. RB Najee Harris — 2017 High School: (Calif.)Rivals Ranking: No. 1 NFL Draft Selection: No. 24 (2021) Often battling for the top running back moniker in the 2017 cycle, Harris dominated at the prep level and his 7,948 career rushing yards remain near the top of Golden State record books. Alabama fended off a push from Michigan and others to land his signature. His decorated four-year career in Tuscaloosa includes the program record for touchdowns (57), rushing yards (3,843), a Doak Walker Award in 2020 and a pair of national championships. After four 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harris embarks on a new chapter with the Los Angeles Chargers this fall. 29. WR Sammy Watkins — 2011 High School: South Fort Myers (Fla.)Rivals Ranking: No. 15College: NFL Draft Selection: No. 4 (2014) Watkins garnered plenty of accolades as a three-sport star in high school, notably catching 36 touchdowns for South Fort Myers before heading to Clemson in 2011, where his domination continued. A two-time First Team All-American, Watkins continues to hold a slew of program records, including receptions (240) and receiving yards (3,391). He parlayed it all into a nine-year NFL career with five teams that witnessed 34 touchdown catches and a Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. 28. DT Rashan Gary — 2016 High School: (N.J.)Rivals Ranking: No. 1 NFL Draft Selection: No. 12 (2019) The unanimous top prospect in the 2016 cycle, Gary is one of the more dominant recruits to ever come out of the Northeast. He played his junior and senior campaigns at Paramus Catholic and was also tabbed the Under Armour All-America Game MVP before heading to Michigan. Across 34 games in three seasons for the Wolverines, Gary compiled 119 tackles and received First-Team All-Big Ten honors twice. His NFL stock remained high and the Green Bay Packers snatched him up in 2019. Gary now enters his seventh season in Green Bay, where he remains one of the top defensive ends in the game. Gary has made 55 starts across the last four seasons. 27. WR Percy Harvin — 2006 High School: (Va.)Rivals Ranking: No. 1 NFL Draft Selection: No. 22 (2009) The definition of a do-it-all high school superstar, Harvin was unstoppable thanks to blistering speed and a skillset that set him apart from most blue-chippers in the 2006 cycle. Florida State did its best to land the five-star, but Harvin chose Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators — a decision that certainly panned out. Winning a pair of national championships in Gainesville, the elusive dual-threat weapon had over 1,800 rushing yards and 1,900 receiving yards, stamping his name in the UF record books. The two-time All-American became the 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Minnesota Vikings and won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2014. Injuries plagued a good portion of his eight-year NFL career, limiting him to 75 games. 26. LB Ernie Sims — 2003 High School: (Fla.)Rivals Ranking: No. 1 NFL Draft Selection: No. 9 (2006) Demolishing high school competition as a running back and linebacker, Sims was a four-time state champion at North Florida Christian and had multiple seasons with more than 100 total tackles, solidifying himself as one of the best linebacker prospects ever. The Tallahassee native stayed home to play for Florida State and played three seasons for the Seminoles. He had 200 tackles in Garnet & Gold before going in the top 10 of the 2006 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions. He played in 109 games across eight seasons, suiting up for the Lions, Eagles, Colts and Cowboys. 25. RB Leonard Fournette — 2014 High School: (La.)Rivals Ranking: No. 4 NFL Draft Selection: No. 4 (2017) Not many have dominated The Boot the way that Fournette did during his time at St. Augustine. The consensus top running back in the 2014 class, Fournette finished his prep career with over 7,600 rushing yards. LSU took notice early, extending him an offer as a freshman. He inked with the Tigers and never looked back. His 2015 campaign in Baton Rouge was extraordinary, as he bulldozed his way to nearly 2,000 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns and a First Team All-America nod. Despite a junior season that was cut short due to injury, Fournette is an LSU legend with his name featured near the top of myriad program records. He went on to score 41 TDs across eight seasons in the NFL and was a key member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster that went on to win a Super Bowl in 2021. 24. OT Laremy Tunsil — 2013 High School: (Fla.)Rivals Ranking: No. 14 NFL Draft Selection: No. 13 (2016) Upon taking a glance at the high school version of Tunsil, it was clear to most scouts that the five-star would excel early at the college level. His SEC-flavored recruitment ended on National Signing Day, when he chose Ole Miss over Georgia, among others. To no surprise, he immediately nabbed a starting post at left tackle in Oxford as a freshman in 2013. A tumultuous junior season that saw a seven-game suspension from the NCAA muddied his final year as a Rebel, but his draft stock remained high. Draft-night drama led Tunsil to slide down to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13 in the 2016 draft. Things have panned out for the five-time pro-bowler, who's now entering his 10th season overall and first with the Washington Commanders. Tunsil is one of the highest-paid tackles in NFL history. 23. WR Jeremiah Smith — 2024 High School: (Fla.)Rivals Ranking: No. 1College: NFL Draft Selection: N/A The Jeremiah Smith story is still in its infancy, but the Sunshine State pass-catcher has already taken college football by storm after one season at Ohio State. Helping the Buckeyes win a national championship in 2024, Smith hauled in 76 catches for over 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was named a First Team All-American as a freshman, among other accolades. The road to Columbus was windy, as the in-state trio of Florida, Florida State and Miami all pushed heavily to flip him away from a long-standing pledge to OSU. The Canes nearly nabbed him in the final hours, but he signed with the Buckeyes and is already cemented as one of the program's best pass-catchers in recent memory. Nearly the consensus No. 1 recruit in the 2024 cycle, Smith shined at Chaminade-Madonna, terrorizing defensive backs for one of the premier programs in Florida. 22. WR A.J. Green — 2008 High School: (S.C.)Rivals Ranking: No. 9 NFL Draft Selection: No. 4 (2011) Tallying over 5,300 career receiving yards as a high schooler, not many wide receivers had better numbers than AJ Green at the prep level. He had over 1,000 receiving yards in all four seasons at Summerville and also excelled on the track and the basketball court. His three years at Georgia were consistent, too, catching over 50 passes in each season for Mark Richt and the Bulldogs. Looking destined for success in the NFL, Green provided the Cincinnati Bengals with nine seasons of elite pass catching. He rounded his career out with two seasons at Arizona. In total, Green made seven Pro Bowls and caught over 10,000 yards worth of passes for 70 TDs. 21. CB Derek Stingley — 2019 High School: (La.)Rivals Ranking: No. 1 NFL Draft Selection: No. 3 (2022) One of the top defensive back prospects ever, Stingley has been intercepting passes for a long time. After dominating at Dunham and earning the Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year award, he opted to stay home and play for Ed Orgeron at LSU. His freshman season in Baton Rouge was one to remember, as he played a major role for the undefeated, national-championship winning Tigers in 2019. The All-American battled through injury and has already notched 11 interceptions through three seasons for the Houston Texans.
New York Times
21-07-2025
- General
- New York Times
A Mill Town Lost Its Mill. What Is It Now?
The first thing the mill workers noticed on what they later deemed 'Black Monday' was the series of dark S.U.V.s pulling up near the paper mill, at the heart of Canton, N.C. The mill's hulking towers and plumes of smoke were visible for miles, rising above the Pigeon River and the trees that stretched like green ribbon across the mountains. Jody Mathis, who managed the mill's warehouse and coached the high school football team, was called to a meeting just after 5 p.m. When he arrived, men were streaming out of an earlier meeting, their faces twisted in pain. 'We're done,' Mr. Mathis, 52, recalled a friend saying. He replied, 'Done? What do you mean?' Then he noticed that all around him were burly men in their overalls weeping. Like a metronome, Canton's paper mill set the rhythm of life here for some 115 years. Residents in neighboring communities said they could smell the mill from as far away as Asheville, 20 miles east. It was putrid, like rotten eggs. People in Canton learned not to complain; to them, it was 'the smell of money.' Curious children, hearing their parents repeat this, buried their faces in dollar bills to check. If the odor kept visitors away, nobody minded. The locals were proud of the mill, which employed hundreds in town and allowed its residents to build homes and send their children to college. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
