Four years later, a small handful of the top talents from the 2011 recruiting class remain in the world of college football for a fifth and final season in the FBS. Many others have already graduated and moved on to either the NFL or a life after football, allowing us to appropriately assess the class as a whole after the fact.

Today we’re taking a look at the defensive ends from the 2011 class:

NOTE: Recruiting rankings and evaluations based on the ESPN300 rankings from 2011.

SEC SPIN

Not only did the SEC claim nine of the top 20 defensive end recruits from the class of 2011, but Alabama alone claimed three of them and four of the top 21 if you include D.J. Pettway.

The top SEC defensive end commit, Jadeveon Clowney, was actually regarded as the top prospect at any position on the field in the 2011 class, and he ended his career at South Carolina as an All-American and the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

Among the other SEC signees regarded among the best defensive ends in the nation, the results of their college careers were hit and miss. Georgia’s Ray Drew was the No. 2 end in the class, but he did not amount to the dominant force many in Athens expected him to be. Arkansas’ Lonnie Gosha (No. 13 defensive end in the class) and Alabama’s LaMichael Fanning (No. 16 defensive end in the class) followed a similar path.

However, stars like Alabama’s Xzavier Dickson, Georgia’s Sterling Bailey and LSU’s Jermauria Rasco all developed into consistent contributors for their teams by the 2014 season, all experiencing varying levels of success. Dickson led Alabama in sacks and tackles behind the line, while Rasco led a stout LSU defense from his new position as a starting linebacker.

The hidden gem of the class was three-star defensive end Shane Ray, who upon finally breaking into the Missouri starting lineup in 2014 led the SEC in sacks, set a new school record for sacks in a season and earned the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year award in addition to All-America honors.

Among the SEC’s other hidden gems from the 2011 class is Mississippi State two-star prospect Preston Smith, a potential first-round pick in April’s NFL Draft.

Others: Jeoffrey Pagan, Alabama; Jabrian Niles, Auburn; Clay Burton, Florida; Brandon Alexander, Texas A&M; Keymiya Harrell, Auburn; Devaunte Sigler, Auburn; Jordan Williams, Tennessee; Trevarris Saulsberry, Tennessee; Johnathan Harris, Mississippi State.

BIGGEST BUST

Ishaq Williams initially signed with Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly following Kelly’s first season with the Fighting Irish, and many thought Williams would be the dynamic athlete that could anchor the Irish’s defensive line for the next four seasons.

Instead, the 6-foot-5 physical freak converted to outside linebacker and spent three seasons making a limited impact for Notre Dame, never recording more than 22 tackles in a given season. He has just one career sack at the college level, but the lowest point of his college career actually took place away from the field.

Williams was suspended indefinitely for academic dishonesty prior to the start of last season, and missed the entire season as a result. Kelly never ruled out the potential that Williams might return for his final season of eligibility in 2015, but no decision regarding his future has been made as of Jan. 26.

Williams lacked success in his transition from defensive end to outside linebacker, and his red flags off the field affirms him as the biggest defensive end bust from the 2011 class.

OVERACHIEVER

Shane Ray was originally a three-star prospect regarded as the No. 35 defensive end in the class of 2011, slated behind fellow linemen like Brandon Alexander (a Texas A&M signee who has since moved to tight end) and Darrius Caldwell (who originally attended Illinois before transferring to junior college and failing to make a return to the FBS).

Ray ascended from his unheralded high school career to become the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year as a redshirt junior in 2014, setting a new Missouri school record for sacks in a single season with 14.5. He’s now projected to be a top 10 selection in April’s NFL Draft, while many of the four- and five-star defensive end prospects from his high school class are just hoping to earn a late-round selection.

Related: How many five-star defensive ends panned out over the last decade?

RE-GRADING THE TOP 10

2011 No. 1: Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
New No. 1: Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina

Clowney entered the ranks of college football as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2011 class, and he exited as one of the most polarizing and awe-inspiring players in the nation.

He’ll always be remembered for his decapitating hit on Michigan’s Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl, but don’t forget he also set the SEC single season record for sacks by a freshman with eight (since broken by Myles Garrett and Derek Barnett) and recorded 13 sacks as an All-American his sophomore year.

Clowney began and ended his college career as the top-rated defensive end in the nation, and he began his pro career as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft. There’s no arguing his standing atop the defensive end rankings four years after coming out of high school.

2011 No. 2: Ray Drew, Georgia
New No. 2: Shane Ray, Missouri

Drew was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, but upon signing with Georgia he never lived up to his hype as a dominant pass rusher. He closed his career with a combined 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in four years, but did block three kicks as a senior in 2014.

One Ray was initially seen as the No. 2 defensive end in the 2011 class, but the real No. 2 was a different Ray entirely — Mizzou’s Shane Ray. The 2014 SEC Defensive Player of the Year filled the shoes of the 2013 SEC DPOY honoree Michael Sam, and just like Sam he led Missouri to 11 wins and an SEC East title. Once an afterthought, the star pass-rusher is now seen as one of the top pro prospects at any position from that 2011 class.

2011 No. 3: Aaron Lynch, Notre Dame
New No. 3: Michael Sam, Missouri

Lynch began his career as a freshman All-American at Notre Dame, but transferred to South Florida after one season to be closer to his hometown. After sitting out the 2012 season he recorded 5.0 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a junior in 2013, then declared early for the NFL Draft and was selected in the fifth round by the San Francisco 49ers. He recorded 23 tackles and six sacks as a rookie in 2014.

Sam was initially committed to play at Rice, but flipped his commitment to Missouri before arriving on campus for his freshman season in 2011. He developed into a productive member of the Tigers front seven in his first three years in Columbia, recording a combined 63 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a touchdown in that time. His career culminated with a historic senior season in 2013, as the eventual SEC Defensive Player of the Year racked up 11.5 sacks, 19.0 tackles for loss and two more forced fumbles. Following the season, he came out as an openly gay man, making him the first openly gay man drafted into the NFL when the St. Louis Rams took him with a late-seventh-round selection.

2011 No. 4: Xzavier Dickson, Alabama
New No. 4: Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame

Dickson was Alabama’s best pass rusher in 2014, leading the team with 9.0 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a senior. His numbers improved in each of his four seasons in Tuscaloosa, and although he never emerged as a superstar he filled his role on Kirby Smart’s defense to near-perfection.

Tuitt played in 35 games in three seasons at Notre Dame, including an appearance in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, and he was as dominant as any defensive linemen on the Notre Dame roster during his three years in South Bend. He registered 16.5 sacks and 25.0 tackles for loss in his final two seasons with the Fighting Irish (including the 2012 season), and was eventually a second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2011 No. 5: Anthony Chickillo, Miami
New No. 5: Cedric Reed, Texas

Chickillo was a solid contributor as a pass rusher on Al Golden’s Miami defense, recording 15.5 sacks and 25.0 tackles for loss during his four years with the Hurricanes. However, his sack total dropped in each of his four seasons in the ACC, indicating a negative trend of which NFL franchises have surely taken notice.

Reed emerged as one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the nation the last two seasons, peaking as a junior in 2013 before regressing somewhat in 2014, although he still posted brilliant numbers as a senior despite facing regular double teams. He recorded 10 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups and five forced fumbles in 2013, and followed up that season with 5.5 sacks, 9.0 tackles for loss and another forced fumble. Although he’s now two years removed from his best collegiate season, the Texas standout is still expected to be taken in April’s NFL Draft.

2011 No. 6: Steve Miller, Ohio State
New No. 6: Nate Orchard, Utah

Miller did a little bit of everything for last season’s national champions from Ohio State, and despite recording just one sack he added 6.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pick-six on the year. Miller will exit OSU with just five career sacks, but he found other ways to involve himself throughout his career, earning significant playing time in three of his four seasons.

Orchard began his career as a little-known defensive end recruit, but by his senior season in 2014 it was difficult to ignore his dominance in the trenches. He led the Pac 12 and was second in the entire nation in sacks with 18.5 last season, and he finished fifth in the nation with 21 tackles for loss. He was productive throughout his career but took his game to a new level in Utah, helping the Utes spend much of the season ranked in the top 25 in the national polls.

2011 No. 7: Ishaq Williams, Notre Dame
New No. 7: Aaron Lynch, Notre Dame

Williams was suspended indefinitely prior to the start of last season, but he did not depart from the program in the aftermath of the suspension. The converted linebacker with just one career sack has never been a major contributor for the Fighting Irish, but head coach Brian Kelly never ruled out the potential of Williams returning to South Bend for his senior season.

Lynch — See above.

2011 No. 8: Jeoffrey Pagan, Alabama
New No. 8: Preston Smith, Mississippi State

Pagan played three years at Alabama, recording 61 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick over the course of his college career. He left Alabama a year early to enter the 2014 NFL Draft, and was a sixth-round pick by the Houston Texans.

Smith was once a two-star recruit with little name recognition at the start of his senior season in 2014, but that all changed by the end of his final year in Starkville. He recorded 9.0 sacks, 15.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two blocked kicks and two forced fumbles, and he earned the SEC’s Defensive Lineman of the Week honor for three straight weeks, marking the first time in SEC history a player achieved that feat. He shined in last weekend’s Senior Bowl and is now projected to be selected as high as the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

2011 No. 9: Greg Townsend Jr., USC
New No. 9: Bud Dupree, Kentucky

Townsend has had a disjointed career to this point, sitting out the 2011 season as a redshirt and missing the 2013 season due to knee and ankle injuries. In two combined years in 2012 and 2014, he’s recorded just 24 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, but he should have an opportunity t0 compete for a starting spot as a fifth-year senior in 2015.

Dupree wouldn’t have cracked this list as a high school senior in 2011 considering he was recruited as a tight end out of high school. However, he transitioned to defensive end upon arriving at Kentucky, and by the start of his senior season in 2014 he was the SEC’s active leader in career sacks. Dupree closed his UK career with 23.5 sacks and 37 tackles for loss, as well as four forced fumbles, two blocked kicks and a pick-six to defeat South Carolina in 2014. Dupree also played some linebacker at Kentucky, and his versatility has made him a projected first-round pick this April.

2011 No. 10: Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame
New No. 10: Xzavier Dickson, Alabama

Tuitt — See above

Dickson — See above.