It’s easy to see why so many teams passed on Connor Shaw, a former under-recruited three-star prospect from Flowery Branch, Ga., coming out of high school in 2010.
The son of a coach didn’t have the arm talent associated with future first-round picks nor the intangibles in the pocket indicative of impact players. South Carolina assistant G.A. Mangus did however, believe in Shaw’s natural strengths and recognized what we now know as the ‘gamer’ mentality which defined the dual-threat passer.
One of only a handful of coaches to offer him a scholarship, Mangus’ pursuit of Shaw worked out beautifully for the Gamecocks. Shaw left South Carolina as the program’s all-time winningest quarterback in 2013 after three straight 11-2 seasons including a sparkling 18-0 all-time record at home.
How’s that for out-performing your recruiting grade?
Shaw isn’t the only notable SEC standout in recent years to flourish as a three-star prospect. We’ve picked one former three-star (or lower) at each position who exceeded expectations as a college player:
QUARTERBACK — Dak Prescott, Mississippi State: Signed in 2011 as the 33rd-best player in Louisiana, Prescott developed into a Heisman candidate by his junior season (his first year as the primary starter) and set new program records for total offense and touchdowns by a quarterback. Prescott helped Mississppi State take down three consecutive Top 10 opponents to climb from unranked to No. 1 for the first time in school history. Greg McElroy, a national champion at Alabama who is now an analyst for SEC Network, is also a well-known three-star quarterback.
RUNNING BACK — Cameron Artis-Payne, Auburn: This bruising former JUCO ballcarrier entered the spotlight as a senior this season on the Plains and led the SEC in rushing with 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns. Playing behind Tre Mason on last year’s league championship team, the three-star signee carved his niche in Gus Malzahn’s offense as an every-down back in his final campaign. LSU senior ballcarrier Terrence Magee is another player who became a reliable force in the backfield despite his three-star ranking.
WIDE RECEIVER — Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas: Rated the 65th-best player at his position in 2009, Hamilton was the diamond in the rough for the Razorbacks who eventually developed into a 1,300-yard receiver as a senior in 2012. In four seasons, Hamilton caught 175 passes for 2,854 yards and 18 touchdowns. Kentucky’s Randall Cobb, now one of the the NFC’s top wideouts for the Green Bay Packers is another player who comes to mind with a similar skill set. Cobb was under-recruited out of Tennessee and chose the Wildcats after the Vols didn’t offer. It was a bad move for the team in orange.
ATHLETE — Marcus Murphy, Mizzou: A lesser-known jewel in the Tigers’ 2010 class, Murphy finished an illustrious career 4,905 all-purpose yards — second only to Jeremy Maclin in program history. His seven return touchdowns are a school record, including three punt run-backs during an All-American campaign in 2012. Murphy was the only player in the country this season to record a touchdown via rushing, receiving, kick return and punt return. Dexter McCluster from Ole Miss (2006 class) is a comparable under-recruited speed demon who made plays on offense and special teams like Murphy.
OFFENSIVE LINE – David Andrews, Georgia: The Bulldogs will have their hands full replacing this multi-year starter at center, the heart and soul of Georgia’s successful offense the last several seasons. Andrews wasn’t supposed to win the starting job during fall practice of his sophomore season and hold it two more years. He ended his career in Athens this fall with a second-team All-SEC nod on the league’s top rushing — and scoring — offense.
