Recruiting is certainly not an exact science. It’s a good gauge on a player’s raw talent, but oftentimes talent alone does not make a standout player.
Every year we hear about the can’t-miss recruit failing to pan out for one reason or another. Every year, there are four- and five-star recruits that simply don’t succeed in a college atmosphere. But also every year we hear about the underdog, three-star recruit making it big. Heart and work ethic are sometimes difficult to measure.
Here are a handful of the many recent recruits who flew under the radar but nevertheless have made a name for themselves.
Ralph Webb, RB, Vanderbilt – How many times have we heard of players being too small? Webb hasn’t allowed his 5-foot-10, 200-pound frame to be a negative. Ranked 1,226th nationally by 247sports, 77th at his position and 178th out of his home state of Florida (Gainesville), the three-star recruit has rushed for 2,059 yards in two seasons with the Commodores. He was fifth in the SEC last season averaging 96 yards per game. The junior looks to pad those stats in 2016 and continue to prove the critics wrong.
De’Runnya Wilson, WR, Mississippi State – Not sure how this 6-foot-6, 225-pounder slipped under the radar, but he did. The three-star recruit was ranked 1,282 nationally. He was also ranked 180th at his position and 37th out of his home state of Alabama (Birmingham). Last season, Wilson caught 60 passes for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Bulldogs. He ranked sixth in the SEC in receiving yards and receiving yards per game. In three seasons at Mississippi State, Wilson piled up 1,949 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns on 133 receptions.
Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss – Ranked 888th nationally, Engram was not highly regarded out of high school. Ranked 115th at his position, the three-star recruit was ranked 81st out of his home state of Georgia (Powder Springs). Playing behind some big-name receivers at Ole Miss, the 6-foot-3, 227-pounder has still been able to rack up 1,394 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns on 97 pass receptions over the last three seasons. He moves squarely into the spotlight in 2016 as a top target on an Ole Miss team that led the SEC in passing with 334.7 yards per game.
Jalen Mills, DB, LSU – In hindsight, it now seems unfathomable that this 6-foot, 196-pounder could be ranked just 787th nationally out of high school, 53rd at his position and 125th out of his home state of Texas (DeSoto) in the recruiting class of 2012. But he played from the beginning, turning in four solid seasons. A seventh-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, Mills was a leader in an outstanding secondary at LSU, a.k.a. “DBU.”
Shaan Washington, OLB, Texas A&M – This budding star wasn’t given much respect out of high school. Ranked just 779th nationally, the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder was ranked just 58th at his position and 33rd out of his home state of Louisiana (Alexandria). However, that just served as motivation for the Aggies linebacker, who in three seasons has totaled 171 tackles, including 15.5 for a loss, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. He was second on the team as a junior last season in tackles (81) and also recorded a team-leading 52 assists.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
