Recruiting Stars Aren’t Everything

Ed Reed, a future lock for the NFL Hall of Fame, reminded the world today that the amount of stars by your name as a high school recruit don’t determine your destiny.

Reed was a 2-star prospect.

I was a 2 Star… pic.twitter.com/E0V6IeaRai

— Ed Reed (@TwentyER) July 3, 2018

When you look at NC State’s most recent All-Americans (since recruiting databases began keeping data around the turn of the century), two of them were highly touted recruits: Cornerback David Amerson (4-star – #206 overall) and Defensive End Mario Williams (4-star – #78 overall).

The other three weren’t.

Defensive End Bradley Chubb was a 3-star prospect that was ranked as the #734 overall player in the 2014 class. He went on to be a consensus 1st Team All-American, and the #5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Rivals ranked linebacker Nate Irving as a 2-star prospect, and 247Sports ranked him as the #1,093 overall player in the 2006 class. He went on to be a 1st Team All-American, and played 5 seasons in the NFL.

Offensive Guard Joe Thuney was a 2-star prospect according to 247Sports, and the #1,498 overall player in the 2011 class. He went on to be a 1st Team All-American, and has been a starter for the New England Patriots since day 1 as a rookie. In fact, he has started ever single game since arriving in the NFL.

If you look at NC State’s 1st Team All-ACC players since the turn of the century, 4 of them were highly touted: Running Back Nyheim Hines (4-star – #94 overall), Cornerback David Amerson (4-star – #206 overall), Specialist Darrell Blackman (4-star – #46 overall), Defensive End Mario Williams (4-star – #78 overall)

The other 10 weren’t.

Swiss Army Knife Jaylen Samuels (2-star – #2,680 overall)
Earl Wolff (3-star – #980 overall)
TJ Graham (2-star – #834 overall)
George Bryan (3-star – #434 overall)
Nate Irving (2-star – #1,093 overall)
Russell Wilson (2-star – #1,102 overall)
Bradley Chubb (3-star – #734 overall)
Joe Thuney (2-star – #1,498 overall)
Tank Tyler (3-star – #547 overall)
Stephen Tulloch (3-star)