ESPN The Magazine had a fascinating feature looking back at the past 25 No. 1 high school recruits
, where they are now and what the ranking meant to them. With apologies to Vince Young, there aren't a ton of Big 12 talents on the list, but there have been plenty of great recruits to come through the Big 12. We took a look on Thursday at how the All-Big 12 team stacked up as recruits, and you saw quite a mixed bag.
Well, it's the same for the recruits who came to campus with high rankings and high profiles. Going back to 2006, here's how every Big 12 commit from the ESPNU 150 turned out. We'll eventually get to 2010 and the current class, 2011, around signing day, but here's how the 2009 class breaks down. This class' careers are certainly still in progress, and they're readying for their third seasons on campus, so as long as they're still at said campus, it's probably unfair to label anyone on this list a bust just yet.
No. 11: Garrett Gilbert, QB, Texas. Forced into action in 2009 BCS National Championship Game after a Colt McCoy shoulder injury. Played a little over three quarters and threw two touchdown passes and four interceptions in the loss. Became the starter in 2010 as a sophomore and threw for 2,744 yards, 10 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
No. 27: Mason Walters, C, Texas. Missed most of 2009 season with a foot injury and redshirted. Started 11 games at right guard, becoming one of the Longhorns' best offensive linemen.
No. 29: Paden Kelly, OT, Texas. Redshirted in 2009 and appeared in five games on the offensive line in 2010.
No. 35: Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M. Ran for 844 yards and 10 touchdowns as a true freshman and was named Big 12 offensive freshman of the year. Missed final five games of 2010 season with a broken leg, but still ran for 631 yards and four touchdowns before the injury.
No. 54: Jamarkus McFarland, DT, Oklahoma. Played in 2009 as a reserve before becoming a starter as a sophomore in 2010. Finished season with 23 tackles, five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
No. 72: Chris Whaley, RB, Texas. Redshirted in 2009 before being moved to H-back before the 2010 season. Appeared in 10 games -- nine on special teams and three at running back.
No. 76: Darius Jones, ATH, Baylor. Redshirted in 2009. Caught two passes for 26 yards in 2010. Also returned four kicks for 73 yards.
No. 77: Thomas Ashcraft, OG, Texas. Redshirted in 2009. Appeared in three games on the offensive line and 10 on special teams in 2010.
No. 78: Marcus Davis, CB, Texas. Transferred to Oregon in June 2010 after an arrest in November 2009.
No. 80: Gabe Lynn, S, Oklahoma. Redshirted in 2009. Appeared in eight games in 2010 and recovered a fumble.
No. 83: Ronnell Lewis, LB, Oklahoma. Garnered notoriety after a series of big hits on special teams as a freshman and earned consistent playing time in the Sooners' rotation at linebacker and defensive end as a sophomore. Made 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and an interception and fumble recovery. Scored a touchdown.
No. 85: Tom Wort, LB, Oklahoma. Missed all of 2009 after a knee injury in fall camp. Moved into Sooners' rotation at linebacker in 2010, making 66 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
No. 93: Barrett Matthews, TE, Texas. Played in 13 games as a tight end and on special teams in 2009. Started five games at tight end in 2010 and caught 10 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.
No. 100: Justin Chaisson, DE, Oklahoma. Redshirted in 2009. Withdrew from school and went back home just before 2010 season began.
No. 105: Kevin Brent, S, Oklahoma. Redshirted after a shoulder injury in 2009. Did not record a stat in 2010.
No. 107: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri. Did not qualify academically and enrolled at College of the Sequoias in California. After a two-year stay, he re-signed with Missouri as the nation's No. 3 JUCO prospect in December 2010. Hoped to enroll for 2011 winter semester, but has yet to do so.
No. 121: Tariq Allen, LB, Texas. Redshirted in 2009 and did not play in 2010. Left the team after the season.
No. 138: Dexter Pratt, RB, Oklahoma State. Redshirted in 2009 and left the team before the 2010 season.
No. 149: Alex Okafor, DE, Texas. Played in 24 games and became a starter at defensive tackle in 2010. Made 22 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.