- Close
ESPN Analyst- Senior National Recruiting Analyst for ESPN.com
- Coached in four professional football leagues
- Graduated from Eastern Kentucky and Marshall
- Close
ESPN Staff Writer- National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU
- More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience.
- Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-Omaha
College football's 2019 recruiting class started up front, with the top five prospects all dominating from the trenches. Those players are also proving to be the most productive in the transition to college, with three living up to those lofty rankings and five-star expectations.
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, OT Evan Neal and OG Kenyon Green are all producing at a high level for their respective teams and are projected to be first-round NFL draft selections.
While DE Nolan Smith took a few years of development, we are now seeing what made the former five-star so highly touted.
Showing once again that recruiting is not an exact science, landing at the No. 9 spot is Iowa State RB Breece Hall, a former three-star prospect turned All-American.
Below, we examine how different the class would look if we re-ranked players based on their college production. Here is our final version of the top 25 in the 2019 ESPN 300 knowing what we know now.
1. DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
Oregon
2019 ESPN 300 ranking: 1
Thibodeaux, a lengthy and explosive edge rusher with excellent range, has proven he still belongs at the top of the rankings. He met all expectations with nine sacks as freshman and has continued to be a disruptive force for the Ducks and one of college football's top pass rushers.