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Coming out of high school, Peyton Manning was a can’t-miss son of an NFL icon.
Denver Broncos teammate Emmanuel Sanders was on the other end of the recruiting spectrum, a two-star blip on the radar ranked No. 2,155 overall in the 2005 class. According to recruiting experts, there were 230 receivers better than the guy who will catch passes from Manning in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday.
Sanders will be in good company. Eleven other combined starters on the Broncos and Carolina Panthers received two or fewer stars as high school recruits.
Manning (and several teammates) predated 247Sports.com’s composite rankings, but here’s how the Super Bowl starters graded as recruits.
Denver Broncos starting lineup
| Stars | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Demaryius Thomas | WR | Ga. Tech |
| 2 | Emmanuel Sanders | WR | SMU |
| 4 | Ryan Harris | LT | Notre Dame |
| N/A | Evan Mathis | LG | Alabama |
| N/A | Matt Paradis | C | Boise State |
| 3 | Louis Vasquez | RG | Texas Tech |
| 4 | Michael Schofield | RT | Michigan |
| N/A | Owen Daniels | TE | Wisconsin |
| 3 | Ronnie Hillman | RB | San Diego State |
| N/A | Peyton Manning | QB | Tennessee |
| 2 | Virgil Green | FB | Nevada |
| 2 | Derek Wolfe | DE | Cincinnati |
| 4 | Sylvester Williams | NT | UNC |
| 3 | Malik Jackson | DE | Tennessee |
| 3 | Von Miller | LB | Texas A&M |
| N/A | DeMarcus Ware | LB | Troy |
| 2 | Brandon Marshall | LB | Nevada |
| 2 | Danny Trevathan | LB | Kentucky |
| 2 | Aqib Talib | CB | Kansas |
| 2 | Chris Harris Jr. | CB | Kansas |
| 0 | T.J. Ward | S | Oregon |
| 3 | Darian Stewart | S | South Carolina |
Carolina Panthers starting lineup
| Stars | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ted Ginn Jr. | WR | Ohio State |
| 4 | Philly Brown | WR | Ohio State |
| 5 | Michael Oher | LT | Ole Miss |
| 4 | Andrew Norwell | LG | Ohio State |
| 3 | Ryan Kalil | C | USC |
| 3 | Trai Turner | RG | LSU |
| 0 | Mike Remmers | RT | Oregon State |
| 5 | Greg Olsen | TE | Miami |
| 4 | Cam Newton | QB | Auburn |
| 1 | Mike Tolbert | FB | Coastal Carolina |
| 5 | Jonathan Stewart | RB | Oregon |
| 5 | Charles Johnson | DE | Georgia |
| 3 | Star Lotulelei | DT | Utah |
| 3 | Kawann Short | DT | Purdue |
| N/A | Jared Allen | DE | Idaho State |
| 5 | Shaq Thompson | LB | Washington |
| 3 | Luke Kuechly | LB | Boston College |
| N/A | Thomas Davis | LB | Georgia |
| 2 | Robert McClain | CB | UConn |
| 0 | Josh Norman | CB | Coastal Carolina |
| N/A | Roman Harper | S | Alabama |
| 4 | Kurt Coleman | S | Ohio State |
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
