Ad Disclosure
It’s rare to find a great defense that isn’t strong when rushing off the edge. As a result, defensive ends come at a premium on the recruiting trail. But not all prospect pan out. While some go onto NFL stardom, others never seem to get out of the starting blocks.
One interesting trend is the swaying of many of the five-star commits going from the likes of USC, Texas and the Big Ten to SEC schools over the course of the past 10 years. Of the 44 defensive end recruits in the last decade dubbed five-star rated prospects, 18 of them suited up for SEC squads.
Here is a look at 247Sports’ five-star defensive lineman of the last decade and a breakdown of their impact based on three categories; star, average and bust.
2006 — 3
Eddie Jones, Texas (average): Jones finished with 99 career tackles for Texas, with 12.0 sacks. He earned all-conference honors during his senior year and wound up playing one game in the NFL for the New York Jets.
Ricky Sapp, Clemson (average): Knee injuries derailed what could have been a stellar career for Ricky Sapp, who left Clemson with 17.5 career sacks. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted him 2010, but a similar injury in rookie camp robbed him of his explosiveness and his limited NFL career ended in 2014.
Maurice Evans, Penn State (average): Maurice Evans tallied exactly 100 tackles in his career, including 21.5 for loss during his All-Big Ten sophomore season. But a marijuana arrest as a junior tarnished his time in Happy Valley. He moved on to the pros, but struggled to catch on with a franchise.
2007 — 4
Martez Wilson, Illinois (star): Wilson was a star at Illinois, switching from defensive end to linebacker and tallying 223 career tackles — 112 of them and 4.0 sacks coming during his stellar junior season. He bolted Champaign early, but bounced around the NFL, mostly with the New Orleans Saints.
Everson Griffen, USC (star): Everson Griffen only knows one mode: terrorizing quarterbacks. The former Trojan became the first true freshman defensive lineman in USC history to start a season opener. He continued his prowess in the NFL, registering 10.5 sacks this year (40.0 career) for the Minnesota Vikings.
Carlos Dunlap, Florida (star): Dunlap continues to earn his five-star ranking after a career at Florida that saw him named the Gators defensive MVP of the 2009 national title game. One of the most feared pass-rushers in the SEC, Dunlap registered a career-high 13.5 sacks in 2015 for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ben Martin, Tennessee (bust): Martin never truly got going in Tennessee and was slowed by a knee injury that cost him the 2010 season. Despite playing in 44 games, Martin only accrued 4.5 sacks during his time in Knoxville.
2008 — 2
Da’Quan Bowers, Clemson (star): Bowers’ career got off to a quick start, thanks to 37 tackles as a freshman—a number he boosted to 67 tackles by his junior year. His 26.0 tackles-for-loss and 15.5. sacks in 2010 were tops in the nation, earning Bowers the ACC’s defensive player of the year honors and All-American status. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Bowers with their second-round pick in the 2011, but he has yet to make a real impact in 53 NFL games.
R.J. Washington, Oklahoma (bust): R.J. Washington rang-up a career-high 5.0 sacks during his junior season in Norman, but despite playing in 40 games for the Sooners, he never materialized into a fearsome end-rusher.
2009 — 2
Devon Kennard, USC (average): Kennard put it all together his senior year, pacing Southern California with 8.5 sacks — leaving Los Angeles after four years with 195 tackles. The New York Giants moved him to linebacker where he had 4.5 sacks as a rookie in 2014.
Donte Paige-Moss, UNC (average): Paige-Moss tore his ACL in North Carolina’s bowl game, effectively ending his Tar Heel career with 11.0 career sacks. Of those sacks, 7.0 of them came during his junior season in Chapel Hill.
2010 — 6
Ronald Powell, Florida (average): Multiple knee injuries slowed Powell, who still managed 11.0 sacks in three seasons in Gainesville. The New Orleans Saints took a chance on the former top recruit in the nation, but he delivered one paltry tackle in 14 games during his rookie season and was waived. He’s since caught on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but didn’t see the field in 2015.
Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (star): The Big 12 named Jeffcoat as its defensive player of the year during his senior campaign (19.0 TFL, 13.0 sacks). The son of former Dallas Cowboy Jim Jeffcoat joined the Washington Redskins after leaving Texas, but managed just one sack his rookie year and bounced between the 53-man roster and practice squad before eventually landed on the injured reserve list.
Sharrif Floyd, Florida (star): Floyd regained his form after Florida moved him back to defensive tackle for his junior year. The results were immediate, including All-SEC and All-American recognition. He spilt Gainesville early for the NFL, where he has 9.5 sacks in his first three seasons in the league.
Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA (bust): Owamagbe Odighizuwa returned from hip surgery that forced him to miss his junior season to register 11.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.0 sacks during his final year with UCLA. The New York Giants took a flier on the Nigerian native, but he managed just a pair of tackles in four games during his rookie campaign.
Will Gholston, Michigan State (star): After 30.0 tackles-for-loss and 10.0 sacks in three seasons, there was very little chance Will Gholston was returning to Michigan State for his senior year. He moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he continues to terrorize quarterbacks with 7.0 career sacks in three seasons.
Reggie Wilson, Texas (bust): Reggie Wilson didn’t do much with his four years with Texas failing to crack the starting lineup. He exited Austin with just 3.0 career sacks.
2011 — 5
Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina (star): Clowney lived up to the hype for the Gamecocks as a monster along the defensive front. He dropped a quarterback 13 times for a sack during his sophomore year, but was limited to just three his junior season as teams double-teamed and got creative in their blocking to slow him. He took his 24 career sacks to the NFL and the Houston Texans where injuries hampered his rookie campaign in 2014. Clowney rebounded in 2015, helping the Texans reach the playoffs with 4.5 sacks.
Anthony Chickillo, Miami (average): Chickillo saw his sack totals decline from 5.0 his freshman year to 2.0 as a senior for Miami. His 171 career tackles, however, earned him a shot at the NFL. Chickillo forced a fumble in seven games during his rookie season this year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ishaq Williams, Notre Dame (average): Williams hasn’t played since 2013 due to an academic scandal and the NCAA’s denial of his waiver request. He didn’t do much with his 19 career games prior to the suspension, registering just one sack.
Aaron Lynch, South Florida (average): Lynch played just two seasons of college football, one with Notre Dame and the other with South Florida, missing the 2012 season under transfer rules. He led the Bulls with 12.0 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks during his lone season in Tampa. He left South Florida for the NFL the first chance he got and has been a star since, registering 6.0 and 6.5 sacks in his first two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Ray Drew, Georgia (average): The Pastor of Disaster under-performed for his hype level in four seasons in Athens. He finished his career with 7.5 sacks during his junior and senior years, but just 13.0 career tackles-for-loss.
2012 — 8
Noah Spence, Ohio State (average): Eastern Kentucky landed a five-star talent after the Big Ten ruled Ohio State DE Noah Spence permanently ineligible after two failed drug tests. Up to that point, Spence was a beast, tallying 7.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles-for-loss for the Buckeyes. The No. 1 weakside defensive end in that year’s class, Spence went on to earn FCS defensive player of the year honors this season, courtesy of a 11.5-sack, 22.5-TFL campaign with the Colonels. He’ll test the NFL Draft waters in 2016.
Adolphus Washington, Ohio State (average): Washington’s college career ended with a thud after a prostitution arrest for soliciting an undercover police officer, causing him to miss Ohio State’s Fiesta Bowl matchup with Notre Dame. He 10.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks for the Buckeye squad that won the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014.
Chris Casher, Florida State (average): Knee injuries have cost Casher the better part of two seasons, limiting him to 3.0 sacks in 28 career games. Not helping his image is his role in two of teammate Jameis Winston’s off-the-field indiscretions.
Channing Ward, Ole Miss (average): Ward developed into a role player on a deep Ole Miss defensive front. His numbers aren’t all that impressive (6.5 career sacks), but Ward has proven valuable for the Rebels.
Jordan Jenkins, Georgia (star): Jenkins returned to Athens for his senior year to lead the Georgia defense, both statistically and emotionally. He leaves Athens with 204 career tackles and 19.0 sacks. He’ll get his shot to play on Sundays.
Mario Edwards, Florida State (star): The Oakland Raiders took Edwards 35th overall in the 2015 draft after a stellar career at Florida State (79 career tackles, 20.5 TFL). Edwards’ signature moment on the college stage came as a sophomore in the national title game against Auburn where he recorded 3.0 tackles-for-loss and a sack.
Jonathan Bullard, Florida (star): Bullard burst onto the scene as a senior with career-highs for sacks (6.5) and tackles-for-loss (18.0). He had 5.5 sacks combined entering his final season in Gainesville. Regarded as the top defensive lineman in that year’s class, Bullard’s decision to return to school paid off and he should be rewarded accordingly in the NFL Draft.
Darius Hamilton, Rutgers (average): A knee injury caused Hamilton, Rutgers’ incumbent tackles-for-loss leader (9.5) last year, to miss the entire 2015 season. Owner of 10.5 career sacks, Hamilton has stated that he’ll return to New Jersey for his final year, if he receives a medical redshirt.
2013 — 4
Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (star): Talk about living up to the hype as the No. 1 DE in his class. Nkemdiche had a monster junior year for Ole Miss, even if the numbers (7.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks) don’t necessarily reflect it. The year ended on a sour note, however, as Nkemdiche was injured while leaping 15 feet from a hotel window prior to the Rebels’ Sugar Bowl contest against Oklahoma State in an attempt to avoid a possible marijuana citation. Fallout from the arrest has caused his NFL Draft stock slip.
Chris Jones, Mississippi State (average): Jones has declared for the NFL Draft, after rebounding from a down sophomore year that saw him numbers slump some. The freshman All-American doubled his sack total from 3.5 to 7.0 and tied a career-best with 7.0 tackles-for-loss.
Jonathan Allen, Alabama (star): Alabama won a national title this season thanks in large part to the large body of Jonathan Allen. The junior dropped a quarterback for a sack 12 times this season, to go with 14.5 tackles-for-loss.
Carl Lawson, Auburn (star): Injuries have been a sore spot for Lawson throughout his time in Auburn, including a hip injury that limited him to seven games in 2015. That’s in addition to the 2014 season he missed with a knee injury. When on the field, Lawson (10.5 TFL, 5.0 sacks in 19 games) is menace. He’s announced that he’ll return to the Tigers for his senior year.
2014 — 6
Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (star): Myles Garrett is going to play on Sundays. The A&M star had another dynamic year, eclipsing his 11.0 sacks as a freshman with 11.5 take-downs as a sophomore. Before the NFL can get their hands on him, however, he still has to return to College Station, which should be a terrifying prospect for SEC opponents.
Lorenzo Carter, Georgia (average): Carter underachieved during his sophomore season with no sacks nor tackles-for-loss — after 4.5 and 7.0, respectively as a freshman. With Leonard Floyd off to the NFL, the hope in Athens is that Carter will take advantage of more snaps and live up to his potential.
Chad Thomas, Miami (average): It’s too early to call Chad Thomas a bust, but he didn’t see his numbers improve from his freshman to sophomore year, despite doubling the amount of games he’s played. Thomas returns to Miami next year looking to improve upon his 1.0 career sack.
Da’Shawn Hand, Alabama (star): Hand tallied four tackles, two of them for loss, in Alabama’s national title win over Clemson. The sophomore is a rising talent on what was the nation’s top defensive front this year. All told, Hand registered 3.0 sacks in the eight games he played. He should be a force for the Tide on defense as a junior.
Solomon Thomas, Stanford (star): Thomas chose Stanford over Arkansas and the Cardinal are sure happy he did. The sophomore’s debut season on the Farm featured 10.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks, helping to steer Stanford into the College Football Playoff conversation. Expect big things from Thomas next season.
Malik McDowell, Michigan State (star): Michigan State moved McDowell to nose tackle and the results were palpable as many argue that McDowell might be the best at the position in all of college football. He had 13.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks for Sparty in 2015 and should be a stalwart on another strong Michigan State defense as a junior.
2015 – 4
Byron Cowart, Auburn (emerging): Cowart appeared in only eight games as freshman, tallying a mere 6.0 tackles. The freshman has a great upside and is expected to develop into a force for the Tigers’ front line of attack.
CeCe Jefferson, Florida (star): Jefferson had one of the best debut seasons of all the five-star prospects at defensive end, accruing 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks for the SEC East champion Florida. With Alex McCalister off to the NFL, Jefferson stands to see his playing time and defensive prowess increase as a sophomore on a stacked Gators defense.
Josh Sweat, Florida State (star): Sweat impressed in his first season in Tallahassee, earning Pro Football Focus’ highest grade for freshman edge defenders. The freshman had 41 tackles (5.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks) while emerging as a star in the making for the Seminoles.
Canton Kaumatule, Oregon (emerging): Canton Kaumatule is a long way from Canton, Ohio, appearing in limited action for Oregon as a freshman. In eight games, Kaumatule earned just two tackles. Look for him to improve as a sophomore with more opportunities with DeForest Buckner graduating.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
