Former five-star prospects shine in Super Bowl LVI

Super Bowl LVI saw two teams loaded with former blue-chip recruits face off for the Lombardi Trophy. Over half of the starters for the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals were either a four-star or five-star prospect coming out of high school.

We saw the former blue-chip prospects star on the sports biggest stage on Sunday night in Los Angeles. The Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Bengals featured five touchdowns by former five-stars. Every touchdown in Super Bowl LVI was either thrown or caught by a former five-star prospect.

Wild recruiting stories for Super Bowl LVI stars | How Los Angeles Rams starters ranked as recruits | How Cincinnati Bengals starters ranked as recruits | Remembering Matthew Stafford as a generational QB recruit

In past years we’ve seen out-of-context stats circulate that point towards the number of lowly-rated former prospects playing in a Super Bowl. If this year’s Super Bowl and recent NFL Drafts are any indication, those misleading stats may be a thing of the past.

Let’s take a look at some of the former five-stars who made big impacts in Super Bowl LVI.

Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (Georgia)

Matthew Stafford engineered one of the biggest drives in Super Bowl history. The former No. 1 pick and Georgia star led the Rams on a 15-play, 79-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. Unable to run the ball with any effectiveness, the Rams leaned heavily on Stafford in crunch time. Stafford completed seven passes on the final drive with two more drawing penalties. Stafford showed off his elite arm talent on several big throws. The drive ended when Stafford hit Cooper Kupp on a pretty back-shoulder fade for a two-yard touchdown in what was the game’s deciding score.

Stafford finished the game 26 of 40 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Matthew Stafford a recruit: Stafford was the top-ranked quarterback in the 2006 recruiting cycle coming out of Highland Park High School in Dallas. As a senior, he lead the Scot to an undefeated season and state championship. Stafford completed 209 of 322 passes (64.9%) for 4,108 yards and 38 touchdowns while rushing for 212 yards and eight more scores. His 12.8 yards per attempt is as good as you’d see from a top quarterback prospect at the time.

Here's field level video of Matthew Stafford in the state semi-final as a senior. You can see the arm slots, palpable velocity, ability to fit the ball into small windows. The last play is a great throw in a huge moment that ended up being the winning TD https://t.co/EW7sE6ENpB https://t.co/PU60ooJHP0 pic.twitter.com/RWnnWWSCWd

— Charles Power (@CharlesPower) February 11, 2022

The five-star prospect is one of the top arm talents to come through the high school ranks over the last twenty years. Stafford’s combination of velocity, accuracy and the ability to deliver from multiple arm angles set him apart.

Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins (Clemson)

Had the Bengals held on to win, we might be looking at Tee Higgins as the Super Bowl MVP. Higgins finished with 100 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions. He caught the Bengals’ first touchdown on a short half-back pass from Joe Mixon. Higgins’ biggest and most controversial play of the game came on the first play in the second half. The former Clemson standout scored on a 75-yard play-action pass from Joe Burrow after grabbing the facemask of Rams’ star cornerback Jalen Ramsey (also a former five-star).

Tee Higgins as a recruit: Higgins ranked as the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 2 wide receiver in the 2017 cycle according to the On3 Consensus. He was a two-sport star at Oak Ridge High in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Higgins used his stature at 6-foot-3.5 and 34-inch arms to present a considerable red zone threat. He accounted for 1,044 receiving yars and 18 touchdowns as as senior after catching 16 touchdowns as a junior. Higgins was also a star on the hardwood, garnering high-major offers as a basketball prospect.

Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon (Oklahoma)

Joe Mixon had a productive day running the ball, all things considered. The Oklahoma product rushed 15 times for 72 yards despite the Bengals’ offensive line being overmatched. Mixon also threw the Bengals’ first touchdown to Tee Higgins on the aforementioned half-back pass.

Joe Mixon as a recruit: Mixon ranked as the No. 27 overall prospect, No. 5 running back and No. 3 recruit from the state of California in the On3 Consensus for the 2014 cycle. The 6-foot-1, 209-pounder was a two-sport standout at Freedom High School in Oakley, California. As a senior, Mixon rushed for 1,704 yards and 23 touchdowns, which catching three more scores. In track, he had a personal best of 10.69 seconds in the 100 meters. Mixon was also a standout in the 7-on-7 setting. He is still the best pass-catching running back I’ve seen at the high school level. The five-star was better than the majority of the receivers at The Opening Finals in the summer of 2013.

Other Super Bowl five-stars

+ Cam Akers (Florida State) fought his way back from a torn achilles to play in the playoffs, which is an achievement in itself. The Rams struggled to run the ball against the Bengals and Akers finished with 21 yards on 13 attempts. Akers ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus for the 2017 cycle. He was a legendary high school star at Clinton High School in Clinton, Mississippi. Akers led Clinton to a state title as a senior, while playing quarterback. Akers accounted for over 5,200 yards and 65 touchdowns in his final high school season. He also tested as one of the top athletes in the cycle, running a 4.41 second 40-yard dash, a 4.09 shuttle and jumping 40.6 inches in the vertical at the Opening Finals.

+ Both starting left tackles were five-star prospects. Andrew Whitworth (LSU) was a five-star prospect out of West Monroe High School in Louisiana in the 2001 cycle. Whitworth played in the inaugural Army All-American Bowl. He helped West Monroe to two state titles and also was a top tennis player. The 40-year old Whitworth was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year earlier in the week and is likely to retire. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro. Jonah Williams (Alabama) ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect and No. 1 prospect in the state of California in the 2016 cycle. Williams was a strong athlete coming out of powerhouse Folsom High School in the Sacramento area. He ran a 5.14 second 40-yard dash with a 4.66 second shuttle.

+ Jalen Ramsey (Florida State) has long been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Though Ramsey didn’t have his best game and was on the receiving end of a controversial no-call, he still made several plays for the Rams defense. Ramsey was a top athlete coming out of Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee in the 2013 cycle. He ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect in the 2013 cycle according to the On3 Consensus. Ramsey had one of the better track profiles you’ll see from a high school prospect. He had a 10.7 second mark in the 100 meters, a 21.74 second personal best in the 200 meters and set the state record in the long jump with a leap over 25 feet. Ramsey starred as a defensive back and receiver at Brentwood Academy.

+ Vonn Bell (Ohio State) was a key free agent acquisition at safety for the Bengals. Bell ranked as the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2013 cycle according to the On3 Consensus. The Chattanooga, Tennessee native played his final two years of high school football at Ridgeland High School in Rossville, Georgia. Bell had a big senior year with 146 tackles and three interceptions while helping his team to a 13-2 record.

+Though they weren’t five-stars in the On3 Consensus Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase (LSU) and Rams defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson (Alabama) both ranked as five-stars by at least one major media company. Chase finished his prolific rookie season with five catches for 89 yards in the Super Bowl. Robinson made numerous key plays as a run defender.