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@uscdynasty on Instagram: "USC is HOFU🥱"
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Lamar Jackson was the most successful player in his 2015 recruiting class. he was ranked No. 398 overall and No. 58 in the state in the 2015 recruiting cycle
Im looking at some of these names like who?
The 2015 recruiting class in the Sunshine State was one of the most decorated in recent memory, featuring nine five-star recruits and eight others who ranked in the top 100 nationally.
So, how did the class — other than Jackson — turn out? Not great, to be honest.
We’ll dive into the hidden gems later but will start by taking a look at the top 10 players in the state according to the 247Sports Composite. Spoiler alert: Only four of the nine five-star recruits became NFL Draft picks.
The 6-foot-6, 335-pound offensive tackle and No. 2 national prospect was named the U.S. Army Player of the Year after leading Apopka to its second state championship in three years. Ivey, though, never developed into a superstar despite starting 44 games with the Florida Gators and earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2017 and 2018. He went undrafted and ended up in the Canadian Football League. He’s played in 33 games over the last two seasons with the Edmonton Elks.
2. Byron Cowart, edge, Seffner Armwood → Auburn → Maryland
ESPN and Rivals ranked Cowart the No. 1 player in the class. He appeared in 26 games in three seasons at Auburn without making a start or recording a sack. Cowart transferred to Maryland for the 2018 season and started 12 games, producing 37 tackles, including five TFLs. He was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. He started 14 games in 2020 for New England and has since played for the Colts, Chiefs, Texans, Dolphins and Bears. He signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Jets in the offseason.
3. Derwin James, S, Haines City → Florida State
James, ranked No. 5 nationally, earned first-team All-America honors in 2017 and spent only three seasons in Tallahassee before making the jump to the NFL, where he was drafted 17th overall in 2018 by the Chargers. He has made two All-Pro teams and four Pro Bowl squads, including last season when he had 93 tackles, 10 for loss and 5.5 sacks. James has two years left on a four-year, $76 million deal.
4. CeCe Jefferson, edge, Baker County → Florida
Tabbed the seventh-best recruit in the 2015 cycle, Jefferson was productive at Florida but never quite lived up to the hype, producing 124 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in his four seasons with the Gators. Jefferson went undrafted in 2019 and signed with the Tampa Vipers of the XFL in 2020. He hasn’t played since.
5. Kevin Toliver II, CB, Jacksonville Trinity → LSU
The No. 9-ranked recruit in the class started eight games as a freshman in Baton Rouge but never really took the next step. He started 18 games total in three seasons at LSU and then skipped his senior season to enter the draft. Toliver went undrafted, played two years with the Bears (two career starts) and then appeared in two games in 2020 with the Broncos before becoming a practice squad player with the Ravens and Colts. He ended up in the XFL with the Houston Roughnecks and San Antonio Brahmas. He’s been out of football for 14 months.
6. Calvin Ridley, WR, Coconut Creek Monarch → Alabama
The South Florida native lived up to the five-star hype in Tuscaloosa, earning Freshman All-America honors, making three All-SEC teams, winning two national championships and catching 224 passes for 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns in 44 games. He was the 26th pick in the 2018 draft by the Falcons and has 388 career catches for 5,375 yards and 40 touchdowns in 66 NFL starts. He signed a four-year, $92 million deal with the Titans in March 2024.
7. Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Plantation American Heritage → Florida State
The five-star from South Florida became a full-time starter as a sophomore in Tallahassee and earned first-team All-America honors when he led FSU with eight interceptions in 2016. He started all 13 games in 2017 and earned second-team All-ACC honors before entering the draft with a year of eligibility remaining. After running a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, McFadden went undrafted. He bounced around practice squads with the 49ers, Colts and Lions for two years before he caught on in the Canadian Football League in 2022 and has been a starter on two Grey Cup championship teams with the Toronto Argonauts.
8. Deon Cain, WR, Tampa Bay Tech → Clemson
Cain played quarterback in high school but was recruited as a receiver by Dabo Swinney. The five-star recruit helped lead Clemson to the 2017 national championship as a junior before he skipped his senior season and was selected by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. Cain appeared in 14 NFL games with the Colts and Steelers over the next three years. He has since enjoyed success in the United Football League with the Birmingham Stallions. He caught three touchdown passes in the 2023 championship game to earn MVP honors. He re-signed with the Stallions in February after spending the 2024 season on the Buffalo Bills practice squad.
9. George Campbell, WR, East Lake → Florida State → West Virginia
The five-star target spent four seasons in Tallahassee but barely made an impact, catching 13 passes for 206 yards and no touchdowns in 19 games. He transferred to West Virginia in 2019 and caught 19 passes for 469 yards and seven touchdowns before going undrafted and being signed by the New York Jets in 2020. He’s bounced around the CFL and UFL since but has not been on a pro roster since January 2024.
10. Jacques Patrick, RB, Timber Creek → Florida State
The talented four-star back and top-40 recruit had the misfortune of sharing the backfield in Tallahassee with Dalvin Cook and Cam Akers. In four seasons with the Seminoles, he totaled 1,790 yards and 17 touchdowns before going undrafted in 2019. Patrick has since bounced around with the Bengals, 49ers, Panthers, Ravens, Broncos, Titans and Jets but hasn’t made it off the practice squad. He was waived by the Jets in May 2024 and hasn’t been on a roster since.
Im looking at some of these names like who?
The 2015 recruiting class in the Sunshine State was one of the most decorated in recent memory, featuring nine five-star recruits and eight others who ranked in the top 100 nationally.
So, how did the class — other than Jackson — turn out? Not great, to be honest.
We’ll dive into the hidden gems later but will start by taking a look at the top 10 players in the state according to the 247Sports Composite. Spoiler alert: Only four of the nine five-star recruits became NFL Draft picks.
Top 10 recruits
1. Martez Ivey, OT, Apopka → FloridaThe 6-foot-6, 335-pound offensive tackle and No. 2 national prospect was named the U.S. Army Player of the Year after leading Apopka to its second state championship in three years. Ivey, though, never developed into a superstar despite starting 44 games with the Florida Gators and earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2017 and 2018. He went undrafted and ended up in the Canadian Football League. He’s played in 33 games over the last two seasons with the Edmonton Elks.
2. Byron Cowart, edge, Seffner Armwood → Auburn → Maryland
ESPN and Rivals ranked Cowart the No. 1 player in the class. He appeared in 26 games in three seasons at Auburn without making a start or recording a sack. Cowart transferred to Maryland for the 2018 season and started 12 games, producing 37 tackles, including five TFLs. He was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. He started 14 games in 2020 for New England and has since played for the Colts, Chiefs, Texans, Dolphins and Bears. He signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Jets in the offseason.
3. Derwin James, S, Haines City → Florida State
James, ranked No. 5 nationally, earned first-team All-America honors in 2017 and spent only three seasons in Tallahassee before making the jump to the NFL, where he was drafted 17th overall in 2018 by the Chargers. He has made two All-Pro teams and four Pro Bowl squads, including last season when he had 93 tackles, 10 for loss and 5.5 sacks. James has two years left on a four-year, $76 million deal.
4. CeCe Jefferson, edge, Baker County → Florida
Tabbed the seventh-best recruit in the 2015 cycle, Jefferson was productive at Florida but never quite lived up to the hype, producing 124 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in his four seasons with the Gators. Jefferson went undrafted in 2019 and signed with the Tampa Vipers of the XFL in 2020. He hasn’t played since.
5. Kevin Toliver II, CB, Jacksonville Trinity → LSU
The No. 9-ranked recruit in the class started eight games as a freshman in Baton Rouge but never really took the next step. He started 18 games total in three seasons at LSU and then skipped his senior season to enter the draft. Toliver went undrafted, played two years with the Bears (two career starts) and then appeared in two games in 2020 with the Broncos before becoming a practice squad player with the Ravens and Colts. He ended up in the XFL with the Houston Roughnecks and San Antonio Brahmas. He’s been out of football for 14 months.
6. Calvin Ridley, WR, Coconut Creek Monarch → Alabama
The South Florida native lived up to the five-star hype in Tuscaloosa, earning Freshman All-America honors, making three All-SEC teams, winning two national championships and catching 224 passes for 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns in 44 games. He was the 26th pick in the 2018 draft by the Falcons and has 388 career catches for 5,375 yards and 40 touchdowns in 66 NFL starts. He signed a four-year, $92 million deal with the Titans in March 2024.
7. Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Plantation American Heritage → Florida State
The five-star from South Florida became a full-time starter as a sophomore in Tallahassee and earned first-team All-America honors when he led FSU with eight interceptions in 2016. He started all 13 games in 2017 and earned second-team All-ACC honors before entering the draft with a year of eligibility remaining. After running a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, McFadden went undrafted. He bounced around practice squads with the 49ers, Colts and Lions for two years before he caught on in the Canadian Football League in 2022 and has been a starter on two Grey Cup championship teams with the Toronto Argonauts.
8. Deon Cain, WR, Tampa Bay Tech → Clemson
Cain played quarterback in high school but was recruited as a receiver by Dabo Swinney. The five-star recruit helped lead Clemson to the 2017 national championship as a junior before he skipped his senior season and was selected by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. Cain appeared in 14 NFL games with the Colts and Steelers over the next three years. He has since enjoyed success in the United Football League with the Birmingham Stallions. He caught three touchdown passes in the 2023 championship game to earn MVP honors. He re-signed with the Stallions in February after spending the 2024 season on the Buffalo Bills practice squad.
9. George Campbell, WR, East Lake → Florida State → West Virginia
The five-star target spent four seasons in Tallahassee but barely made an impact, catching 13 passes for 206 yards and no touchdowns in 19 games. He transferred to West Virginia in 2019 and caught 19 passes for 469 yards and seven touchdowns before going undrafted and being signed by the New York Jets in 2020. He’s bounced around the CFL and UFL since but has not been on a pro roster since January 2024.
10. Jacques Patrick, RB, Timber Creek → Florida State
The talented four-star back and top-40 recruit had the misfortune of sharing the backfield in Tallahassee with Dalvin Cook and Cam Akers. In four seasons with the Seminoles, he totaled 1,790 yards and 17 touchdowns before going undrafted in 2019. Patrick has since bounced around with the Bengals, 49ers, Panthers, Ravens, Broncos, Titans and Jets but hasn’t made it off the practice squad. He was waived by the Jets in May 2024 and hasn’t been on a roster since.
