The 2023 recruiting cycle has produced its fair share of college football stars.<\/p>\n
Arch Manning. Dante Moore. Rueben Bain.<\/p>\n
But in an era when an extra year of college eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic loaded rosters with sixth-, seventh- and eighth-year players, analyzing how the careers of top high school recruits panned out can be tricky.<\/p>\n
Some still yet to shine could end up being late-bloomers because of that. But here\u2019s what else you need to know: Some players still do go three-and-out in college.<\/p>\n
In Dane Brugler\u2019s latest mock draft following the NFL Scouting Combine<\/a>, 20 of the 32 projected first-round picks are members of the 2023 recruiting class, including 14 players who were ranked in the top 100 of the 247Sports Composite<\/a>. Last year, 21 first-round selections were members of the 2022 high school recruiting class and 35 total were drafted.<\/p>\n There are 36 players from the 2023 recruiting cycle who entered their names into April\u2019s draft, and Brugler has 25 being taken among the first 60 picks. That doesn\u2019t mean there haven\u2019t been some misses among the top-100 high school recruits in the 2023 cycle. Eighteen have yet to start a college game and three are at their fourth stop in four years.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll get to them in a bit. Let\u2019s start with the hits.<\/p>\n Off to the pros<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at Brugler\u2019s projected early-round draft picks from the 2023 cycle with their 247Sports Composite ranking and where Brugler has them being taken.<\/p>\n First-rounders:<\/p>\n No. 2 Arvell Reese (four-star, No. 212) Second-rounders:<\/p>\n No. 33 C.J. Allen (four-star, No. 70) Brugler doesn\u2019t have former Georgia receiver Zachariah Branch, Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad and Longhorns linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. \u2014 all ranked in the top 50 in high school \u2014 getting drafted in the first or second round. But all three attended the NFL combine and are almost certain to be selected.<\/p>\n College stars<\/p>\n As for the remaining top-100 recruits from the 2023 cycle not off to the pros, 36 are coming off a season in which they started at least six games and are expected to play leading roles next fall.<\/p>\n The frontline stars of the class: Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore are among the favorites to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy. Manning, the No. 1 recruit in the cycle, is second (+800) in the preseason Heisman odds, according to BetMGM. Moore, a former five-star recruit from Detroit who began his career at UCLA, is third in the preseason odds (+1100) for college football\u2019s highest individual honor.<\/p>\n In all, there are 30 top-100 recruits from the 2023 cycle with a dozen career starts or more in college returning in 2026. Here\u2019s a look at some of the other standouts:<\/p>\n Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins (five-star, No. 13): The Raleigh, Miss., native earned third-team All-SEC honors in 2024 when he produced 10.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He has 18.5 career sacks, 32 tackles for loss and 25 starts for the Rebels.<\/p>\n Florida State receiver Duce Robinson (five-star, No. 15): The USC signee transferred to Tallahassee in 2025 and earned first-team All-ACC honors with 56 catches for 1,081 yards and seven touchdowns.<\/p>\n Kentucky left tackle Lance Heard (five-star, No. 16): The 6-6, 330-pound Bonita, La., native was third-team All-SEC in 2025 at Tennessee. He made 23 starts in his time in Knoxville after signing with LSU out of high school and being named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2023.<\/p>\n Miami edge rusher Damon Wilson II (five-star, No. 17): The Venice, Fla., native earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2025 at Missouri when he produced nine sacks and 54 quarterback pressures. Wilson appeared in 22 games over his first two seasons at Georgia and recorded 22 tackles and three sacks in a rotational role. He\u2019s in a legal dispute with<\/a> Georgia stemming from his departure for Missouri.<\/p>\n
\nNo. 3 Francis Mauigoa (five-star, No. 9)
\nNo. 4 Jeremiyah Love (four-star, No. 79)
\nNo. 6 Spencer Fano (four-star, No. 96)
\nNo. 8 Carnell Tate (four-star, No. 58)
\nNo. 9 Rueben Bain (four-star, No. 62)
\nNo. 10 Caleb Downs (five-star, No. 7)
\nNo. 11 Monroe Freeling (four-star, No. 35)
\nNo. 13 Avieon Terrell (four-star, No. 239)
\nNo. 15 Kenyon Sadiq (four-star, No. 116)
\nNo. 16 Makai Lemon (four-star, No. 42)
\nNo. 17 Kadyn Proctor (five-star, No. 10)
\nNo. 18 Dillon Thieneman (three-star, No. 990)
\nNo. 20 Keldric Faulk (four-star, No. 77)
\nNo. 22 Jermod McCoy (three-star, No. 1,481)
\nNo. 25 Peter Woods (four-star, No. 36)
\nNo. 27 Caleb Lomu (four-star, No. 119)
\nNo. 29 KC Concepcion (three-star, No. 568)
\nNo. 31 T.J. Parker (four-star, No. 51)
\nNo. 32 Brandon Cisse (three-star, No. 506)<\/p>\n
\nNo. 36 Colton Hood (four-star, No. 374)
\nNo. 38 Kayden McDonald (four-star, No. 261)
\nNo. 55 Chase Bisontis (four-star, No. 46)
\nNo. 56 Keith Abney (three-star, No. 1,260)<\/p>\n