Story byJon Santucci, USA TODAY NETWORK - FloridaTue, January 13, 2026 at 2:42 PM UTC·3 min readNot every standout college football player was considered a can’t miss recruit out of high school. It seems like for every five- or four-star recruit, there’s a relatively no-name player who grows into a star. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJust look at the two starting quarterbacks in the College Football Playoff Championship Game. Miami’s Carson Beck was a four-star recruit and the No. 9 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class; Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza was the No.
