When the 2016 Heisman finalists were young(er)

It wasn’t so long ago that the five 2016 Heisman finalists were tearing it up in high school.

But Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Jabrill Peppers, Deshaun Watson and Dede Westbrook made it to New York this week by very different routes. Mayfield and Westbrook might be among the least-recruited high school players ever to become Heisman finalists, while Jackson was overlooked because not too many schools envisioned him at quarterback. Meanwhile, Peppers and Watson were among the elite recruits in the nation and highly coveted by almost every major school.

Lamar Jackson

Jackson was a highly sought after prospect from Boynton Beach (Fla.) High, but not many schools were set on letting him play quarterback in college. As a result, he was only rated a 3-star by most recruiting services and rarely showed up in national player rankings. He finished his 2014 senior season with 1,293 passing yards and 20 touchdowns and 1,039 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Because of his outstanding athletic ability, he was named to the Florida Class 6A all-state first team as a utility player. Jackson eventually committed to Louisville in August of 2014, picking the Cardinals over Florida, Florida State, Auburn, South Carolina, Ohio State, Nebraska, West Virginia, Georgia and UCF.

Here’s a collection of his highlights at Boynton Beach:

Here’s a breakdown of how the internet recuiting services regarded Jackson in high school:

Recruiting Service	Rating	Position Rank	Overall Rank	Eval Quote
ESPN	3 star	17	NR	N/A
Rivals	4 star	17th (DT QB)	NR	N/A
Scout	3 star	30th	NR	“Jackson has very good size, speed and quickness. He’s a legit runner and brilliant running the zone read. He has home run speed and is tough to handle in space because of his short area quickness.”
247	3 star	13 (DT QB)	401	“Jackson is one of he nation’s elite dual-threats. He throws a better ball than most realize and explosive on the zone read. He has elite quickness and live arm.”

(DT=Dual Threat)

Baker Mayfield

Mayfield wasn’t a highly-recruited quarterback coming out of Austin’s Lake Travis High despite leading his team to a 25-2 record during his two seasons as the starting quarterback. He completed 182 of 288 passes for 2,467 yards with 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions as a senior and was named the 15-5A District MVP. As a junior, he helped lead Lake Travis to an undefeated 16-0 season on the way to a 4A State Championship. He passed for 3,788 yards that first season as a starting quarterback with 45 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. Mayfield had offers from Rice, New Mexico and Rice, but chose to walk-on at Texas Tech, where he started his first game as a true freshman, before moving on to Oklahoma.

Here are highlights of Mayfield at Lake Travis:

Here’s a breakdown of how the recuiting services regarded Mayfield in high school:

Recruiting Service	Rating	Position Rank	Overall Rank	Eval Quote
ESPN	3 star	69th	NR	“Mayfield possesses just adequate height, but with a sturdy frame. He is a fairly efficient passer and is at his best when on time and anticipating the throw.”
Rivals	3 star	NR	NR	N/A
Scout	3 star	39th	NR	“He has a good, but not great, arm, but it’s his sense of timing, his spiral and his accuracy that stands out. He made several deep out-type throws on the sideline, and put the ball where it needed to be with the requisite velocity.”
247	3 star	989	40	N/A

Jabrill Peppers

Peppers was all-everything at Paramus High in East Orange, NJ. Playing a variety of positions, he totaled 134 tackles, seven interceptions, 5.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks on defense and carried the ball 373 times for 3,059 yards and 43 touchdowns during his career. He also hauled in 57 receptions for 842 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a result, he was named the 2013 All-USA Defensive Player of the Year by USA TODAY as a senior. He was also a star in track and field. A stellar all-around athlete who projected as a cornerback, he had his pick of literally any school in the country and committed to Michigan in May of 2013.

Here’s Peppers in high school:

Here’s a breakdown of how the recuiting services regarded Peppers in high school:

Recruiting Service	Rating	Position Rank	Overall Rank	Eval Quote
ESPN	5 star	1st	NR	“Whether deployed as an offensive or defensive skill position or as a returner, Peppers is a playmaker with explosive speed, smooth movements and excellent athleticism. He’s very confident in his skills and he should be. This young man is a game changer and could project at a few different positions at the next level but DB, likely corner, might be the spot.”
Rivals	5 star	1st	3rd	“Peppers’ incredible natural athleticism combined with his big frame and tireless work ethic has helped him become a true lockdown cornerback.”
Scout	5 star	1st	3rd	“He has size, speed, loose hips, is a tough competitor and can be a standout at receiver, running back, safety and cornerback. He is the total package.”
247	5 star	1st	3rd	“Peppers is a rare athlete with potential to be great at the next level. He is one of the most talented players I have ever seen at the high school level. At 6-foot-1, and 205-pounds, Peppers has college ready size to go with un-matched speed and explosiveness.”

Deshaun Watson

Watson was a huge get for Clemson and head coach Dabo Sweeney. He committed to the Tigers in Febuary of 2012, while still a sophomore at Gainesville (Ga.) High. He was a four-year starter who set state career records for total offense (17,134) and total touchdowns (218). He was the Gatorade Player-of-the-Year in Georgia as a senior after throwing for 4,431 passing yards and 57 touchdowns against only five interceptions along with 1,057 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. After the early commitment to Clemson, Watson was still highly-recruited by other schools and he flirted with Auburn before sticking with the ACC Tigers.

Here’s a breakdown of how the recuiting services regarded Watson in high school:

Recruiting Service	Rating	Position Rank	Overall Rank	Eval Quote
ESPN	4 star	1st (DTQB)	16th	“Possesses the skill-set and measurables to flourish and stand out at the BCS level. He could end up being one of the best this class has to offer both as a passer and runner.”
Rivals	5 star	1st (DTQB)	31st	“Watson is an elite athlete and a solid passer with consistent accuracy, but there is always that risk factor with any quarterback that is based on coaching and scheme at the next level. Clemson appears to be a great fit, but he has a slender build and is best served on short and intermediate routes with some mechanics to adjust. Can he be successful throwing downfield at the college level when needed?”
Scout	4 star	3rd (QB)	84th	“The epitome of a field general, Watson is one of the few quarterbacks on either the college or the high school level who calls and adjusts plays at the line of scrimmage. Doesn’t possess a huge arm, but has more than enough arm with a quick release and good accuracy. Can run if pressed, but definitely a pass first quarterback.”
247	4 star	2nd (DTQB)	81st	N/A

(DTQB = Dual Threat Quarterback)

Dede Westbrook

Westbrook was not on the radars of most of the elite schools as a senior at Yoe High in Cameron, Texas, mainly because of a serious abdominal injury that cut his season short. While he originally committed to Texas State, he ended up at Blinn Junior College (the same school where Cam Newton played) and led the JC ranks in receiving with 1,487 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in only eight games to earn NJCAA First-Team All-America honors as a sophomore. A 3-star recruit, he then chose Oklahoma over Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech and Arizona State, among others.

Here’s a breakdown of how the recuiting services regarded Westbrook in high school:

Recruiting Service	Rating	Position Rank	Overall Rank	Eval Quote
ESPN	3 star	97th	NR	“This prospect is a smart route runner; has the immediate speed to threaten defenders when releasing off the line. Westbrook does not appear to be an immediate starter at the BCS level of play.”
Rivals	3 star	NR	NR	N/A
Scout	3 star	124th	NR	“Westbrook is very athletic, has tremendous leaping ability, and makes the tough catches at times look very easy. His senior season was cut short due to a horrific injury, but the talent is there for him to be a difference maker in college. “
247	3 star	170	1170	N/A