When they were young(er)
It wasn’t so long ago that the three 2015 Heisman finalists were tearing it up in high school.
Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and Deshaun Watson were all highly-sought-after prep recruits who could’ve gone to practically any school they wanted.
Henry starred at Yulee (Fla) High and was recruited by dozens of schools. His choices came down to Georgia and Alabama, with the Crimson Tide winning out in the end. He broke Ken Hall’s 51-year-old national high school career rushing record with 12,124 yards after rushing for 4,261 yards as a senior in 2012. He had a state-record 510-yards in one game. Overall, he averaged 9.2 yards per carry and 327.8 yards per game as a senior.
Here’s a collection of his highlights at Yulee:
Here’s a breakdown of how the recuiting services regarded Henry:
| Recruiting Service | Rating | Position Rank | Overall Rank | Eval Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 5 star | 1st (ATH) | 9th | “No doubt this is a big, strong, fast and athletic prospect — but what position Henry plays in college is up for debate. Could develop at H-Back, TE or on defense anywhere in the front-seven.” |
| Rivals | 4 star | 5th (RB) | 36th | “Henry is a massive running back and he can struggle inside, but if the edge is sealed and he gets around it, he builds up quite a bit of steam and is hard to bring down.” |
| Scout | 5 star | 4th (RB) | 19th | “Henry is an elite athlete who is bigger than most running backs in today’s game. He is very productive, he pulls away from defenders, and he runs with good vision.” |
| 247 | 5 star | 1st (ATH) | 12th | N/A |
(ATH = Athlete)
McCaffrey was considered the top player in the state of Colorado while playing at Valor Christian High in Highlands Ranch, Colo. He was versatile even then, playing running back, wide receiver, defensive back and punter. He led his team to four state titles on his way to becoming Colorado’s record holder for career points (848), career touchdowns (141), career all-purpose yards (8.845) and single-season all-purpose yards (3,032). He chose Stanford over 21 other scholarship offers, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon and UCLA.
Here are highlights of McCaffrey at Valor Christian:
Here’s a breakdown of how the recuiting services regarded McCaffrey:
| Recruiting Service | Rating | Position Rank | Overall Rank | Eval Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 4 star | 26th (RB) | 218th | “He will likely get recruited as an athlete with his good blend of size, speed and ball skills as well as his impressive football savvy. A good prospect with bloodlines who should add immediate versatility to a college roster.” |
| Rivals | 4 star | 3rd (APB) | 77th | “His quickness and acceleration make him hard to handle in space and his hands only make him that much harder for defenses to cover.” |
| Scout | 4 star | 13th (RB) | 81st | “He has a college body, a great burst through the line and the top end speed to hit the home run from anywhere on the field. He combines great balance and vision and can make cuts while maintaining high end speed. He shows great hands out of the backfield as well.” |
| 247 | 4 star | 2nd (APB) | 70th | N/A |
(APB = All-Purpose Back)
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:
| 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)
