Five-star recruits enter college football with sky-high expectations, often hailed as future game-changers before ever stepping on campus. However, not all of them live up to the hype. Despite their potential, some highly-rated prospects struggle to make an impact or fail to meet the loft standards set for them. Whether due to injury, lack of development or simply underperforming, these once-promising players sometimes fall short, leaving fans and programs disappointed.
Each college football recruiting cycle has 32 five-star prospects — mirroring the 32 first-round picks in the NFL Draft. Not every five-star is going to hit, because evaluating football players is not easy, even for the top decision makers in the NFL. As a result, some of these highly-touted recruits struggle to find their footing right away. Sometimes the development process takes longer and their impact is not always immediate.
So, which recent five-star prospects from the previous two recruiting classes fall in the category of most disappointing up to this point in their college career?
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Below is a look at college football’s most disappointing five-star freshmen from the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes:
Malachi Nelson, QB, USC (2023) — Transferred to Boise State
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 99 | No. 5 QB | No. 13 overall
Malachi Nelson was supposed to be next in line for the Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterbacks under Lincoln Riley. However, that journey was short-lived after the former USC five-star freshman left the program after just one season before ending up at Boise State. Even there Nelson was unable to win the starting job and is currently the backup to Maddux Madsen as the Broncos make a push for the College Football Playoff. Nelson has appeared in just three games so far in his young career, completing 11 of 18 passes for 133 yards and an interception.
Micah Hudson, WR, Texas Tech (2024)
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 98 | No. 5 WR | No. 25 overall
Texas Tech wide receiver Micah Hudson earned a spot on the 247Sports Preseason True Freshman All-American Team, but he has been a limited contributor so far in 2024. The five-star true freshman recorded just eight catches for 123 yards, with 13 targets ranking seventh among all Red Raiders. Given that Texas Tech boasts one of the top passing offenses in the Big 12, expectations were high for Hudson to make an immediate impact upon his arrival in Lubbock. Unfortunately, that has not materialized through eight games.
Dante Moore, QB, UCLA (2023) — Transferred to Oregon
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 100 | No. 3 QB | No. 4 overall
Dante Moore was clearly not prepared to be an immediate starter as a true freshman at UCLA in 2023. The five-star recruit may have been rushed into action, resulting in a challenging debut where he completed just 53.5% of his passes for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. After losing some confidence, Moore needed a mental reset, which he hopes to achieve after transferring to Oregon, where he serves as a backup to Heisman Trophy candidate Dillon Gabriel. The high ceiling is still there for Moore, but the path is certainly unexpected.
Jackson Arnold, QB, Oklahoma (2023)
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 99 | No. 4 QB | No. 10 overall
Oklahoma tried to put the blame for its offensive woes on first-year starting quarterback Jackson Arnold earlier this season. Brent Venables benched the former five-star prospect before halftime in a loss to Tennessee, but after three weeks of continued struggles, the Sooners went back to Arnold as the starter. There was a lot of hype surrounding the debut season for Arnold, but a laundry list of injuries at receiver and a struggling offensive line hampered his performance. Oklahoma even fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell in hopes of finding some sort of spark. In 13 appearances since the start of last season, Arnold has completed 60.9% of his passes for 1,508 yards and 14 touchdowns with six interceptions.
Cormani McClain, CB, Colorado (2023) — Transferred to Florida
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 98 | No. 1 CB | No. 14 overall
Cormani McClain had a shaky start to his college career at Colorado, appearing in nine games with four starts while Deion Sanders questioned his desire to play football. The No. 1 ranked cornerback from the 2023 recruiting class was on the move after just one season in Boulder. McClain ultimately ended up at Florida as a walk-on. Rumors swirled in July that he was kicked off the Gators team, but head coach Billy Napier later said the situation was “blown out of proportion.” McClain recently made his debut for Florida with a pick-six against Kentucky.
Lance Heard, OT, LSU (2023) — Transferred to Tennessee
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 98 | No. 3 OT | No. 16 overall
Lance Heard ranked as one of the top offensive tackles coming out of high school in the 2023 class and projected to be a major contributor for LSU. Although he earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team, he primarily played as a reserve or special teams on field goal and extra point units. The 6-foot-6, 340-pound lineman transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2024 season, with expectations of bolstering an offensive front in need of reinforcement. However, Heard ranks 13th among SEC linemen in highest pressure rate allowed (5.0%) in five games played this season, per TruMedia.
Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn (2024)
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 99 | No. 5 WR | No. 2 overall
Cam Coleman stood alongside Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams as true freshman wide receivers poised to make an immediate impact this season. While Ohio State and Alabama benefit from their star playmakers, Auburn has yet to see the same level of production from Coleman. The Tigers’ struggles at quarterback may be a significant factor, but there were hopes that the elite talent of Coleman would help elevate the passing game. He is the third-leading receiving for Auburn with 14 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns in six games played.
Amaris Williams, Edge, Auburn (2024)
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 98 | No. 5 Edge | No. 30 overall
Amaris Williams received plenty of praise in the offseason as a rising defensive star expected to make an impact for Auburn as a true freshman. However, he ranks sixth in total snaps among the Tigers’ edge rushers, logging just 85 plays. In six games, the 6-foot-2, 270-pound former five-star has recorded only four tackles and no sacks. The Auburn defensive line projected to be a strength in 2024, but Williams’ lack of contribution has been somewhat disappointing.
Keon Keeley, Edge, Alabama (2023)
247Sports ranking: 5-star | 100 | No. 1 Edge | No. 3 overall
A year and a half into the journey for Keon Keeley at Alabama and the former five-star edge rusher has appeared in just one game, playing a total of only three snaps. Position changes from defensive end to outside linebacker and now to the “Bandit” position off the edge has complicated the development of Keeley, who gained 35 points in the offseason. Alabama defensive line coach Freddie Roach touched on that behind-the-scenes process back in September.
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