As much as recruiting rankings have improved over the last decade—and yes, they have improved dramatically—analysts still miss players frequently. Some five-star recruits pan out (look at Caleb Williams. the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft); others flame out at the collegiate level.
Jared Verse was one of the missies but on the other end of the spectrum. A zero-star recruit in high school with only one FCS offer, Verse worked his way from playing both sides of the ball at Central Columbia High School (Bloomsburg, Pa.) to Albany to Peer Five Florida State to, eventually, the NFL draft.
On Thursday night, he was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the firs round as pick No. 19. He has come a long way since hi 247Sports recruiting page looked like this:
According to his Florida State bio, Verse was a three-time All-Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference (PHAC) athlete honoree in high school. As a senior, he recorded 14 tackles and three forced fumbles playing on the defensive line, while grabbing 15 receptions for 385 yards as a tight end on offensive side of the ball.
Verse was a three-sport athlete, playing basketball and running track for Central Columbia as well. According to his bio, he won a state championship in 4×400 relay.
With that versatile skill set, he went on to star at Albany, appearing in 25 games over two seasons and recording 74 tackles, including 21.5 for loss, plus 13.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup, according to his Albany and FSU bios. He led the Colonial Athletic Association in tackles for loss and tied for second in sacks.
At Florida State, Verse recorded 89 tackles, 29.5 for loss, and 18 sacks over two seasons. The 6-foot-4, 254-pound lineman found a hime—and the ultimate recognition after entering his collegiate career with so little.
He wasn’t the only low-ranked former high school recruit taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, either. New Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, drafted at the 22nd spot, was ranked as the No. 1,830 player in the class of 2020. The Green Bay Packers’ No. 25 pick, Jordan Morgan, was ranked as the 1,581st best player in the class of 2019. Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the penultimate pick in the first round, was ranked No. 1,250 in high school.