Top ranked recruits get the majority of the headlines, and rightfully so. 4⭐ and 5⭐ recruits make it to the NFL at a high rate, relatively. However, they aren’t the only ones. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Guys like All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack were 2⭐ recruits in college and turned out pretty okay. Here is a list of 2020 2⭐ recruits who have a ton of upside and could be the hidden gems of the class.
DB Javar Strong – Arkansas State
Strong has excellent size at 6’3″ 180 lbs. He had offers from Nebraska, Memphis, and Western Kentucky to go along with Arkansas State. Rankings had Strong as the 210th best Safety in the 2020 class. While he obviously needs some development, I like his ball hawking abilities and size to defend bigger receivers. He moves well for his size and should be helpful against the run as well.
CB Christian Miller – Gardner Webb
Miller was rated as the 250th best CB in the nation. He had offers from ECU, FIU, Colorado State, Indiana, Liberty, Toledo, USF & Western Kentucky. The Runnin’ Bulldogs get a very motivated and hard working young man at CB. Miller was overlooked because of his size (5’9″), but his potential is through the roof. Miller runs a 4.6/4.7 40. So he has good quickness for the FCS level. Expect him to turn into a quality starter for Gardner Webb.
RB Kaelon Black – JMU
JMU has established themselves as one of the top tier teams in the FCS. Landing a big time talent like Black from the 757 (Virginia) will certainly be beneficial for the Dukes. Black had committable offers from ODU, ECU, Howard, and William & Mary. Kaelon has a good combination of size and speed. He should turn into a starter for the Dukes in a year or two.
OT Gage Bassham – Liberty
Bassham is 6’4″ 322 lbs and could play any position across the O-Line for the Flames. He has good size, but could use a redshirt season to bulk up and get stronger. If he does, don’t be surprised to see him starting in 2021. Bassham had other offers from Old Dominion and East Tennessee State. Only three schools offered this young man, which is very surprising. Gage has a great work ethic and could be a mauler in run blocking.
A diamond in the rough 💎 pic.twitter.com/ewUXRabjMf
— Demick Starling (@dstarling16) February 1, 2020
WR Demick Starling – Virginia
Wahoo head coach Bronco Mendenhall has consistently found hidden gems since his arrival in Charlottesville. As you can see in the highlights, he is a versatile player who can also return kicks and help out on special teams. Mendenhall found Bryce Hall and Charles Snowden, two under the radar players just like Starling. So he has a good eye of finding hidden talent.
OG Max Kalny – Stanford
Kalny was ranked as the 191st best OG in the 2020 class. He could play OT at the next level as well as OG. He’s 6’5″ 290 lbs and excels at both run and pass blocking. He had offers from Air Force, Cornell, Indiana State, Illinois State, and Southwest Minnesota State. Stanford does a good job developing Offensive Linemen, and Kalny definitely needs more development. However, for a 2⭐, I see a lot of potential here.
LB Nahji Logan – UMass
UMass got a huge steal with Logan. He’s 6’3″ 220 lbs and has good quickness to cover the field to track down receivers/running backs. He’s quick like a DB, but can make tackles and get into the backfield like a Linebacker. Logan had other FBS offers from Temple, Akron, and Bowling Green. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Logan on the field this season for the Minutemen.
