Have you ever wondered where some of high school football’s top recruits from years past are today? Let’s take a dive into the quarterback position and look at where each of the top recruits at the position from 2000-10 ended up. (High school names in parentheses; rankings courtesy of the 247Sports Composite.)
2000 – Brock Berlin (Evangel Christian Academy, LA)
Berlin was considered the nation’s No. 2 overall player and the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the 2000 class. The five-star went on to play collegiately for two seasons apiece at Florida and Miami from 2000-04, and he last appeared in an NFL game in 2008 with the St. Louis Rams.
2001 – Brodie Croyle (Westbrook Christian, AL)
Like Berlin, Croyle was considered the nation’s No. 2 overall player in his class, as well as the top pro-style quarterback. The five-star went on to spend four seasons at Alabama from 2002-05 before being selected with the No. 85 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He played there for five seasons, with the last coming in 2010.
2002 – Vince Young (Madison, TX)
The No. 1 overall player in the 2002 class, Young was one of the highest-rated players in modern recruiting history prior to playing collegiately for the Texas Longhorns. After a memorable career at Texas, Young was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. He last played in an NFL game in 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
2003 – Kyle Wright (Monte Vista, CA)
High school football’s top quarterback in the 2003 class was Wright, a five-star who was rated as the nation’s No. 3 overall player. Wright went on to play collegiately at Miami from 2004-07, but he never appeared in an NFL game.
2004 – Rhett Bomar (Grand Prairie, TX)
The nation’s No. 4 overall player in the 2004 class, Bomar went on to play collegiately at Oklahoma and Sam Houston State. A fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, Bomar never appeared in an NFL game.
2005 – Mark Sanchez (Agape Academy, CA)
Likely one of the best-known names on this list of top high school quarterback recruits from 2000-10, Sanchez was considered the No. 3 overall player in the 2005 class. Sanchez went on to play collegiately at USC prior to being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, where he played four seasons and last appeared in an NFL game in 2018.
2006 – Matthew Stafford (Highland Park, TX)
Another well-known name here is Stafford, the nation’s No. 6 overall player in the 2006 class. After a memorable collegiate career at Georgia, Stafford was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He is still playing in the NFL, now with the Los Angeles Rams, in his 14th professional season.
2007 – Jimmy Clausen (Oaks Christian, CA)
The nation’s No. 2 overall player in the 2007 class, Clausen went on to play at Notre Dame for three seasons from 2007-09 before being selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Clausen saw time in the NFL from 2010-15, last appearing in a game in 2015.
2008 – Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette, PA)
Prior to playing collegiately at Ohio State, Pryor was high school football’s No. 2 overall player in the 2008 class. He went on to be selected in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played multiple seasons in the NFL, last appearing in a game in 2018.
2009 – Matt Barkley (Mater Dei, CA)
Barkley was considered the nation’s No. 1 overall player in the 2009 class when he played at national power Mater Dei in California. The five-star went on to play collegiately at in-state USC, where he had a memorable four-year career. A fourth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, Barkley is still in the NFL, with the Buffalo Bills, although he hasn’t appeared in a game since 2020.
2010 – Phillip Sims (Oscar Smith, VA)
The final name on this list of top high school quarterback recruits from 2000-10, Sims was considered the No. 31 overall player in the 2010 class. The five-star went on to play collegiately at Alabama, Virginia, and Winston-Salem State; he last played professionally in 2016.
