What happened to the top 3 CFB recruits from 2009?

1. Matt Barkley QB Newport Beach, California. 1st ranked national, 1st best PRO style QB, 1st best in the state of California. Played 4 seasons at USC (2009-2012). 4th round pick in 2013 NFL Draft (98th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles. 6 years in NFL (3 with Bills, 2 with Eagles, 1 with Bears). 7 games started (19 games played) out of 96. 2-5 record, 2,699 passing yards, 11 passing TD, 22 INT, 58.4% completion %, 66.6 QBRTG. Currently a free agent in NFL.

Source: 247sports.com

2. Bryce Brown RB Wichita, Kansas. 2nd ranked national, 1st best RB, 1st best in the state of Kansas. Played 1 season at Tennessee (2009) and 1 season at Kansas State (2011). 7th round pick in 2012 NFL Draft (229th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles. 4 years in NFL (2 with Eagles, 1 with Bills, 1 with Seahawks). 7 games started (42 games played) out of 64. 251 rush attempts, 1,076 rush yards, 7 rush TDs, 25.6 rushing yards/game. Currently not playing football.

3. Russell Shepard QB Houston, Texas. 3rd ranked national, 1st best DUAL style QB, 1st best in the state of Texas. Played 4 seasons at LSU (2009-2012). Undrafted in 2013. 7 years in NFL (4 with Buccaneers, 2 with Giants, 1 with Panthers) as a wide receiver. 9 games started (87 games played) out of 112. 60 receptions, 847 receiving yards, 6 receiving TDs, 9.7 receiving yards/game, 51.7% catch %. Announced retirement from NFL in 2020.

Of the top 3 prospects from 2009:

Drafted in NFL Draft (2): Matt Barkley and Bryce Brown

Played in NFL (3): Matt Barkley, Bryce Brown, Russell Shepard

Made a Pro-Bowl (0)

Currently on NFL Roster (0)

Bryce Brown (29 years old), Matt Barkley (30 years old) and Russel Shepard (30 years old) are all out of the league. Russell Shepard had the longest career (7 years). None of the players started more than 10 games during their career. The top 3 recruits from 2009 had underwhelming post-college careers.

One thought on “What happened to the top 3 CFB recruits from 2009?

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