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If you're a fan of college football, you're definitely already aware that today is National Signing Day in the world of college football. . .or, as some might call it, the one day a year that fax machines still have relevance.
You're going to see a lot of talk about 5-star recruits and other levels of "star" ratings if you're following the signings today. So, we decided to take a look back and see how current members of the Minnesota Vikings were viewed by scouts during their high school days when they were being pursued by colleges.
Player | Position | Star Rating | College Chosen | Other Notes |
Matt Asiata | RB | *** | Utah | #34 RB in Rivals' 2005 class; #4 player in Utah |
Joe Banyard | RB | ** | Texas-El Paso | Originally signed to TCU, transferred as freshman |
Anthony Barr | LB | **** | UCLA | Mostly recruited as running back; #50 overall player, Rivals' class of 2010 |
Joe Berger | G | N/A | Michigan Tech | No recruiting data found |
Robert Blanton | S | **** | Notre Dame | #22 safety in Rivals' 2008 class; #7 player in North Carolina |
Teddy Bridgewater | QB | **** | Louisville | #6 "dual-threat" QB in Rivals' 2011 class; #23 player in Florida, #113 overall nationally |
Jasper Brinkley | LB | *** | South Carolina | Transferred from Georgia Military College; twin brother Casper also a *** recruit at LB that followed same path |
Carter Bykowski | OT | ** | Iowa State | Started out as tight end; #10 player in Minnesota in Rivals' 2008 class |
Matt Cassel | QB | N/A | Southern Cal | No recruiting data found |
Audie Cole | LB | ** | North Carolina State | Actually listed as a "dual-threat quarterback." No, seriously, look for yourself. |
Scott Crichton | DE | *** | Oregon State | #12 player in Washington State, Rivals' class of 2010 |
Ahmad Dixon | S | **** | Baylor | #10 safety in Rivals' 2010 class; #18 player in Texas, #133 nationally |
Vladimir Ducasse | G | N/A | Massachusetts | No recruiting data found |
Rhett Ellison | TE | *** | Southern Cal | #23 tight end, Rivals' class of 2007; #39 player in California |
Antone Exum | S | *** | Virginia Tech | #14 player in Virginia, Rivals' class of 2009; #39 "athlete" |
Jerome Felton | FB | N/A | Furman | No recruiting data found |
Sharrif Floyd | DT | ***** | Florida | #4 overall player in Rivals' class of 2010 |
Chase Ford | TE | *** | Miami (FL) | No other notable data |
Brandon Fusco | G | N/A | Slippery Rock | No Rivals data found; only offered scholarships by Division II schools |
Chad Greenway | LB | N/A | Iowa | No recruiting data found |
Everson Griffen | DE | ***** | Southern Cal | #6 overall player, Rivals' class of 2007 |
Mike Harris | OT | *** | UCLA | #45 guard, Rivals' class of 2007; #77 player in California |
Gerald Hodges | LB | **** | Penn State | #12 outside linebacker, Rivals' class of 2009 |
Greg Jennings | WR | N/A | Western Michigan | No recruiting data found |
Charles Johnson | WR | N/A | Grand Valley State | No recruiting data found |
Charlie Johnson | G | ** | Oklahoma State | Originally started as tight end; #53 tight end, Rivals' class of 2002 |
Tom Johnson | DT | *** | Southern Mississippi | Got his start at Gulf Coast Community College |
Linval Joseph | DT | *** | East Carolina | Listed by Rivals as an offensive tackle |
Henry Josey | RB | *** | Missouri | #39 "athlete," Rivals' class of 2010 |
Josh Kaddu | LB | ** | Oregon | No other notable data |
Matt Kalil | OT | ***** | Southern Cal | #11 player nationally, Rivals' class of 2008 |
Zach Line | FB | ** | Southern Methodist | Listed by Rivals as outside linebacker |
Phil Loadholt | OT | **** | Oklahoma | Transferred from Garden City Community College in Kansas |
Jeff Locke | P | *** | UCLA | Listed as kicker; #2 kicker, Rivals' class of 2008 |
Cullen Loeffler | LS | N/A | Texas | No recruiting data found |
Michael Mauti | LB | **** | Penn State | #8 player in Louisiana, Rivals' class of 2008 |
Jerick McKinnon | RB | *** | Georgia Southern | Listed by Rivals as wide receiver |
Captain Munnerlyn | CB | ** | South Carolina | No other notable data |
Cordarrelle Patterson | WR | **** | Tennessee | Transferred from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas |
Adrian Peterson | RB | ***** | Oklahoma | #1 overall player in America, Rivals' class of 2004 |
Christian Ponder | QB | *** | Florida State | #16 "pro-style" quarterback, Rivals' class of 2006 |
Shaun Prater | CB | *** | Iowa | #7 player in Nebraska, Rivals' class of 2008 |
Jabari Price | CB | *** | North Carolina | #83 cornerback, Rivals' class of 2010 |
Xavier Rhodes | CB | *** | Florida State | Listed by Rivals as wide receiver |
Antonio Richardson | OT | **** | Tennessee | #1 player in New Jersey, Rivals' class of 2011 |
Josh Robinson | CB | **** | Central Florida | #18 "athlete," Rivals' class of 2009 |
Brian Robison | DE | *** | Texas | Listed by Rivals as inside linebacker |
Kyle Rudolph | TE | ***** | Notre Dame | #1 tight end in America, Rivals' class of 2008; #2 player in Ohio |
Andrew Sendejo | S | ** | Rice | No other notable data |
Marcus Sherels | CB | N/A | Minnesota | Originally recruited as wide receiver |
Harrison Smith | S | **** | Notre Dame | #7 player in Tennessee, Rivals' class of 2007 |
Shamar Stephen | DT | ** | Connecticut | No other notable data |
John Sullivan | C | **** | Notre Dame | #3 center, Rivals' class of 2003 |
Adam Thielen | WR | N/A | Minnesota State-Mankato | No recruiting data found |
Justin Trattou | DE | **** | Florida | #5 player in New Jersey, Rivals' class of 2007 |
Blair Walsh | K | *** | Georgia | #7 kicker in America, Rivals' class of 2008 |
Brandon Watts | LB | *** | Georgia Tech | #59 outside linebacker, Rivals' class of 2009 |
Austin Wentworth | OL | ** | Fresno State | No other notable data |
Corey Wootton | DE | *** | Northwestern | Listed by Rivals as offensive tackle |
Jarius Wright | WR | **** | Arkansas | #3 player in Arkansas, Rivals' class of 2008; #30 wide receiver, #218 overall nationally |
David Yankey | G | *** | Stanford | #47 offensive tackle, Rivals' class of 2010 |
So, the Vikings have five players on their roster that were five-star recruits in high school. . .Sharrif Floyd, Everson Griffen, Matt Kalil, Adrian Peterson, and Kyle Rudolph. Peterson has obviously worked out pretty well, and Floyd and Griffen appear to be making the jump as well. The jury is obviously still out on Kalil, and if Rudolph could stay on the field, he could probably fulfill that potential as well.
But, on this recruiting day, that's a look at the majority of the players on the current Minnesota Vikings' roster. Does anyone stick out to you? Are there any surprises? (Besides, obviously, "dual-threat quarterback Audie Cole," I mean.)