Ranking the No. 1 high school football recruits

Video: Leonard Fournette high school highlights
See 2014's No. 1 recruit in action.

Rashan Gary of Paramus Catholic (N.J.) is the No. 1 recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports' Composite Player Rankings. As many as 10 schools are in the running for the talented defensive lineman with Michigan reportedly holding the edge in the recruiting race.

Choosing the No. 1 recruit in the country is not an easy process and as history has shown, being ranked No. 1 is no guarantee of future success. The ranking services hit a home run with Adrian Peterson in 2004 — he has gone on to become one of the great running backs in NFL history. Other choices over the years have been hit and miss, however, showing how difficult predicting future success can be.

See the latest photos, videos and information on top recruits on the MaxPreps Signing Day Page

In this article, we've ranked the No. 1 overall high school recruits for each recruiting class from 2002 to 2015, based on the 247Sports Composite Player Rankings for those years.

The No. 1 recruits are listed with their achievements in high school, college and NFL (where applicable). We've also included a "Best Choice" selection. This choice, made the with the benefit of hindsight, identifies who has ultimately turned out to be the "best choice" from that graduating class. The rankings are based on the athletes' complete body of work from high school to the NFL.

Perhaps in five years, Gary will be at the top of such a list. Only time will tell.


1. Adrian Peterson, Palestine (Texas), RB, 2004
High School: Won the Ken Hall Trophy as the top player in the country. Rushed for 2,950 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior.
College: Had a spectacular freshman season with 1,925 yards and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting. Injuries slowed him during sophomore and junior seasons, but he finished his career with 4,245 career yards.
NFL: Has 11,675 yards rushing in nine seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He's led the NFL in rushing three times and was the NFL MVP in 2012.
Best Choice: Peterson.

2. Vince Young, Madison (Houston), QB, 2002
High School: Parade Magazine's National Player of the Year after throwing for 3,819 yards and 59 touchdowns.
College: Named All-American in 2005 after leading Texas Longhorns to the National Championship with a 41-38 win over USC in the Rose Bowl.
NFL: Third overall choice in the 2006 NFL Draft and was the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Made the Pro Bowl two times and played six years, primarily for the Tennessee Titans.
Best Choice: Aaron Rodgers, Pleasant Valley (Chico, Calif.), unranked.

3. Andre Smith, Huffman (Birmingham, Ala.), OT, 2006
High School: Became the first offensive lineman in Alabama history to earn state Player of the Year honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
College: Unanimous All-American and Outland Trophy winner in 2008.
NFL: No. 6 overall pick by the Bengals in 2009, Smith has played seven years in Cincinnati.
Best Choice: Matthew Stafford, Highland Park (Dallas), No. 6.

4. Eugene Monroe, Plainfield (N.J.), OT, 2005
High School: Earned All-American honors from SuperPrep, USA Today and Parade Magazine.
College: Starter throughout his college career at Virginia, Monroe was All-ACC as a senior.
NFL: The No. 8 overall pick in the 2009 draft by the Jaguars, Monroe has played seven years in the NFL and is currently with the Ravens.
Best Choice: Ndamukong Suh, Grant (Portland, Ore.), No. 47.

5. Leonard Fournette, St. Augustine (New Orleans), RB, 2014
High School: A MaxPreps All-American, Fournette ran for 1,802 yards as a senior.
College: Finished No. 6 in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2015 as a sophomore. Ran for 1,953 yards and was an All-American.
Best Choice: Fournette.

6. Ernie Sims, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.), LB, 2003
High School: All-American by Parade and USA Today, Sims had 133 tackles as a senior.
College: Earned All-American honors as a sophomore at Florida State. Entered the NFL draft after junior season.
NFL: Drafted No. 9 overall in 2006 draft by Detroit Lions. Played eight seasons in the NFL, four of them with the Lions. Never made the Pro Bowl.
Best Choice: Joe Thomas, Brookfield Central (Brookfield, Wisc.), OT

7. Jadeveon Clowney, South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.), DE, 2011
High School: Named All-American by MaxPreps and National Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today, Clowney had 162 tackles with 29.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss as a senior.
College: Twice earned All-SEC honors and was All-American in 2012 and 2013.
NFL: The No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in 2014, first two seasons in the NFL have been hampered by injuries.
Best Choice: Odell Beckham Jr., Isidore Newman (New Orleans), No. 132.

8. Matt Barkley, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), QB, 2009
High School: The National Player of the Year by Parade and Gatorade as a Junior, Barkley finished his career with 9,471 passing yards.
College: Threw for 12,327 yards in four seasons at USC and was a Heisman Trophy candidate during his senior season.
NFL: Picked in the fourth round by the Eagles, Barkley has played sparingly in three seasons in the NFL and is currently with the Cardinals.
Best Choice: Sheldon Richardson, Gateway Academy (Chesterfield, Mo.), No. 30.

9. Dorial Green-Beckham, Hillcrest (Springfield, Mo.), WR, 2012
High School: National Player of the Year by MaxPreps, Green-Beckham finished his career as the nation's all-time leader in receiving yardage with 6,356 yards.
College: Earned second team All-SEC honors at Missouri, but was eventually dismissed from the team in 2014. Transferred to Oklahoma, but did not play there.
NFL: Drafted in second round, caught 32 passes for 549 yards for the Buccaneers in his rookie year.
Best Choice: Todd Gurley, Tarboro (N.C.), No. 74.

10. Robert Nkemdiche, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), DE, 2013
High School: Earned All-American honors from MaxPreps with 59 tackles.
College: Earned All-American second team honors in 2015.
Best Choice: Derrick Henry, Yulee (Fla.), No. 12.

11. DaQuan Bowers, Bamberg-Ehrhardt (Bamberg, S.C.), DE, 2008
High School: Had 97 tackles, including 33 for loss with 14 sacks, but also rushed for 1,219 yards as a senior.
College: A unanimous All-American in 2010, Bowers was also the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year.
NFL: Drafted in the second round, No. 51 overall, by the Buccaneers. Has been hampered by injuries for most of his five seasons in Tampa Bay.
Best Choice: Andrew Luck, Stratford (Houston), No. 43.

12. Trent Thompson, Westover (Albany, Ga.), DT, 2015
High School: MaxPreps All-American and USA Today Defensive Player of the Year.
College: Started on the defensive line for Georgia during the second half of the year.
Best Choice: Josh Rosen, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), No. 11.

13. Joe McKnight, John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.), RB, 2007
High School: Named National Co-Player of the Year by Parade Magazine. Ran for 719 yards and had 735 yards receiving with 30 overall touchdowns for state champions.
College: Earned All-Pac 10 third team honors as a junior and was twice honorable mention All-Pac-10 while at Southern California.
NFL: Drafted in the fourth round by the Jets, McKnight has played four seasons in the NFL, most recently with the Chiefs in 2014. Earned All-Pro honors as a kick returner in 2011.
Best Choice: Cam Newton, Westlake (Atlanta), No. 62.

14. Ronald Powell, Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, Calif.), DE, 2010
High School: An All-American by Parade, MaxPreps and USA Today, Powell was also the MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Game. He had 80 tackles and 13 sacks and 28 tackles for loss as a senior.
College: Powell became a regular starter at Florida during his sophomore year but injuries plagued his final two seasons with the Gators.
NFL: Drafted in the fifth round by the Saints in 2014, Powell played for the Buccaneers in 2015.
Best Choice: Keenan Allen, Northern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.), No. 10.