CLEMSON | Byron Cowart wasn't just the top defensive lineman in the 2015 signing class; he was the top player, period.
Cowart didn't do much of anything at Auburn. He transferred to Maryland, was so-so as a senior in 2018 and will forever be known as a bust.
A kid from New England named Christian Wilkins was 20 spots down Rivals.com's overall list and would probably be No. 1 in the 2015 class upon a retroactive re-rank.
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A year later, Joey Bosa was the No. 7 defensive lineman in the 2016 class. In 2017, Florida State's Josh Kaindoh was the No. 2 defensive lineman according to Rivals -- ahead of Chase Young, who was Rivals' fourth-ranked defensive lineman.
So even in the category of supposedly can't-miss 5-star prospects, there can still be a bit of a crap-shoot element to it.
But the more studs you stockpile on the defensive front, the better your chances of competing for national titles.