5 Super Bowl LIX players who were 5-star recruits in high school ft. Jalen Carter 

The internet is abuzz with the Super Bowl LIX, scheduled on Feb. 9 at the Ceasers Superdome in New Orleans. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will face off for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Meanwhile, let's talk about the Super Bowl athletes who boasted five-star ratings during their college recruiting process. Icons like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Jalen Hurts have built massive fandoms with their talent, but to the readers' surprise, these players did not hold a five-star rating. Yes, you heard it right!

Let's take a look at the high school journey of Super Bowl LIX players who were five-star recruits.

1. Jalen Carter (Philadelphia Eagles)

Philadelphia Eagles' defensive tackle Jalen Carter was a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 4 defensive lineman in the Class of 2020. He was the No. 2 player in Florida and ranked No.14 nationally, according to On3. Carter played high school football for Apopka High School in Florida and went on to play for the Georgia Bulldogs. He began his NFL journey by being selected as the 9th overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that four to five Eagles players, including Carter, were dealing with the flu or a flu-related illness. ESPN's Adam Schefter provided an update on Carter's health.

“He was sick, but he was back to being a full participant in practice yesterday. And he is going to be out there,” Schefter said. “And again, the fact that he was upgraded from limited practice earlier in the week to full practice now, tells you that he will be out there," he added.

2. DJ Humphries ( Kansas City Chiefs)

Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle DJ Humphries was a five-star recruit in New York and ranked as the top offensive tackle in the Class of 2012. He was ranked No. 5 nationally, according to On3. Humphries attended Mallard Creek High School and went on to play college football for the Florida Gators.

He kicked off his NFL journey in 2015 when the Arizona Cardinals selected him as the 24th overall pick in the first round. Following a near-decade career with the Cardinals, on Nov. 26, 2024, he inked the deal with the Kansas City Cheifs. By Feb. 2025, Humphries has starred in 100 NFL games. (via Pro Football Reference).

3. JuJu Smith-Schuster

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was a five-star recruit who ranked first in California and earned the fourth spot as a wide receiver in the Class of 2014. Nationally, he secured the 29th spot. He played high school football at Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

After graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School, JuJu played football for the USC Trojans. He started his NFL career by being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 2019, he was ranked as the seventh-most marketable NFL player by Sports Bussiness Daily. On March 20, 2022, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs.

4. Chris Jones ( Kansas City Chiefs)

Kansas City Chiefs' defensive lineman Chris Jones was a celebrated five-star recruit, ranking first in Mississippi, sixth among the defensive lineman in the Class of 2013 and 15th nationally. He played high school football for Houston High and went on to play college football for Mississippi State Bulldogs. He entered the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs as the 37th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

5. Nolan Smith ( Philadelphia Eagles)

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith was a five-star recruit who ranked first in Florida and earned the top spot nationally as a linebacker in the Class of 2019, according to On3. He played high school football for the IMG Academy and college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles as the 30th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.