Abdurrahman "Rock" Ya-Sin was not highly regarded coming out of Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Georgia. The former two-time All-Region pick in football and two-time state champion wrestler signed with FCS program Presbyterian College, where he played in 11 games as a true freshman (two starts, 15 tackles, two pass breakups). Ya-Sin started 11 games his sophomore campaign (31 tackles, two for loss, nine pass breakups) and then became a first-team All-Big South performer in 2017, making 45 tackles, intercepting five passes, and breaking up eight others in 11 starts. He transferred to Temple as a graduate student for the 2018 season and immediately showed he had the talent to excel at the FBS level. Ya-Sin was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection as a senior, leading the Owls with 12 pass breakups to go along with 47 tackles, two for loss, and two interceptions. He did not play in Temple's bowl game, presumably to prepare for the NFL Draft.

Banogu (pronounced BAN-uh-goo) flew under the recruiting radar a bit despite being a third-team All-State pick in McKinney, Texas. Louisiana-Monroe picked him up, and he wound up on the Sun Belt Conference All-Newcomer squad as a redshirt freshman in 2015 (13 starts, 45 tackles, 14.5 for loss, five sacks). Banogu transferred to TCU in 2016 and sat out the season under transfer rules. In 2017, he excelled with the Horned Frogs, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors and conference Defensive Newcomer of the Year with 49 tackles, 16.5 for loss, and 8.5 sacks. Banogu was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior, posting a team-high 18 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks among his 57 total stops in 13 starts.

At famed St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Campbell's athleticism made him an all-state football player (1,584 rushing yards, 22 score) and track athlete (led state-title winning relays, set state record for indoor 60-meter dash). He played in eight games as a reserve his true freshman year at OSU, but had no catches or returns. That changed the following season, as Campbell started 12 of 13 games played (13-121-9.3 receiving; 4-54-13.5, one TD rushing) and was named third-team All-Big Ten as a kick returner (21-584-27.8). He was a team captain in 2017, again starting 12 of 13 games and earning third-team all-conference accolades -- but as a receiver (40-584-14.6, three TD). He also contributed via handoffs (10-132-13.2, one TD rushing) and returns (9-329-36.6). Campbell stepped up his game to become a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a senior, leading the Buckeyes with 90 receptions for 1,063 yards (11.8 average) and 12 touchdowns in 14 starts.

Okereke (pronounced oh-kuh-REE-kee) earned major accomplishments before arriving to Palo Alto, achieving Eagle Scout status and winning the prestigious Watkins Award in 2014 as the nation's top African-American high school player in terms of academic and athletic excellence. He has steadily grown in his achievements with the Cardinal, going from a reserve defender his redshirt freshman season (seven tackles in 11 games) to a 13-game starter in 2016 (41 tackles, four for loss, three sacks) to an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection (14 starts, 96 tackles, 7.5 for loss, four sacks, one INT). Okereke finished his junior year well, making five tackles, one for loss, and a pass breakup against TCU in the Alamo Bowl. He was an honorable mention all-conference pick in 2018, leading Stanford with 96 tackles, 7.5 for losses, including 3.5 sacks. He also broke up five passes, forced two fumbles and scored a safety in 13 starts.

Willis was named the Ann Arbor News Michigan High School Player of the Year in 2014 as a running back after he covered nearly 3,000 yards on the ground and scored 31 touchdowns. He didn't end up at Ann Arbor for college, signing with Sparty. Willis started 3 of 9 games played as a true freshman (11 tackles), but his season ended before the Big Ten Championship Game due to a broken foot. He started one game in 2016, making 30 tackles in 11 contests overall. An opening occurred in MSU's secondary for 2017, and Willis took advantage. He garnered honorable mention All-Big Ten honors that season, accumulating 71 tackles, 5.5 for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, and three pass breakups. He repeated his honorable mention all-conference performance as a senior, posting 84 tackles, two interceptions, and 10 pass breakups in 13 starts for the Spartans.

Tell was named first-team All-Pac-12 as a junior, starting all 14 games at free safety for the Trojans (85 tackles, 2.5 for loss, three interceptions, one returned for a score, two pass breakups). He started all 13 games as a sophomore, posting 43 stops, two for loss, one interception, and two pass breakups. League coaches voted him honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2018 as he made 57 tackles, intercepted one pass, and broke up five others in 10 starts. An L.A. Daily News All-Area pick at Pasadena's Crespi High School, Tell was a two-game starter at strong safety as a true freshman (36 tackles, four pass break-ups) in 10 games despite missing four contests with a broken collarbone.

Speed was a high school quarterback and receiver who started his career at Tarelton on offense. He redshirted in 2013, working at receiver with the scout team. He missed the entire 2014 season due to injury, receiving a medical redshirt, and then moved to defensive end the following spring. In 2015, he played in seven games, posting 16 tackles, two for loss. Lone Star Conference coaches voted him second-team all-conference in 2016, as he contributed 13 tackles for loss and six sacks among his 68 total stops. He also led Division II with five forced fumbles. He played only five games in 2017 due to injury (41 tackles, 8.5 for loss). Speed returned to form in a big way in 2018, racking up 106 stops at linebacker (12.5 for loss, five sacks) to again garner second-team All-LSC honors. He also had one interception in each of his last three seasons.

Gerri (pronounced GAIR-ee) Green grew up in Greenville, Miss., and was one of the top 12 players in the state his senior year, according to the Clarion-Ledger. He took a redshirt year in 2014, and then played well enough the following year (49 tackles, 2.5 for loss, two interceptions) that he earned a start in the Belk Bowl (played in all 13 games on the year) and SEC coaches voted him to their All-Freshman squad. Green was a key reserve in 2016, making 43 stops and breaking up one pass. Coaches started him at outside linebacker for all 13 games in his junior campaign. He racked up 38 tackles, 11 for loss, five sacks, three pass breakups and an interception he returned for a touchdown. Green started all 13 games again in 2018, posting 31 stops, 6.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Barton is coming off an honorable mention All-Pac-12 season as a senior, leading his team with 116 tackles while also being credited with 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, an interception, and six pass breakups. He had been a part-time starter the previous two seasons, at rover in 2016 (five starts in 11 games with 66 tackles, 8.5 for loss, and three pass breakups) and at linebacker in 2017 (four starts in 13 games with 45 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and four sacks). He had seven tackles in 12 games as a reserve as a true freshman in 2015, just one year after earning first-team all-state honors at Salt Lake City's Brighton High School. His brother, Jackson (the Utes' starting left tackle), is also looking for an NFL job in 2019.

Ole Miss was a nice fit for Patterson, who was one of the top guard recruits in the country coming out of Petal, Mississippi. He enrolled a semester early to get a leg up on his freshman season. The result was six starts (four at left guard, two at right guard) in 12 games that season. Patterson started all 12 games in 2016 (nine at left guard, three at center) and then stayed in one spot as a junior, starting all 12 games at left guard. He finished his career with the Rebels by starting all 12 games at guard once again.