There are plenty of examples proving that an elite college football career is no guarantee of NFL stardom. Johnny Manziel, Ryan Leaf, and JaMarcus Russell are just three athletes who found that the leap to the professional game can be a brutal one. There is no guarantee that an accomplished Saturday game history will mean anything once the real business comes around on a Sunday.
There are so many new pressures to deal with in the pro game, that even some of the very best college athletes struggle to make an impact. Unlike basketball, where the number one pick invariably becomes a franchise athlete, becoming an instant hit in the NFL is a much rarer occurrence.
But there are some who navigate the transition well. If you were to read a BetOnline review to see whether it was a good sportsbook for NFL betting, there is a good chance that it would be to back one of the athletes covered here. MyTopSportsbooks is a good place to discover top betting sites, but here are are six young men with only a few years of NFL experience, who already look like future Hall of Famers.
Ja’Marr Chase
A Louisiana native, Ja’Marr Chase won a Fred Biletnikoff Award and a College Football Playoff National Championship in his time with LSU, before being taken by the Cincinnati Bengals with the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Chase opted out of a COVID-affected third collegiate season before going pro.
Chase reunited with his college QB, Joe Burrow, in Cincinnati, and the pair teamed up to great effect, catapulting the team from an also-ran to the Super Bowl in their first year back together. He has played almost every game since being drafted, and if he can keep up his record-breaking start to his pro career, he will surely be considered for the Hall of Fame.
Kyle Hamilton
Born in Greece and having lived in Russia and Israel as a child, thanks to his pro basketball player father, Kyle Hamilton eventually settled in Atlanta, Georgia, and showed the talent and skill to earn a place on the Notre Dame football team. His numerous interceptions and defensive performances there saw him go to the Ravens with the 14th pick of the 2022 draft.
Hamilton played in 16 of 17 games in his rookie season, when the Ravens made the playoffs. He was named as a starting strong safety a year later and has been an ever-present since. He is a three-time Pro Bowler already and is a major reason why Baltimore are consistently tipped to go deep in the postseason.
Aidan Hutchinson
Born and raised in Michigan, Aidan Hutchinson stayed true to his home state by becoming a Wolverine and playing four years of college football. In his senior year, he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, the only defensive player among three quarterbacks up for the award. He was then taken by the Lions with the second overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Hutchinson started breaking records and making interceptions almost immediately in the pro game, starting every single game in his first two seasons – including the playoff games in 2023. He suffered a terrible double bone leg break injury the next season but has come back even stronger and is arguably one of the best edge rushers in the league.
Patrick Surtain II
After earning multiple All-American honors and winning a national championship with Alabama, Patrick Surtain II declared himself eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft and ended up being taken by the Denver Broncos with the ninth overall pick. His impressive tackles, interceptions, and forced fumbles numbers suggested he would make a great pro cornerback.
Surtain soon became indispensable for the Broncos and was named as the starting cornerback early on in his rookie season. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in four of his five completed pro seasons, and was named as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. A Hall of Fame place may well be his in the future.
Maxx Crosby
A relentless edge rusher, Maxx Crosby played college football at Eastern Michigan, as it was the only program that offered him a scholarship. He was selected to the All-MAC team twice in his three years as an Eagle, and has since had the stadium named in his honor after he made a very generous donation to his old school.
Crosby wasn’t picked by the Raiders until the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but his multiple trips to the Pro Bowl, as well as his highly impressive tackle and sack numbers, have proven that he was always destined to be a big deal in the NFL. After battling alcoholism issues in his early professional years, Crosby has continued to be a shining example to all young athletes.
Drake Maye
It is always tough to confidently predict that a young quarterback will continue his college form into a long and successful pro career, but Drake Maye has started in impressive fashion. He was ACC Player of the Year as a sophomore at North Carolina, and was ultimately taken by the New England Patriots with the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Pats have quite a history when it comes to elite quarterbacks, so the pressure was even greater for Maye stepping into the position as signal-caller. Initially a back-up, he became a starter early on in that rookie season, and then took New England all the way to the Super Bowl last year. The Pats are finding it a little more difficult this season, but Maye is continuing to look like a star of the future.
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