Top 5 Recruits of 2003 - Where are they now?

We all know that recruiting is not an exact science. Even when a recruit is rated 5-stars he can still be a bust when he gets to college. So let’s take a look back at Rivals.com’s top rated recruits. In this article I will take a look at the top 5 recruits and where they are right now. 1) LB Ernie Sims - Sims committed to the Florida State Seminoles and saw action as a true freshman. In his freshman year he played in all 13 games and finished ninth on the team with 47 tackles. In his sophomore year he again played in all 12 games, starting in 11 of them. Sims made the ESPN All-American team by finishing second on the team with 86 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 9 tackles for a loss. In Sims’ junior year he started all 13 games, finishing fourth on the team in tackles with 72. He was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. Sims also had 10 tackles for a loss to go with 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. He started 24 consecutive games for the Seminoles. Sims entered the draft after his junior year and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the first round, ninth overall. I think it is pretty safe to say Sims lived up to expectations. 2) RB Reggie Bush - What can be said that hasn’t about former Southern Cal RB Reggie Bush? In this freshman year he had 521 yards rushing, 314 yards receiving, and 492 yards through kickoff returns. In total he had 8 touchdowns and a helped USC to their share of the National Title in 2003. In his sophomore year he became even more of an impact player rushing for over 900 yards and receiving for over 500 yards. He had over 900 yards through kickoff and punt returns. In total he had 15 touchdowns, all while splitting time at running back. The most astounding stat is Bush gained over 10 yards every time he touched the ball. Finally in 2004 he finished fifth in the Heisman voting and won another national title as USC beat Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. In 2005 his awards are too numerous to list but here are a few; Heisman Trophy Winner, Doak Walker Winner, and Walter Camp Award winner. Bush had 1600 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns. He had almost 400 yards receiving and two touchdowns and finally 500+ yards on returns and a touchdown. Bush was the second overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft (New Orleans). I guess we can say that he lived up to his billing…wouldn’t you say? 3) Athlete Whitney Lewis - Lewis also committed to the Trojans, giving them two 5 star athletes for the class of 2003. But it does not look like Lewis will live up to his high ranking. In his freshman year he bounced between RB and WR. Lewis saw action in 8 games netting 3 receptions for 27 yards. In 2004 Lewis did not play since he was academically ineligible. In 2005, his redshirt sophomore season, Lewis appeared in 9 games as a back up WR but never caught a pass. As a shoulder injury lingered throughout the season. He will not return to USC for the 2006 season. It is pretty safe to say that academic and injury issues have hurt Lewis and he won’t live up to his potential. 4) WR Andre Caldwell - The Florida native did not look to go far from his home as he chose to go to be a Florida Gator. In his freshman year he played in 12 of the 13 games netting 19 receptions for 174 yards and no touchdowns. Caldwell also had 22 kickoff returns, averaging over 20 yards a return. Andre’s sophomore year was a little more productive as he played in all the games. He had 43 receptions for 689 yards and 3 touchdowns. His production his junior year went way down as he had 10 receptions for 148 yards and no touchdowns. He had a season ending injury against Tennessee in 2005 and only played in 3 games. Caldwell is slated to be a starter at WR for the 2006 season. Early in 2006 the police were investigating Caldwell because of gunshots fired from his apartment complex but nothing ever came of it. It is a little early to call Caldwell a bust because if his bounces back from his injury from last year he could be one of the top WR in the SEC. 5) QB Kyle Wright - Kyle Wright sprung onto the scene last year as the starting QB of the Miami Hurricanes. In 2003 he redshirted and served as the scout team QB. In 2004, Wright served as the number 3 QB and saw some action in 3 games, throwing for 30 yards. In 2005 he was the Canes’ starting QB completing 58% of his passes for the season. Wright threw for 2403 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has two years of eligibility remaining so to grade Wright now is a little unfair. He did get better as the season progressed last year and will be one of the top QB’s in the ACC this season.