Cam Rising announced his medical retirement from college football after seven years in the NCAA, far exceeding the average career for every player in the collegiate level. After the Utah Utes, previously Texas Longhorns, quarterback hangs the cleats, we take a look at some recruits of the 2018 class, who have already established themselves in the NFL, such as Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, and many more.
Rising’s journey in college football was anything but smooth sailing. Though he entered the NCAA in 2018 and remained in college through the 2024 season. His production was defined by fits and starts, as his career never truly took off due to persistent injuries.
Rising arrived at the University of Texas in Austin ahead of the 2018 season, but after redshirting his freshman year, he transferred to Utah, spending the rest of his career in Salt Lake City.
Meanwhile, other players in his class became stars in college football, and even franchise quarterbacks in the NFL, as was the case of Trevor Lawrence, who was the best-ranked player in the 2018 recruiting class and was drafted first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs off the field after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Houston, Texas.
Top-of-the-market money
Though Lawrence hasn’t had as much success in the NFL as he had in the NCAA with the Clemson Tigers, he still became the franchise quarterback for the Jaguars, who signed him to a multi-million contract on a five-year, $275M deal, which was tied for the highest-paid QB in the league in June 2024.
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Trevor Lawrence’s net worth: How much money does the Jacksonville Jaguars QB have?
Mr. Irrelevant
On Lawrence and Rising’s class there was also a certain quarterback from Gilbert, Arizona, who’d join the Iowa State Cyclones. However, he wouldn’t become a household name until the 2022 NFL season, when he led the San Francisco 49ers in a magical run.
Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, who started the season as the third string QB in the depth chart, was called upon after an injury bug, leading the Niners to the NFC Championship Game. He’d make the Super Bowl the following season, though he ultimately fell to Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs.
Brock Purdy is entering his 4th year in the NFL with the 49ers
Now, Purdy has established himself as the No.1 guy in the Bay Area’s team, and is expected to sign a lucrative extension with the 49ers ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
JF1’s journey
Justin Fields, ranked the second best quarterback recruit in the 2018 class by 24/7 sports, the Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback led the school in Columbus to a National Championship Game in 2021, where the Buckeyes fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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Justin Fields’ net worth: How much fortune does the New York Jets QB own?
Fields registered a 20-2 record in his Ohio State career, and was selected with the 11th overall selection by the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, his time with the Bears was short-lived as he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
Though his numbers weren’t bad whatsoever, the Steelers didn’t offer him a contract in the offseason, and the QB signed with the New York Jets.
Other big names in the 2018 class
Along with Lawrence, Fields, and Purdy, the 2018 recruiting class also featured other reknowned personalities in college football and the NFL, such as Will Levis who was selected with the 33rd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Justin Fields, the former quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, now on the New York Jets
Michael Penix Jr., who after a long, six-year career in college football, including stints with Indiana and Washington, was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 8th overall selection in the 2024 draft. Penix Jr. has now become the starting quarterback for the Falcons, winning the job over Kirk Cousins.
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Brock Purdy’s net worth: How rich is the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers?
Zach Wilson, the former BYU quarterback and 2nd overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft was also a member of the 2018 recruiting class. Wilson was drafted by the Jets, but has since played for the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins where he’s just arrived ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
To wrap it up, other notable names from the 2018 recruiting class include Joe Milton, now with the Dallas Cowboys; Tyler Shough, drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2025; and Jordan Travis, the former Florida State QB who led the team to a 13-0 record before suffering a season-ending injury. Travis retired from football without logging a single stat during his lone season with the Jets.
