Super Bowl 2026 rosters: How Patriots, Seahawks starters rated as high school recruits before NFL

Super Bowl LX will pit the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks, but these rosters tell a story that starts long before the NFL. Looking back at how these players were rated coming out of high school gives some perspective on the different paths that lead to the biggest game of the year.

Not every starter in Sunday's game was a five-star recruit. In fact, there are more zero-star recruits (seven) -- players who weren't ranked at all -- than five-stars (four). But recruiting rankings are far from a guarantee of NFL success. They're designed to approximate potential, much like the NFL Draft, with roughly 32 industry five-star prospects identified in each class. That leaves the bulk of players as three- and four-star recruits, with a few unranked long shots who eventually break through.

The Patriots' list of starters illustrates that mix well. On offense, elite five-star talents like wideouts Stefon Diggs (No. 8 overall in the 2012 class) and Kayshon Boutte (No. 24 in the 2020 class) line up alongside unranked players such as fellow receiver Mack Hollins and running back Rhamondre Stevenson. The offensive line features a combination of four- and three-star recruits, while quarterback Drake Maye was a four-star prospect, ranked No. 9 among quarterbacks in the 2021 class. On defense, New England has only one starter who ranked inside the top 150 of his respective class: linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (No. 37 in the 2017 class).

The Seahawks' group of starters paints a similar picture. On offense, five-star standouts like tackle Charles Cross (No. 27 overall in the 2019 class) and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 29 overall in 2020) provide top-end talent, while receiver Cooper Kupp and guard Gray Zabel went unranked coming out of high school. Quarterback Sam Darnold was a four-star, dual-threat prospect and the No. 13 quarterback in the 2015 class. On defense, Seattle has no former five-star starters but three players ranked inside the top 150 in their respective classes: defensive end Leonard Williams (No. 51 in the 2012 class), cornerback Josh Jobe (No. 109 in the 2018 class) and edge rusher Derick Hall (No. 149 in the 2019 class).

With the Patriots and Seahawks set to meet in Super Bowl LX Sunday, below is a look at how each projected starter ranked as a high school prospect according to the industry‑generated 247Sports Composite.

New England Patriots offense

New England Patriots defense

Seattle Seahawks offense

Seattle Seahawks defense