Gary was the top recruit in the Class of 2016, not only using his immense size and outstanding agility to dominate the competition at Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey as the state's top Defensive Player in 2014 and 2015, but also excelling in the classroom. He had followed former Wolverines star defender Jabrill Peppers at Catholic, and then again followed the path of the 2017 first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns to Ann Arbor. Gary played all 13 games as a reserve his freshman season, making 27 tackles, five for losses, and a sack. His potential really began to show in 2017, when he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors with 66 stops, 12 for loss, and six sacks in 13 starts. Gary was a first-team pick again as a junior, compiling 44 tackles, seven for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 12 games. He joined teammate Devin Bush and others in skipping Michigan's bowl game to prepare for the draft.

Savage led Delaware's Caravel Academy to a state title his senior year as a two-way player (1,298 rushing yards, 54 tackles). Maryland coaches got him on the field right away as a freshman, playing him in 10 games (12 tackles) and starting him in the season finale. Savage started 12 games the following year (59 tackles, 3.5 for loss, one interception, four pass breakups) and in 2017, as well. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a junior (59 tackles), leading the Terrapins with eight pass breakups and tying for the team lead with three interceptions (returning one of those picks for a score). Savage was a playmaker again as a senior, earning second-team all-conference notice with four interceptions, two pass breakups, and 52 tackles (5.5 for loss).

Elgton (pronounced el-tuhn) Jenkins is a Mississippi native who signed with the Bulldogs after earning second-team All-State honors his senior year at Clarksdale. He showed versatility in his redshirt freshman season, starting three of 11 games played, two at left tackle and one at right tackle. Jenkins started five of 12 games played the following year, the first three at left tackle and two other contests at left guard. He really caught scouts' eyes in 2017, starting 12 of 13 games at center. He started all 13 games in the middle as a senior but did not gain a spot on the SEC all-conference squad despite his strong play.

Jace is the son of two athletes, his father a football player at Southeastern Oklahoma and his mother a two-time All-American basketball player at the same school. He signed with Kansas out of high school, but only caught one pass for five yards as a redshirt freshman in 2016. Wishing to make more of an impact, he transferred to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M where he got his chance to contribute (21 catches, 336 yards, 16.0 average, six touchdowns). FBS coaches lined up to recruit him after that performance, and he decided to roll with new A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher. That turned out to be the correct choice, as Sternberger became a consensus All-American, first-team All-SEC recipient, and the Aggies' Offensive MVP by setting team highs with 48 receptions, 832 yards, and 10 touchdowns in 13 games (12 starts).

Keke (pronounced kee-kee) became a full-time starter in 2017, lining up for all 13 contests and stopping 54 ballcarriers, 2.5 times for losses including one sack. He found himself in the backfield more regularly as a senior, breaking out with 51 stops, 11 for loss, and a team-high seven sacks for the Aggies. The four-star recruit and All-State pick from Richmond, Texas, started the final nine games of the 2016 season, posting 37 tackles, seven for loss, four sacks, and four pass breakups in 13 contests that year. Even as a freshman, Keke contributed in 13 games as a reserve, making eight tackles.

Hollman could not land a scholarship offer after playing his high school ball in New Jersey and then playing at Milford Academy, a well-known prep school in New York. Toledo took a shot on his talent, offering him a preferred walk-on spot. He redshirted in 2014 and played in just two games the following year, making two tackles. The coaches gave him a scholarship prior to his sophomore season and he responded by starting 8 of 13 games (33 tackles, eight pass breakups). Hollman started all 14 games in 2017 (35 tackles, seven pass breakups) and completed his career with the Golden Rockets by leading the MAC with 12 pass breakups (to go along with 43 tackles and an interception).

"Juice" Williams gained his nickname from his high school coach because of his infectious personality. One of the top 100 recruits in the country out of West Orange High School in Orlando, he saw the field as a true freshman for the Irish in 2015 (21 carries, 81 yards, 3.9 ypc, one touchdown rushing; one kickoff return for 20 yards in seven games). In August 2016, he was arrested with teammates for marijuana possession and possessing a handgun without a license; the latter charged was later dropped when a teammate confessed to the handgun possession. Williams was given one year of probation, playing in 12 games that fall (39 carries, 200 yards, 5.1 average, three touchdowns rushing; four receptions, 16 yards receiving; four kickoff returns, 67 yards, 16.8 average). He played in 10 games his junior season, missing three contests with an ankle injury but averaged 9.2 yards per carry (39 carries, 360 yards, four touchdowns rushing; two receptions, 13 yards, one touchdown receiving). Williams finally became Notre Dame's top rusher in his senior campaign, though he only played in nine games (eight starts) due to a suspension for undisclosed reasons that cost him the first month of the season. He rushed for 995 yards and 12 scores on 158 carries (6.3 per) while also catching 16 passes out of the backfield for 133 yards (8.3 average) and a touchdown.

An All-District dual-threat quarterback and safety from San Antonio's Reagan High School, Summers was destined to play on the defensive side of the ball in college. He played in the opener as a true freshman but suffered a season-ending injury. The next season, he started five times in 13 games played, making 86 stops, four for loss, and an interception. Summers was named second-team All-Big 12 by league coaches as a redshirt sophomore, racking up 121 tackles (five for loss, 1.5 sacks) in 13 games (10 starts). He was an honorable mention all-conference pick after his junior year, when he started 9 of 14 games played, posting 84 tackles, eight for loss, four sacks, one interception, and five pass breakups. Summers was an honorable mention pick in 2018, despite missing time with injuries (47 tackles, 6.5 for loss, four sacks in 10 games with nine starts).