Top 30 Most Overlooked High School Recruits to Go Pro Since 2000

After moving to the United States as a youth, Mike Iupati began playing football at Western High School in Anaheim, California. There he played for the Pioneers on both the offensive and defensive lines, and he also featured on the wrestling team and competed with the track and field team as a shot putter. Though he was named a first team All-California Interscholastic League selection in his junior year, few teams recruited Iupati in 2005 due to academic issues. Eventually Idaho offered Iupati his only Division I opportunity, and there he blossomed into an impact guard.

Recruited by Nick Holt’s staff, he eventually played for Dennis Erickson and Robb Akey while in Moscow. As a senior in 2009, Iupati helped the Vandals to their first winning season in a decade and their first bowl win since 1998. He was an Outland Award finalist and a consensus All-American selection, becoming the first Idaho player in more than three decades to receive the honor. He entered the 2010 NFL Draft as one of the highest-graded prospects at offensive guard, landing in the first round as the 17th overall selection by the San Francisco 49ers. The four-time Pro Bowler now plays in Arizona after signing as a free agent with the Cardinals in 2015.