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Simmons is an Olathe, Kansas, native who watched his older brother, Victor Jr., suit up for the home-state Jayhawks. While Victor got a shot at an NFL job due to his athleticism, his younger brother has a chance to be a star at the next level. Simmons started down that road as a sophomore, leading the Tigers in tackles in their national championship season (89 total stops, nine for loss, one interception returned for a touchdown, seven pass breakups, three forced fumbles). He started 14 of 15 games at linebacker just one year after playing in 14 games as a backup safety (45 tackles, three for loss, one sack). His play during the Tigers' national title season got him on the national radar, and his play as a junior (102 tackles, 16 for loss, eight sacks, three interceptions, nine pass breakups in 15 starts) earned him the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. He was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski and Lott IMPACT Trophies, as well as a first-team Associated Press All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection. Simmons was all-state on offense and defense as a senior at Olathe High School, as well as the state champ in the long jump his junior and senior years.

Jones originally committed to Oklahoma State after finishing his high school career as a three-star recruit and member of the Houston Chronicle Top 100. However, then-Cougars head coach Tom Herman was grabbing the best players from around the area, so Jones flipped his choice. He redshirted his first year with the program before stepping into the starting left tackle spot for all 13 games the following fall. Herman left for Texas that season, but Jones stayed at UH, starting 10 games at left tackle and missing two due to injury as a sophomore. Despite excelling on the blindside in all 13 games at a junior, American Athletic Conference coaches failed to name him all-league. They rectified that situation by voting him second-team all-conference his senior year despite only starting the team's first nine games at left tackle due to a knee injury. Jones' father, Bobby, played semi-pro football.

Leki Fotu (pronounced leck-ee foe-too) played rugby, not football, growing up and was good enough to play for the U.S. national team and train with a team in London. He only played one season of football at Herriman High School and was a first-team All-Utah selection for his efforts. Fotu played five games as a reserve as a true freshman (one tackle) as he learned the game. He contributed more regularly in 2017, starting two of 13 games played (22 tackles, 3.5 for loss). Everything clicked for Fotu as a junior, garnering first-team All-Pac-12 honors with 33 tackles, 5.5 for loss, and three sacks in 14 games (13 starts). Fotu not only repeated that first-team notice but also earned third-team Associated Press All-American recognition in his senior campaign (29 tackles, nine for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups in 13 starts). Received medical flag at Senior Bowl. Two of Leki's brothers played college football (Joe-Illinois, Anthony-Arizona).

LSU made a big signing when keeping this Monroe native in-state as one of the top 20 recruits in the country. Lawrence flashed as a freshman, playing in nine games and sacking Louisville's Heisman Trophy winning-quarterback Lamar Jackson in the Citrus Bowl. Lawrence was a team captain as a sophomore, missing time with ankle injuries but starting 10 games, including the final eight (32 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks). He started all 13 games as a junior (54 tackles, 10.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups) and finished the year on a high note as the Fiesta Bowl Defensive Player of the Game with four tackles for loss (two sacks) in the team's win over UCF. Lawrence missed spring drills in 2019 after having surgery on his right knee. He wound up playing in 12 games (11 starts) his senior season, missing time due to an ankle injury but still earning second-team All-SEC notice after posting 28 tackles, six for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three pass breakups during the Tigers' national championship campaign.

Weaver was state defensive player of the year in Washington as a senior at Spokane's Gonzaga Prep after posting 37 tackles for loss and 24 sacks. Cal played him at defensive end as a true freshman in 2016 (16 tackles, 1.5 sacks in 11 games) before moving him to linebacker for his sophomore campaign (55 tackles, two for loss, five starts in 12 games). Weaver took a big step forward as a junior, finishing second in the FBS with 159 total tackles and fourth in the country with 88 solo stops. Pac-12 coaches named him second-team all-conference for his excellent all-around season (9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions, one returned for a score, and six pass breakups in 13 starts). Weaver starred as a senior, garnering first-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 notice after leading the country with 182 tackles in 13 starts (that includes a whopping 103 solo efforts -- 20 more than the second-place finisher in solo tackles, Colorado's Nate Landman). Ten of those tackles were for losses, including 2.5 sacks; Weaver also broke up three passes and forced three fumbles for the Golden Bears.

Arizona State landed Benjamin from Wylie, Texas, as a top-75 prospect. He played in 10 games as a true freshman in 2017 (23 carries, 142 yards, 6.2 ypc, one touchdown; five receptions, 15 yards; six kick returns, 119 yards, 19.8 average). Benjamin became the Sun Devils' bell-cow back as a sophomore, carrying the mail a school-record 300 times for 1,642 yards (5.5 per) and 16 touchdowns. The third-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-Pac-12 selection, and team MVP ranked fifth in the country in rushing yards, ninth in touchdowns. As if that wasn't enough, Benjamin also caught 35 passes for 263 yards (7.5 per) and two touchdowns, and he fumbled only once on those 335 touches. He did not see the ball as often in 2019 but still finished as a first-team All-Pac-12 selection his junior year (253 carries, 1,083 yards, 4.3 ypc, 10 touchdowns; 42 receptions, 347 yards, 8.3 average, two touchdowns in 12 starts). Benjamin did not play in the team's 2019 bowl game to prepare for the draft.