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Unlike his teammate, Avery Moss, Rivers started and ended his career with Youngstown, starring as a first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection each of the past three seasons. He spent a semester at Fork Union Military Academy first, as many east coast college hopefuls do instead of redshirting, then moved into a reserve role on defense for the Penguins in 2013 (13 tackles, three for loss, 2.5 sacks). The next season, he started to terrorize quarterbacks, making 50 tackles, 17 for loss, and 14 sacks (tied for fifth in the FCS) in 12 games. Rivers played defensive end and linebacker as a junior (52 tackles, 15.5 for loss, eight sacks) and then really turned it on with Moss across the way in 2016. He was a third-team Associated Press FCS All-American as a senior with 58 tackles, 19.5 for loss, and 14 sacks, which ranked second in the nation.

Garcia would have been a four-year starter at the left tackle spot for Troy had he not missed half his redshirt freshman season due to a knee injury. Garcia fell through the cracks in the recruiting process as he was the first athlete at Charles Drew High School, located south of Atlanta in Riverdale, Georgia, to earn first-team all-state recognition. After making six starts on the blind side in 2013, he started 36 of 37 games after that in the key position. Garcia was an honorable mention All-Sun Belt pick in 2015 and a first-team all-conference selection as a senior.

Deatrich Wise, Sr. was a ninth-round pick in 1998 by Seattle and also played in the Canadian Football League. Junior wasn't a starter until his senior year, and then he only did so in the opening eight games as he dealt with a hand injury suffered in the opener along with other injuries that limited his snaps later in the year. He did produce in that role, however, ending up with 49 stops, 5.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks for the season. Wise got on scouts' radars by racking up eight sacks and two forced fumbles as a reserve in 2015. He also played regularly off the bench in 2013 (one start, 17 tackles, three TFL, two sacks) and 2014 (one start, 13 tackles, three TFL, two sacks).

McDermott was an excellent basketball player in high school, but decided his future was instead in the football realm. He dislocated his shoulder in a state title basketball game, however, forcing him to go to a prep school for a year before heading to UCLA. McDermott redshirted his first year in Westwood, joining his brother, Kevin, who is now a long snapper with the Minnesota Vikings. After another year on the bench to add pounds to his basketball frame, McDermott started the final seven games of the 2014 season at left tackle. His game had improved enough in his junior year that Pac-12 coaches voted him second-team all-conference. He repeated that achievement in 2016, starting every game on the left side.