Recruiting in college baseball is like no other sport, especially for the top programs. Securing a commitment from an elite prospect is only the first step. Getting him to campus and keeping him away from the MLB Draft is often the most stressful part of the process.In the Class of 2023, 21 of the top 25 high school prospects, according to the Perfect Game rankings, never enrolled in college. The top prospect to play college baseball, Cameron Johnson, was ranked No. 11.After that, colleges had a decent amount of success — 24 players ranked between Nos. 26 and 75 played college baseball.Now that these players have completed their third season — and are eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft — we thought it would be a good time to check in on how things have gone for these former top recruits.Here are the top 20 prospects (according to Perfect Game) from the Class of 2023 who played college baseball and how their NCAA careers unfolded.No. 11 Cameron Johnson, RHP, LSU (Upper Marlboro, Md.): Johnson’s lack of command has been an issue throughout all three college seasons — one at LSU and two at Oklahoma. He emerged as a weekend starter as a junior in 2026 and had some great moments, especially early in the season, but he could never consistently deliver. This stat summarizes Johnson’s season: In 10 SEC starts, he walked 37 in 32 1/3 innings but allowed a .181 batting average against — the lowest among starters in league play. He appeared in one game and did not record an out in the Sooners’ run to the national title. He entered the transfer portal last Monday.No. 17 Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA (Chandler, Ariz.): Cholowsky’s career ended on a sour note when No. 1 seed UCLA lost in the Regionals, but it was a great run for the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. Over three seasons, he hit .329 with a 1.071 OPS and 52 home runs while leading the Bruins back to national relevance, including a berth in the 2025 College World Series. He was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and two-time finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.No. 18 Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech (Perry, Ga.): Nobody had more home runs (60) and a higher OPS (1.204) over the last three seasons than Burress. His best season, power-wise, was in 2024 as a freshman (25 home runs, 1.333 OPS), but he was a consistent producer throughout. Like Cholowsky, his college career ended in disappointment with Georgia Tech’s loss to Oklahoma in the Regionals as the No. 2 overall seed.