Irvin was one of the best pass rushers. But he was a rotation player (he wasn't an everydown guy - didn't play much on 1st down). It isn't a knock on Irvin. He just wasn't an everydown DE (and there aren't many anymore - though Clowney is 1). Rotations amongst the D-line have become the norm.
But, not one person I have seen discussing EO says he is going to sit for a year at Syracuse. Everyone is saying he would slot right into being a starter. If he sits for a year at Syracuse, people are going to be massively disappointed.
Chandler wouldn't have seen the field as much at those schools you list. But, he would have been in the D-Line rotation. Plus, at those schools he would have gotten a lot more 1 on 1's as opposed to teams designing their blocking schemes to double team him.
That is also why Clowney was the # 1 recruit in his class.
Doesn't matter what school you go to. You will be recruited over if you don't produce. Beaulieu as a 3 star got recruited over. Pretty much every DL player on Syracuse got recruited over this year with the number of JUCO's brought in at that position. Now you also have Wayne Williams and Isaiah Johnson coming in. If you can play, the danger of getting recruited over is zero.
I guess my question is, would Dominique Easley all of a sudden be a NFL guy if he went to Syracuse?