Super Bowl 50: Impact four-stars

With Super Bowl 50 approaching quickly, we thought it would be interesting to look at the top two-, three-, four- and five-stars that should impact the game. Today we look at the four-stars with a good mix of each team.

Players are ranked in order of how we feel they will impact the Super Bowl.

Related: Impact two-stars at Super Bowl | Three-stars

The skinny: Von Miller was the No. 15 weakside defensive end and the No. 29 recruit from Texas in the class of 2007. Miller committed to Texas A&M during his senior season, but then also took an official visit to Ole Miss in January. However, a visit to College Station the following week further strengthened his commitment to the Aggies. At Texas A&M, Miller was a two-time first team All-American and led the country in sacks with 17 in 2009. Selected with the second overall pick by Denver in 2011, Miller has continued to dominate the opposition over the last five seasons with the Broncos. This domination has carried over into the playoffs this season, especially during his AFC Championship Game performance when he totaled 5 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception.

Farrell’s take: Miller was always an athletic guy who could get after the passer and was a top 30 Texas recruit and a four-star with the only question being about his size and frame. That didn’t stop him as a hybrid guy in college and the NFL and he has become one of the elite pass rushers in all of football. He was one of the earlier hybrid guys, something very common nowadays, and his motor has always been non-stop.

The skinny: Malik Jackson was the No. 10 weakside defensive end and the No. 35 recruit from California in the class of 2008. Jackson committed to USC during his senior season and stayed with the Trojans, despite taking an official visit to Fresno State in December. Jackson spent two seasons with USC before transferring to Tennessee in 2010. With the Vols, he totaled 104 tackles and 7.5 sacks in two seasons, before being selected by Denver in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. A full-time starter for the first time this season, Jackson finished with 45 tackles and five sacks, while adding four more tackles during the two playoff victories.

Farrell’s take: Jackson was a top 40 recruit in California and a four-star, so we liked him, but like Miller, there were questions about his size and frame. His ranking, unlike Miller’s, which appears low, was spot on and Jackson is starting to emerge and shows flashes of pass-rushing potential. Jackson’s career at USC didn’t pan out, he was solid at Tennessee and now he’s solid at Denver.

The skinny: Kurt Coleman was the No. 13 cornerback and the No. 10 recruit from Ohio in the class of 2006. As with many top Ohio recruits, Coleman always favored the Buckeyes and jumped at their offer during the summer leading up to his senior season. In Columbus, Coleman became an integral part of the Buckeyes defense from 2007 to 2009, earned All Big-Ten and All-American honors after his senior season. Selected in the seventh round by Philadelphia in the 2010 Draft, Coleman spent three seasons with the Eagles before making moves to Kansas City and now Carolina. He enjoyed his best statistical season of his NFL career in 2015 with 90 tackles and seven interceptions. His solid play has continued into the playoffs with 12 tackles and two interceptions.

Farrell’s take: Coleman was a cornerback out of high school and he had good size and was willing to hit. His career at Ohio State was very impressive, but he still fell to the seventh round. After a couple of stops, he’s emerging as a star for the Panthers and the ball-hawking skills we saw in high school have served him well.

The skinny: Trai Turner was the No. 14 offensive guard and the No. 13 recruit from Louisiana in the Class of 2011. Turner picked up an early offer from LSU and decided to not drag the process out with a commitment to the Tigers in May. After redshirting in 2011, Turner played in 25 games during the next two seasons at LSU, leading up to his early departure to the NFL. While it was somewhat of a surprise that he left LSU so early, he was still selected in the third round by Carolina in the 2014 NFL Draft. Earning the starting right guard spot with the Panthers as a rookie, Turner has solidified his position in 2015.

Farrell’s take: Turner was a massive, and I mean massive, prospect out of high school in the 340-pound range. He was a pure road grader that everyone wanted as an inside guy who would impose his will on others. His ranking appears to be correct based on his college career and draft status, and he’s off to a good start to his NFL career.

The skinny: No. 59 overall, the No. 9 offensive tackle and the No. 5 recruit from Ohio in the class of 2010, Andrew Norwell committed to Ohio State a year before his own National Signing Day and stayed firm with his word throughout. Norwell played for four years with the Buckeyes, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors after both his junior and senior season. Despite this success, he went undrafted and signed a free agent deal with Carolina in 2014. Finishing up his second season with the Panthers, Norwell has proven critics wrong, as he has established himself as one of the top young guards in the league. In 2015, he is part of an offensive line that has helped pave Carolina’s dominant rushing attack that is tops in the league with 148 yards per game.

Farrell’s take: Norwell was the highest ranked kid on this list coming out of high school, a Rivals100 prospect who was top 10 at offensive tackle and top 5 in state because he was tall, long, and athletic and had a great frame to fill out. His college career was excellent, but he was undrafted in the NFL. He has shown many teams they made a mistake. He is one of the better undrafted offensive linemen in the NFL and has shown improved run-blocking ability for a taller guy.