Super Bowl 50: Impact three-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 three-stars with a good mix of each team.

RELATED: Impact two-stars at Super Bowl 50

The skinny: Luke Kuechly was the No. 42 outside linebacker and the No. 37 recruit from Ohio in the Class of 2009. He took his recruiting process slowly, taking official visits to Boston College, Stanford, Duke and Virginia before committing to the Eagles in mid-January. At BC, he quickly emerged as an elite defender. After earning three first-team All-American honors and winning almost every post-season defensive award possible in 2011, he was selected with the ninth overall pick by Carolina in 2012 NFL. The awards and honors have continued to accumulate in the NFL. This season, despite missing three games due to a concussion, he still totaled 118 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack. His big play ability has transferred over to the playoffs, with 19 tackles and two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns.

Farrell’s take: No one saw this coming. Maybe when he arrived at BC much bigger than he was in high school and I saw how he took over as a true freshman for Mark Herzlich, but not in high school. He was a good high school player, don’t get me wrong, but he played a lot of safety and was a ‘tweener that we projected as a linebacker who would take some time to develop. Now he’s arguably the best defensive player in the NFL, JJ Watt included, and his smarts and instincts are unrivaled.

The skinny: Demaryius Thomas was the No. 58 wide receiver and the No. 34 recruit from Georgia in the Class of 2006. At Georgia Tech, he led the Yellow Jackets in receiving each of his three seasons after redshirting in 2006. After grabbing 46 receptions for 1,154 yards and eight touchdowns in 2009, he decided to forego his senior season and head to the NFL. Selected with the 22nd overall pick by Denver in 2010, he has become one of the top receivers in the league over the last four seasons. Coming off a 105-catch, 1,304-yard, six-touchdown season in 2015, Thomas has added six receptions for 52 yards in the playoffs.

Farrell’s take: Thomas was a big, physical receiver out of high school who had good speed for his size but was a raw route-runner and really got by on his athletic ability moreso than natural football instincts. He got a bit quicker obviously in college and his redshirt year was big for him as he learned a lot from Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech. But the progression to first-rounder and NFL superstar was not seen.

The skinny: Ryan Kalil was the No. 6 center and the No. 42 recruit from California in the class of 2003. He was an early commitment to USC and stayed true with the Trojans throughout. Drafted in the second round by Carolina in 2007, Kalil has spent his entire nine-year career with the Panthers. While anchoring the Carolina offensive line, he has been named All-Pro twice in the last three seasons, plus he has been named to five Pro Bowls. In 2105, he has been an integral part of an offense that led the NFL in yards per game and rushing yards per game.

Farrell’s take: Kalil was the older brother of the much more heavily recruited Matt Kalil, a five star on Rivals.com, and paved the way for his brother to USC with his commitment. We had him as a top 50 California recruit, which means we liked him quite a bit, but as a center, his positional value was down a bit and he wasn’t big or strong out of high school. His technique, smarts and ability to anchor made him a very good college player and has made him one of the best centers in the NFL.

The skinny: Ronnie Hillman took January official visits to San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State before committing to the Aztecs. Because of admissions difficulties caused him to miss his freshman year, Hillman ended up playing only two seasons with the Aztecs, totaling 3,010 yards and 32 touchdowns. Selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by Denver, Hillman had his most productive professional season of his career in 2015 with 863 yards and seven touchdowns, while starting in 10 games. He has had his struggles in the playoffs to this point, with only 54 yards on 27 carries, as the Broncos offense has been mostly bogged down.

Farrell’s take: No Power Five schools went on Hillman out of high school mainly because of academic issues and a lack of size, but San Diego State was a great fit for him. He got the ability to play even after missing his freshman year, worked in a wide open offense where ability in space was important and showed he was stronger than people thought for his size. He’s not exactly an NFL star, but he’s been around for a little bit and is getting more productive.

The skinny: C.J. Anderson was a three-star JUCO recruit after playing his high school football at Bethel HS in Vallejo, California. He ended up taking official visits to Cal, Washington State, Memphis and New Mexico State, before he committed to the Golden Bears during his visit in late January. During his two seasons at Cal, Anderson became a reliable contributor, but never a star. As an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Broncos in 2013, but didn’t earn regular playing time until the 2014 season. Splitting time with Ronnie Hillman, the tandem has proven itself as reliable, yet unspectacular. Anderson has had the more productive 2015 playoff season to date, totaling 144 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.

Farrell’s take: Another Cal back who has had success in the NFL (look it up, there have been many), Anderson was a mid-range three star who was also ignored by most of the Power Five programs. Unlike Hillman, Anderson had size but speed was the biggest question mark. He also had a few admission issues as well having to go the JUCO route before finding his home at Cal, but he never stood out and went undrafted. Now he’s a solid backup/split-time guy who still has speed issues but runs with power as he did at JUCO.