Farrell 50 Countdown: Nos. 1-5
FARRELL 50:
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50-46 |
45-41 |
| 35-31 |
Bio: No. 35 overall, the No. 6 running back and the No. 3 recruit from Georgia in 2014, Chubb announced a top three of Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina, with Tennessee and Georgia Tech on the outside looking in during the spring following his junior season. After taking a visit to each of his three favorites, Chubb decided to stay close to home and committed to the Bulldogs in June. Coming into the season, Chubb was sure to get some playing time, but nobody expected him to burst onto the scene as he did. Helped by the suspension of Todd Gurley, Chubb took advantage of the opportunity and blossomed. After not taking over as Georgia's feature back until the sixth game, Chubb still finished with 1,547 yards and 16 total touchdowns. Despite being part of a very deep backfield in Athens, Chubb should continue to improve and flourish this season.
Farrell's take: One of two ranking regrets in this top five, I take the blame for not pushing for Chubb to be a five-star. I was more taken with fellow classmate Sony Michel and his well-rounded game that I didn't see the ball of fury that Chubb would become. No. 35 overall isn't shabby, he was just two spots away from five-star status behind KD Cannon, but if Chubb's first year is any indication, this kid will be battling Leonard Fournette for college and NFL attention for years to come. I think he's better right now.
3
QB
Mesquite (Texas) West Mesquite, 2011, three-star
Bio: Boykin was a three-star, the No. 24 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 100 recruit in Texas in 2011. Boykin committed to TCU in June without much fanfare or publicity. Amazingly, his only other offer at the time was from UTEP, while Baylor was said to be showing increased interest. With the production that Boykin had last season at TCU, passing for 3,901 yards and 33 touchdowns while also rushing for an additional 707 yards and eight touchdowns, it is hard to believe that it was only his first year as a full-time starter. Being one of 10 returning starters on offense this fall, including the top three wide receivers, Boykin has a great opportunity to improve on his fourth-place Heisman Trophy finish from last season.
Farrell's take: Boykin didn't show this in high school, which is why he wasn't heavily recruited. We liked his athleticism and felt he could change positions if quarterback didn't work out because we felt there was a chance that his sidearm delivery would hurt him down the line. He was a one-man show for West Mesquite, so a lot of pressure was put on him and he tried to do too much at times. That led to some mistakes, but this is a perfect offense for him and he's going to have another huge year.
2
DE
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, 2013, four-star
Bio: No. 47 overall, the No. 4 strongside defensive end and the No. 9 recruit from Florida in 2013, Bosa's recruiting process was fast-paced with Alabama and Florida State being two of his first offers. After a series of visits, Bosa trimmed his list to Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State and Alabama, and surprised some with a decision approximately a week later to the Buckeyes. Bosa excelled as a freshman with 44 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks, but truly took his game to the next level last fall with 55 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss and 13.5 sacks, which earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Bosa, who is suspended for the first game of the 2015 season for violating team rules, will look to improve on his gaudy performance this fall.
Farrell's take: The second regret on this top-five list, along with Chubb, is Bosa. The son of the former Boston College defensive end great was a monster in high school and was at the very least physically imposing and had the ceiling to warrant five-star status. But his play on the field was uninspired at times, which led to questions that he has clearly answered. He wasn't even that close to that fifth star (13 spots away), but he should have been much, much higher.
1
RB
St. Louis (Mo.) John Burroughs School, 2013, four-star
Bio: No. 84 overall, the No. 12 running back and the No. 1 recruit from Missouri in 2013, Elliott already had 20 offers by the early spring after his junior year and was taking multiple visits. One of those visits was to Ohio State in late March, which is all Elliott needed to see as he committed to the Buckeyes the following day. Elliott did take an official visit to Missouri during the weekend leading up to National Signing Day, but was considered firm in his commitment and still signed with the Buckeyes despite his father playing at Mizzou. Elliott did see playing time in 11 games during his freshman season, but only received 30 carries. As a sophomore, he burst onto the national scene. This culminated with three amazing postseason performances that saw him rush for 696 yards in the Big Ten title game, Sugar Bowl and national championship victory over Oregon. The Ohio State offense should be dynamic this fall and you can be sure Elliott will be a huge part of it.
Farrell's take: Elliott blew up at the end of last season and is a physical freak, but he wasn't that way in high school. In fact, his speed was a bit of a question mark overall. Despite that question, he was still a Rivals100 prospect and a player we liked very much. But if he continues to progress as he has, he will be the top running back in the draft and prove that he should have been a five-star projection. But trust me, the Elliott we saw at the end of last season was so much better than the guy we saw in high school. It's the difference between great and very good.
FARRELL 50:
50-46 |
45-41 |
| 35-31 |
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
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