Farrell 50 Countdown: Nos. 30-26
FARRELL 50:
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Bio: No. 17 overall, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 3 recruit from Louisiana in 2014, Robinson's recruiting process was a classic Alabama vs. LSU battle. Since Robinson is from Louisiana, many assumed that the Tigers would win out. But with Coach Nick Saban making him a priority, Robinson committed to Alabama in early September, 2013. In the SEC, true freshmen offensive tackles aren't supposed to succeed. But Robinson proved that it was possible, as he was a 14-game starter and excelled against elite competition. Now a year bigger, stronger and more mature, Robinson has the potential to become one of the elite offensive linemen in the country.
Farrell's take: Robinson was an interesting player to evaluate because he dominated on film and was a massive human being with great feet. But he looked so raw and lacked technique against the best of the best during Under Armour week it took me aback. So while we saw his long-term potential as a five-star talent, I thought he would take a couple of years to develop. Boy was I wrong as he was thrown into the fire right away in the SEC and was astonishingly polished. The best appears yet to come as well.
28
OT
Lake City (Fla.) Columbia, 2013, five-star
Bio: No. 14 overall, the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 2 recruit from Florida in 2013, Tunsil's list of top schools changed several times during his recruiting process, but Florida, Georgia and Alabama were there for the majority of the ride. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide pulled ahead, but that is when the unexpected happened. Using their recruiting momentum, Ole Miss jumped into the picture and received an official visit from Tunsil in late January. This visit moved the Rebels ahead of everyone else and earned them the commitment on National Signing Day, just a month or so removed from everyone feeling he was a silent UGA commitment. At Ole Miss, Tunsil has developed into one of the top offensive linemen in the country. He is still recovering from a fractured fibula which occurred during the Peach Bowl, but is on pace to be ready for the season opener. Also, some publicized off-the-field issues from the summer have been resolved, which should have Tunsil focused on his junior season.
Farrell's take: Tunsil is an elite talent and I fully expect him to rebound from his injury and have a huge year which will translate into a first-round grade in the NFL Draft. He was an elite talent out of high school, showing good arm extension, excellent footwork and the ability to be effective in pass protection as well as the run game. There was little doubt he was going to be a star if he continued to develop and it's been fun to watch that happen - unless you're a Georgia fan, as he appeared to be a lock for the Dawgs for a while.
27
S
Murrieta (Cali.) Vista Murrieta, 2013, five-star
Bio: No. 12 overall, the No. 1 safety and the No. 1 recruit from California in 2013, Cravens never seemed too interested in dragging out his recruiting process. After trimming his list to USC, UCLA, Ohio State, Nebraska and Michigan during the spring of 2012, Cravens committed to the Trojans in June. At USC, Cravens has played all over the defense during his first two seasons. In 2014 he led the Trojans with 17 tackles for a loss while playing a safety/linebacker hybrid position that has put him in a spot to consistently make big plays. This fall, Cravens will play more of a traditional linebacker role, while also being looked to as a vocal leader on the defense.
Farrell's take: Cravens was clearly an elite talent coming out of high school as evidenced by his high ranking but I expected him to stay at safety and didn't expect him to be quite as physical as he's been so early. He always had off the charts instincts and he covered a ton of the field, so stardom was destined, but I'm impressed how he has handled the slide down to linebacker and that he's been so good at shedding blocks. This kid is special.
26
WR
Mesquite, Tex., 2013, two-star
Bio: Higgins was a two-star, but was not ranked nationally at his position or in Texas in 2013. Recruiting never took off for Higgins, mainly because of lingering questions regarding his speed. Higgins committed to Colorado State over ULM after taking a visit to Fort Collins in late January. At Colorado State, Higgins has blossomed. After a very productive freshman season, Higgins burst onto the national scene last fall with a nation's best 1,750 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. This fall, Higgins is eager to prove that his production wasn't the byproduct of quarterback Garrett Grayson, who has moved on to the NFL.
Farrell's take: No. 30 - No. 26 on our list includes four five-star recruits and then a two-star kid who just showed us that we missed him. This happens many times when it comes down to speed at the wide receiver position where guys either get faster as they get to college or, more importantly, show they don't need that elite speed because they run such great routes and set up defenders so well. Higgins did both and having Grayson and head coach Jim McElwain helped his development greatly.
FARRELL 50:
50-46 |
45-41 |
| 35-31
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
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