Farrell 50 Countdown: Nos. 41-45
FARRELL 50: Nos. 46-50
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Bio: No. 232 overall, the No. 38 wide receiver and the No. 29 recruit from Texas in 2012, Coleman named a top three of Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in early May 2011, before committing to the Bears less than a month later. While committed, other schools continued to recruit Coleman. Texas increased its level of interest as National Signing Day approached, while California received an official visit from Coleman in January. However, Coleman decided to stick with his original word and signed with Baylor.
After redshirting during his freshman season, Coleman has become one of the more explosive wide receivers in the country. After finishing with 35 receptions for 527 yards and two touchdowns in 2013, Coleman exploded with 64 receptions for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall. Playing in Baylor's pass-happy offense, Coleman has the potential to put up jaw-dropping numbers this fall.
Farrell's take: A huge get for Baylor during the time where teams such as the Bears and TCU began to chip away at Texas and Texas A&M to set themselves up for success in state. Coleman was a blazer coming out of high school and a guy who did as much damage on the ground as he did in the air, so it's no surprise to see how good he is in space and after the catch in college.
43
QB
Fork Union (Va.) FUMA, 2013, five-star
Bio: No. 24 overall, the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and the No. 3 recruit from Virginia in 2013, Hackenberg was coach Bill O'Brien's first commitment at Penn State. After getting to know the coaching staff during several visits and with O'Brien's history with Tom Brady in New England, it was more than enough to seal the deal for Penn State. On the field, Hackenberg's performance took a dip last fall after a very impressive freshman season. A big reason for his inconsistent play can be attributed to the horrid offensive line play at Penn State in 2014. Whatever the reason, more will be expected out of Hackenberg this fall.
Farrell's take: Hackenberg earned his fifth star late in the process and the main thing holding him back was his penchant for forcing the ball a bit and relying on his strong arm to try to fit the ball where it didn't belong. He was running for his life much of last season, so hopefully for him he will have added protection this year. He has the skill-set to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
42
WR
Long Beach (Cali.) Poly, 2014, five-star
Bio: No. 24 overall, the No. 2 safety and the No. 3 recruit from California in 2014. Smith, more often referred to as JuJu than John, played the recruiting game, but USC was always seen as the favorite. This only intensified after Lane Kiffin was fired. While UCLA fought hard, in the end Smith surprised no one and committed to the Trojans on National Signing Day. Moved to wide receiver at USC, Smith was a freshman All-American last fall after finishing with 724 yards and five touchdowns. More will be expected out of Smith this fall with the departures of former five-stars Nelson Agholor and George Farmer to the NFL.
Farrell's take: An amazing athlete, JuJu reminded me a bit of Marqise Lee because he could be dominant on defense or offense. But unlike Lee, I didn't freeze up when it came to giving out a fifth star here and Smith is proving worthy. I still think, like Keenan Allen before him, he might be a better safety overall but is so talented that he can dominate on offense. If he has a career like Allen, he'll be happy.
41
QB
Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville, 2011, three-star
Bio: No. 12 pro-style quarterback and the No. 24 recruit from Ohio, Jones' recruiting process was a bit unique because it came down to Ohio State and Toledo on National Signing Day. Jones took his official visit to Columbus during the weekend leading up to National Signing Day, which is also when he actually picked up his offer from the Buckeyes. Not surprisingly, Ohio State jumped to the front after the offer and he committed on National Signing Day. However, due to academic issues, Jones spent the fall of 2011 at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia before making the move to Columbus for the spring of 2012.
Jones flew under the radar at Ohio State until the end of the 2014 season. Listed as the third-string quarterback at the beginning of the season, injuries to Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett suddenly propelled Jones into the starting position for the Big Ten Championship. Leading the Buckeyes to three consecutive amazing victories and a national championship, Jones went from being under-the-radar to a potential NFL draftee in only a month's time. Deciding to return to Ohio State, Jones is currently battling Barrett for the starting quarterback position for the 2015 season.
Farrell's take: This is simply amazing. Having seen Jones in high school and in prep school, there is no way you could have told me he'd be so perfect through that three-game run to the national title and be discussed as a first-rounder. This shows how well Urban Meyer and his staff develop talent. My money is on J.T. Barrett to be the man this year. But you have to be intrigued by Jones' newfound skill-set. Wow.
FARRELL 50: Nos. 46-50
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
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