Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
It’s that time of year again, time for the updated Farrell 50, the top 50 players in college football. Today we look at 1-5, topped by the Heisman shoo-in.
FARRELL 50 COUNTDOWN: Nos. 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Taylor initially committed to Rutgers in early May, but then flipped to Wisconsin after an official visit to Madison in October. Not many people expected Taylor’s huge true freshman season, but this also caused people to wonder if he would be able to produce at the same level this fall. With 1,109 yards and eight touchdowns through seven games - which puts him on a pace to eclipse last year’s numbers - he has proven to everyone that his 2017 production was far from a fluke.
Farrell’s take: I liked Taylor's fit at Wisconsin because of his combination of size, power and quick feet, but I never expected him to reach this level so fast. The Badgers have done so well with New Jersey/New York-area running backs over the years, and this kid is clearly next. He broke former Badgers star running back Corey Clement’s South Jersey rushing record his senior season and has been compared with Clement often, although he’s a bit more physical. Taylor’s balance, especially, stood out when scouting him.
The skinny: Haskins committed to Maryland in the spring before his senior season, but then kept his process open with official visits to Florida and Ohio State. He eventually flipped to the Buckeyes in mid-January. He also cancelled a trip to LSU after his commitment to Ohio State. Haskins' first season as a collegiate starter has been memorable, with 2,801 yards, 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
Farrell’s take: Haskins burst onto the scene for us by winning the QB MVP at our Rivals Camp Series event in Baltimore, between his sophomore and junior year. The offers flew in after that. He ended up as a Rivals100 prospect by showing off excellent arm strength and good touch downfield. As a top-five pro-style quarterback in the 2016 class, we liked his upside. He is showing Ohio State fans that the passing game is in much better hands now than it has been in years.
The skinny: Oliver surprised many by committing early to Houston. While he did take a closer look at Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Ole Miss during his senior season, he stuck with his word and signed with the Cougars. The former five-star has continued to dominate offenses during the 2018 season with 51 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, three sacks and one forced fumble for the 6-1 Cougars.
Farrell’s take: Oliver was a blocky but athletic defensive tackle when I first saw him. He grew into a stout, solid and super-quick gap-shooter by the end of the rankings cycle. Oliver had such great instincts and followed the football so naturally that he was effective blowing up plays in the run game and getting after the passer. And his snap anticipation was off the charts, as well.
Oliver was given his fifth star in our final 2016 rankings cycle and that was one of our better decisions, as he’s already a dominant college player and has an amazing future. Could he be the No. 1 overall pick? He has a chance.
The skinny: Murray’s recruiting process had plenty of drama, but he eventually committed to Texas A&M despite a late push from Texas. With the Aggies, Murray had his fair share of success during his true freshman season, but still decided to transfer to Oklahoma. He sat out the 2016 season and then served as Baker Mayfield’s back-up in 2017. In his first season as a starter in Norman, Murray has performed like a veteran with 1,977 yards, 25 touchdowns and only three interceptions through the air, plus 428 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Farrell’s take: Murray was highly ranked, but many felt he was ranked too low based on his amazing high school career. He was a high school legend who was impossible to beat and put up amazing numbers with his arm and feet. Now he’s one of the most dangerous players in the country and the only one not named Tagovailoa with a chance to win the Heisman.
The skinny: Despite claiming USC was his “dream school,” Tagovailoa committed to Alabama after a trip that saw him also visit Auburn and Ole Miss during the spring after his junior season. Both USC and UCLA continued to pursue Tagovailoa, but neither were able to beat out the Tide. His first season as a starter in Tuscaloosa has been legendary, with 2,066 yards, 25 touchdowns and zero interceptions through the first eight games for the undefeated Tide. Due to the team’s amazing start, he has also yet to play a down in the fourth quarter. He has led Alabama to a touchdown on its first possession every game.
Farrell’s take: Tagovailoa was highly ranked, but fell short of five-star status by about 20 spots or so. Oooops. We liked his arm strength and accuracy, but he didn’t have great size and struggled a few times in evaluations. However, he has gotten off to one of the best starts in college football history and appears to be a shoo-in for the Heisman.
