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 11-15 led by two great wide receivers.
FARRELL 50 COUNTDOWN: Nos. 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: After playing junior college football in California, Brown committed to Oklahoma over West Virginia. TCU, Tennessee and USC were also in contention for Brown. His first season in Norman was memorable, but would Brown continue to produce at the same level without quarterback Baker Mayfield? He has answered that question with a resounding yes, as he has already totaled 38 receptions for 716 yards and seven touchdowns for the potent Sooners’ offense.
Farrell’s take: Size was a question mark when it comes to Brown, but not much else as he had the speed and home run potential to be a star after dominating at the JUCO level. A slot receiver with catch-and-run speed, we liked Brown as an instant impact guy for the Sooners. His quickness was evident, and he has added a good 20 pounds from his high school days, when he was a 5-foot-10, 155-pounder on a bad team.
The skinny: Playing his high school football in Eugene, Ore., Herbert quickly ended his recruitment once the Ducks offered. After missing time last season with a broken collarbone, Herbert is healthy and playing at a high-level this fall. Passing for 1,883 yards and 18 touchdowns, while rushing for two more scores, Herbert has proven himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
Farrell’s take: Herbert is another great find by Oregon as his only other offers were FCS schools and now some are talking about him as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft if he decided to come out. He was a big, raw, dual-threat coming out of high school who could sling it but had some accuracy issues and some mechanical problems. He also looked skinny despite being 210 pounds or so. He’s filled out, has improved his accuracy greatly and is making good decisions. He’s big, he can move, he has a strong arm and he has all the intangibles that NFL scouts love.
The skinny: Wilkins took official visits to Clemson, Stanford, Penn State, Ohio State and Boston College prior to committing to the Tigers at the Under Armour All-American Game. In Death Valley, he has continued to improve his game from season to season. This fall, as part of a dominating defensive line, Wilkins has totaled 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, while lining up next to Dexter Lawrence.
Farrell’s take: I remember the first time I saw Wilkins on film. It was after his freshman season of high school and his athletic ability was off the charts. As a Connecticut prospect, he didn’t get the national attention of many until later in his career, but I knew how good he was from the jump. Wilkins has already turned into one of the elite defensive tackles in the country and could emerge as one of the top five picks in the NFL Draft. His dominance doesn’t show in the stat sheet as much as expected, but he’s one of the top defenders in the country.
The skinny: Jeudy trimmed his list to Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Tennessee before committing to the Crimson Tide during the summer leading up to his senior season. After a somewhat non-eventful true freshman season, Jeudy has exploded onto the national scene this fall with 31 receptions for 777 yards, which is a 25.1 yards per reception average, and 10 touchdowns for the Tide.
Farrell’s take: Jeudy has emerged as one of the best receivers in the country and that’s no surprise based on our ranking out of high school. We saw him as the next great Florida receiver to make an impact at ‘Bama following Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley. He had size and a frame to fill out and the downfield speed teams covet. When he wanted to be, he was unstoppable and we are seeing more consistency now.
The skinny: Brown took official visits to Alabama and Cal in late January, but then decided to stay in-state and committed to Ole Miss over Mississippi State on National Signing Day. Coming off a huge 2017 season, Brown continues to prove to everyone that he has elite talents. Now with 60 receptions for 805 yards and five touchdowns, NFL teams are lining up to make him a first-round draft pick next spring.
Farrell’s take: Brown was a big and thick receiver with great physical skills coming out of high school. He was our No. 9 wide receiver and No. 53 player overall in our 2016 Rivals100 and there were some internal arguments that he should have been ranked higher. At Under Armour week, he was one of our top performers all week, showing excellent hands and a great ability to make big catches in traffic. He may be the most complete receiver in the country when you consider his size and power, and is my clear No. 1 at wide receiver for April's draft.
