Farrell 50: Nos. 16-20
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
The postseason Farrell 50, a list of the top 50 college football players in the country and how we saw them out of high school, is complete. Today, we continue with Nos. 21-25, highlighted by one of the best cornerbacks in the country.
FARRELL 50: Nos. 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Jones committed to Ohio State over Notre Dame and Michigan during the summer before his senior season. While the Buckeyes experienced their fair share of inconsistencies on defense in 2018, Jones was one of the few players on the unit who could be counted on every week. Finishing with 43 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one forced fumble, one interception and two defensive touchdowns, he raised his game to a new level this fall. Jones was named first-team All-Big Ten.
Farrell’s take: A strongside defensive end in our 2015 rankings, Jones has grown into one of the most athletic and explosive defensive tackles in the country. He blew out his knee playing hoops before his freshman year, which led to questions about how effective he’d be coming back, but he’s been a monster ever since. He’s always been at his best using speed and quickness off the snap and that’s one of the traits everyone likes.
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. Brown came into the 2018 season with a lot of pressure to try and outdo his impressive 2017 showing. He responded by finishing with 85 receptions for 1,320 yards and six touchdowns, as he looks to be one of the most NFL ready receivers in the draft this spring. Brown was named a third-team AP All-American.
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 No. 1 at wide receiver for April's draft.
The skinny: Thompson committed to Alabama during a Junior Day event, becoming the Crimson Tide's first 2015 commitment. It is not often that Alabama has a concern at a position coming into a season, but with the heavy losses they took in the secondary there were several questions coming into the fall. Thompson alleviated these concerns by taking his game to the next level with 75 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions; six pass break ups, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He was named first-team AP All-American.
Farrell’s take: Thompson was a highly-ranked safety out of high school who had a good frame but was skinny. He needed to fill out and get stronger. If I remember correctly, he was a five-star at one point but fell to a four-star because of those question marks. He’s come into his own this season and is rising on this list as a defensive playmaker.
The skinny: Snell committed to the Wildcats almost a year before his own Signing Day over offers from Iowa, Boston College, Cincinnati and several MAC schools. In Lexington, Snell established himself as not only the unquestioned offensive leader for the Wildcats, but also one of the top running backs in the country. Leading Kentucky to a memorable season, which ended in a bowl victory over Penn State, Snell finished with 1,449 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground in 2018. Snell was named third-team AP All-American.
Farrell’s take: Snell was a low three-star prospect who had good size, but we questioned his speed and footwork, as did many other programs that passed. But Kentucky saw something many didn’t, and it has turned out to be a home run evaluation for them. He’s added explosion, has shown great vision and runs with power consistently and was on a mission this season. He was clearly one of the best backs in the SEC.
The skinny: Baker’s recruitment really took off during the late spring after his junior season, with offers from Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee and Kentucky coming in. However, he decided not to stretch out his process by making a commitment to the Bulldogs in June. Baker established himself as one of the top cover corners in the country this fall with 40 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two interceptions, nine pass break ups and one forced fumble, while often seeing teams throw to the other side of the field. Baker was named first-team AP All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation's top defensive back.
Farrell’s take: Baker was a skinny cornerback with solid skills coming out of high school, but was a three-star prospect because of questions about his strength. He could run with anyone but he wasn’t very strong in run support and could get pushed around a bit. He had a good showing at the U.S. Army All-America Bowl and raised his stock a bit, but we still saw him as a project and mid three-star. However, he has developed into one of the top defensive backs in the country.
