Russell, Falk land on next round of Farrell 50

With the college football season nearly upon us, it’s time for another installment of the Farrell 50, the top 50 college football players in the country. However, as usual here at Rivals.com, we take a quick look at how each ranked out of high school and if they are exceeding or simply living up to expectations.

We are unveiling five per day leading into the start of the college football season.

Today we continue with Nos. 41-45, headlined by a prolific quarterback for a struggling program.

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

The skinny: Falk was originally committed to Cornell when coach Mike Leach gave him a late opportunity to walk on at Washington State. He accepted the opportunity and after redshirting in 2013 has become one of college football's better stories. After playing in only five games in 2014, he became the full-time starter in 2015. Playing in the Cougars wide-open offense, Falk impressed fans and NFL scouts by finishing with 4,561 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading the team to a 9-4 season.

Farrell’s take: This is an excellent example of how well Mike Leach works with quarterbacks, because Falk was not an attractive commodity out of high school. He was tall and had plenty of room to fill out, but his release wasn’t pretty and his arm strength average. He couldn’t make it at Oaks Christian and was benched after two games and the competition level in Utah wasn’t great. And now he’s killing it in college after being Ivy League bound? Wow.

The skinny: Williams committed to Alabama after a January official visit, but still decided to take additional visits to both Florida State and Miami, which caused some stress for Crimson Tide fans. However, the extra visits weren't enough to help the Seminoles and Canes as he decided to stick with the Crimson Tide. At Alabama, Williams saw limited playing time during his first two seasons but began to flourish during the 2015 season with 18 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks while mainly being used as a situational pass rusher. Look for Williams to take on a bigger role with the Crimson Tide in 2016 while still being depended on for his impressive pass rushing skills.

Farrell’s take: Stealing Williams out of LSU’s backyard was a big deal back in 2013, and it seems to be happening at least once a year for Alabama. Williams was a lanky, skinny kid who was an excellent pass rusher out of high school, and the only thing holding him back from a higher ranking was his frame. That’s still an issue, but he’s more than overcome that with his quickness off the edge. The interesting part? He was overshadowed at his school by a freshman named Dylan Moses his senior year.

The skinny: White left no doubt about his recruiting process by making a commitment to LSU at a Junior Day almost a year before his own National Signing Day. The LSU coaching staff did an impressive job identifying his potential early on, as Mississippi State was his only other offer at the time of his commitment. White received immediate playing time at LSU and excelled, finishing with 55 tackles and two interceptions as a true freshman. He continued to thrive during his next two seasons and surprised some by deciding to return for his senior campaign. With his athleticism and skill set, White has the potential to become the next great LSU defensive back in the NFL.

Farrell’s take: A quarterback and defensive back in high school, White is the five-star corner in that 2013 class that gets mentioned the least (Vernon Hargreaves III, Kendall Fuller and Jalen Ramsey all got more press, as did four-stars like Mackensie Alexander and Eli Apple). I have a feeling I have him a bit low on this list and he could have a huge season. I remember seeing him at the Army Bowl and coming away impressed not only in his coverage skills but also his ability as a special teams standout.

The skinny: Sutton was seen as a Tennessee lean for several months before finally committing to the Vols in late August after taking a return visit to campus with his family. While he did take a late official visit to Ole Miss and received a heavy push from Auburn near National Signing Day, Sutton stayed firm with his commitment and signed with the Vols. In Knoxville, Sutton has established himself as one of the top cover corners in the country while also becoming one of the top punt returners. After pulling somewhat of a surprise by returning for his senior season, Sutton is one of the leaders of what has the potential to be an impressive Vols defense this fall.

Farrell’s take: Sutton went from a high school prospect who wasn't a sure tackler at times and had stiff hips to a surefire pro and a college star. Not bad. He’s a lockdown cover cornerback in the SEC, and that’s a big deal. His numbers aren’t off the charts because he doesn’t get tested much. His special teams ability will intrigue a lot of teams. I did not see this level of play coming from him after scouting him in high school.

The skinny: Russell, who never really saw his recruiting process take off, was originally committed to Kansas before flipping to Baylor late in January. Russell redshirted in 2012 before serving as the backup to Bryce Petty in 2013 and 2014. With Petty moving onto the NFL, Russell took control of Baylor’s high octane offense and passed for 2,104 yards and 29 touchdowns despite a neck injury that required surgery and cut his season down to only seven games. Now fully healthy, look for another big season out of Russell this fall.

Farrell’s take: Russell was a big, skinny kid who could run around and sling the rock but wasn’t polished all that much and made some poor decisions with the ball, which led to his three-star ranking. The weapons he had at Baylor certainly helped him last season, and he’s improved in every facet of the game from decision-making to accuracy to knowing when to tuck and run and when to throw, but how will he do this season? He's coming off a serious injury and will fewer playmakers around, so he could fall off this list by mid-season.