Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 3-1
We're taking a look at the top true freshmen following the 2016 regular season and how they were ranked out of high school. We call it the Farrell Freshman 15. Today, we look at Nos. 1-3, led by a pair of standout defensive lineman.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
The skinny: With Clemson seen as the leader, Lawrence took official visits to the Tigers, Florida, Ohio State, N.C. State and Alabama. Despite a late push from N.C. State to try and keep him home, Lawrence committed to Clemson. Lawrence impressed during the spring as an early enrollee, so expectations were off the charts for him this fall. He met those expectations, as he quickly established himself as an anchor on the interior defensive line for the Tigers with 54 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Farrell’s take: Lawrence was a massive high school prospect. He had exceptional pass-rushing moves and worked off contact extremely well. Lawrence always had a counter for whatever an offensive lineman threw at him and was well-coached in the nuances of the position. He was our No. 1 prospect at one point and finished just behind Rashan Gary at No. 2, so none of this early success is unexpected. The big debate is between Lawrence and Ed Oliver as the No. 1 true freshman defensive tackle in the country and a case could be made for either.
The skinny: Hurts named a top four of Alabama, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Florida before committing to the Crimson Tide less than a week later. Hurts then surprised many by beating out both Blake Barnett and Cooper Bateman during preseason camp for the starting job. On top of that, Hurts quickly adjusted to the college game and performed like a veteran throughout the season. Having passed for 2,454 yards and 21 touchdowns, plus rushing for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns, he once again has Alabama in the national semifinals.
Farrell’s take: Hurts was always known for a big arm, but his touch wasn’t consistent. However, he was the kind of kid who seemed very relaxed on and off the field and never shrunk from the moment. Hurts was smart with the football and his accuracy improved greatly between his junior and senior seasons. I certainly didn’t see him heading to Alabama and taking the starting job in game one, however, and he will only get better as he gets more comfortable in the pocket. A true freshman leading his team to a national title is possible here and shows how mature Hurts is.
The skinny: Oliver pulled off one of the big surprises of the 2016 recruiting cycle by committing early to Houston and then sticking with his word despite pressure from a majority of major programs across the country. He did take a closer look at Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Ole Miss during the fall, but put pen to paper with the Cougars. The impressive work put in by the Houston staff to grab his signature paid immediate dividends, as Oliver had a dominant true freshman season. Totaling 50 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and six pass breakups, the sky is the limit for Oliver at Houston.
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.
MORE HOUSTON: CougarsDen.com