Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 4-6
More Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 7-9 | 10-12 | 13-15
The college football season has reached its midway point, so now is a perfect time to look at the top true freshmen in the country and how they were ranked out of high school. We call it the Farrell Freshman 15 and today we look at Nos. 7-9, highlighted by two stars in the making at Florida schools.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
The skinny: Burns took official visits to Florida State, Florida and Georgia in January before committing to the Seminoles on National Signing Day. Burns’ big play ability at defensive end has been impressive through the first half of the season for the Seminoles. Having totaled four sacks, which is second on the team behind DeMarcus Walker, plus five tackles for a loss and a forced fumble, Burns is quickly earning increased playing time in Tallahassee.
Farrell’s take: Burns was a Rivals100 prospect with excellent speed around the edge and a great first step, but we had questions about his ability to handle the run. Size is still a question, but his play in the backfield has been stellar and speaks to his ability to disrupt plays with speed and acceleration. As he adds strength, he will become more well-rounded, but right now he’s already emerging as one of the elite pass rushers in the ACC.
The skinny: Gary was a hot name in recruiting since before he even began high school. With offers from every top program in the country, Michigan, Clemson, Auburn, Ole Miss and USC began to pull away last summer. He ended up taking official visits to each of these five schools and committed to Michigan, who was seen as his leader for over a year due to the hiring of his ex-high school coach, Chris Partridge. Gary immediately impressed upon his arrival in Ann Arbor. While he is not yet a starter, he is already a key piece of Michigan’s dominant defense this season.
Farrell’s take: Gary was a freak of nature out of high school, a big and tall defensive lineman who can play with leverage inside but also play with quickness and speed on the outside. He’s arguably the most gifted high school defensive tackle I’ve ever scouted and his motor was always non-stop. He went from a huge, raw prospect who couldn’t play low to a dominant pass rusher from any technique along the defensive end. He will only get better as he adapts to college.
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. While the Alabama quarterback job was open for competition with the graduation of Jake Coker, few people expected Hurts to beat out both Blake Barnett and Cooper Bateman for the job. However, that is exactly what happened, and even more surprisingly, Hurts has performed like a veteran to this point. Having passed for 1,385 yards and nine touchdowns, with only three interceptions, plus rushing for 428 yards and eight touchdowns, he has Alabama contending for yet another national championship.
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 from day one, however, and he will only get better as he gets more comfortable in the pocket.
