Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
The postseason Farrell Freshman 15 continues today with Nos. 4-6, highlighted by one of the standouts from the national title game.
FRESHMAN 15: Nos. 7-9 | 10-12 | 13-15
FARRELL 50: Nos. 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Jefferson took official visits to San Jose State and Utah State, before a late January visit to Corvallis ended with a commitment to the Beavers. While Oregon State struggled on the field in 2018, Jefferson gave the coaching staff and fans something to get excited about. Rushing for 1,380 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus adding 147 receiving yards, Jefferson gives the Beavers an offensive weapon that every team will need to plan against.
Farrell’s take: Jefferson was a low three-star coming out of high school with good size but some question marks about his high-end speed. He was heavily recruited for the most part and has some impressive offers but saw immediate playing time available at Oregon State and he’s taken advantage of it. He’s probably the best freshman in the country no one has heard about.
The skinny: Waddle took official visits to Alabama, Texas A&M, Oregon, Florida State and TCU, but with Signing Day approaching he trimmed his list down to the Tide and Aggies. This was a toss-up until the final minutes, but at the end Nick Saban was able to pull him to Tuscaloosa. As with Justyn Ross, Waddle excelled despite sharing time with a stacked group of receivers. Even with this, he still finished with 45 receptions for 848 yards and seven touchdowns, while also handling kick return duties.
Farrell’s take: Waddle was a five-star out of high school for good reason and he’s shown why. He’s a dynamic route runner with good hands and has excellent speed. But what stood out the most out of high school was his strength as a smaller wideout. He’s hard to handle for a lot of reasons.
The skinny: Ross had his choice of schools from coast-to-coast, but seemed destined to stay in-state to play for either Alabama or Auburn for the majority of his recruitment. However, a very successful official visit to Death Valley in December changed everything. So despite taking visits to both the Tide and Tigers in January, he ended up committing to Clemson on National Signing Day. Despite being a part of a loaded receiving corps, Ross still excelled this season with 46 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: Ross was a no-brainer as a five-star wide receiver coming out of high school with great size and body control. He has big hands, snatches the ball out of the air and is an excellent 50-50 ball receiver. It’s no surprise he’s been as impressive as he’s been as a freshman.
