Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 7-9
More Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 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: Harry took official visits to Texas A&M and Washington before trimming his list down to the Aggies, Huskies, Arizona State, Oregon and USC. Despite not taking an official visit to Arizona State, it was the local Sun Devils that had established the best relationship with Harry. Making his decision in early December, he decided to stay close to home and committed to the Sun Devils. At Arizona State, Harry is already a consistent threat. Having totaled 26 receptions for 266 yards and three touchdowns, his production should only improve as the season continues.
Farrell’s take: The first time I saw Harry at our Rivals Camp Series event in Las Vegas, I knew he was a five-star. He was big, strong and very fluid, and he had an extra gear rare for a 200-pound high school receiver, which allowed him to gain great separation. The No. 1 wideout in the 2016 class, he is adjusting to college very well and should add production as the year goes on and his career unfolds.
The skinny: Pinckney committed to Miami during the summer leading up to his junior season, and despite taking several visits and enduring a coaching change, stayed firm to the Canes. Pinckney earned immediate playing time at Miami after enrolling early and impressing during the spring. Already starting, he is currently second on the team in tackles with 31, plus has four tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks and an interception for the 4-2 Hurricanes.
Farrell’s take: Pinckney was a bit sawed off and wasn’t quite quick-twitch enough to earn that fourth star out of high school despite being a solid tackler and making a huge impact as a blitzing ‘backer in pass rush situations. He did everything well but wasn’t great at any one thing, which is why everyone in the industry had him with that three-star grade. But sometimes you can’t project how a prospect will transition to college and Pinckney has added explosion and shown football sense beyond what we expected so far.
The skinny: Originally committed to Miami, Taylor re-opened his process after the firing of Al Golden. A new offer from Florida followed, which quickly led to his commitment to the Gators in December. A late offer from Georgia caused some stress among Florida fans, but he signed with the Gators on National Signing Day. Taylor has been one of the biggest freshman surprises of the 2016 season thus far. With an injury to Fredrick Johnson, and because of his own impressive play, Taylor has become the starter at right tackle and dominated in the early stages of his collegiate career.
Farrell’s take: Well we didn’t see this one coming. Taylor was a massive kid who carried some bad weight for most of his high school career. That led to a projection as a prospect who could play tackle at the prep level but would probably move to guard in college because he wasn’t quick enough. He was strong and a powerful run blocker but struggled in pass protection against faster players. Now slimmed down, he’s an elite SEC tackle.
More Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 13-15 | Nos. 10-12