Farrell Freshman 15: Countdown begins with Nos. 13-15

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

The college football regular season is over and numerous true freshmen have stood out. The annual postseason Farrell Freshman 15 starts today, led by an offensive lineman out of Texas and two stars playing for Florida programs.

MORE: Reviewing the Early Signing Period | Postseason Farrell 50

The skinny: Anderson piled up the offers after his sophomore season, which resulted in his commitment to Texas Tech during his junior season. While pressure continued from several top programs, Anderson held firm throughout the remainder of his process with the Red Raiders. In Lubbock, Anderson immediately established himself as one of the top offensive linemen on the Texas Tech roster. Earning a spot at right guard, he started every game for the Red Raiders and helped stabilize and improving unit.

Farrell’s Take: As a Rivals250 prospect, we liked Anderson but he was a controversial ranking as Texas Tech fans felt he should have been ranked much higher. He started off as a national Top 50 prospect but slid down near the 200 mark because of question marks about his consistency, technique and use of his arms. He was an excellent run blocker but struggled at times with pass blocking and balance. However, he’s played above his ranking so far, and has been one of the most impressive true freshman linemen in the country, which is not an easy task.

The skinny: Henderson took official visits to Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Auburn before committing to the Gators the day before National Signing Day. It was actually Miami that came closest to beating out the Gators, but in the end he took his talents to Gainesville. Over the last few years, the Gators’ secondary has produced several NFL players. And while it may be a bit premature to say Henderson is on that same path, everything is already pointing in that direction. Finishing the season with 22 tackles, four interceptions - two of which were returned for touchdowns - and four pass break-ups, Henderson has already proven himself as a playmaker in the secondary.

Farrell’s Take: Marco Wilson or CJ Henderson at the end of the Farrell Freshman 15? It was a tough call, but I went with Henderson because of those two defensive scores. Both were equally impressive in coverage as freshmen, and Henderson was expected to be a standout with his Rivals250 ranking, but he is ahead of the curve a bit with the strong start. The duo, with others, should keep Florida battling for that DBU title.

The skinny: Akers initially committed to Alabama before the start of his junior season, but then reopened his process as additional offers poured in. Eventually trimming his list down to Florida State, Ole Miss, Georgia and Ohio State, Akers committed to the Seminoles over the in-state Rebels in late December. With Dalvin Cook making his move to the NFL, carries were up for grabs this fall in Tallahassee. Akers responded with 930 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground (plus 15 receptions), while showing the potential that could make him a star with the Seminoles.

Farrell’s Take: Akers was a freaky talent out of high school, as evidenced by his national ranking, and there was quite a debate between Akers and Najee Harris for No. 1 running back and No. 1 overall. Akers played quarterback in high school and could do it all, but it was his ability with the ball in his hands that impressed the most. He started off slowly this season but came on in the end and fell just short of 1,000 regular season yards. He’s a beast, plain and simple.