Farrell Freshman 15: Nos. 13-15
RELATED: Looking back at 2016 Rivals250
It’s that time of year again, the midpoint of the college football season where we take a look at some of 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. 15-13, led by a big-time signal caller from the Lone Star State.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report
The skinny: The Ducks made Dye a recruiting priority from the start, and the hard work by the staff paid off with a commitment in July. He chose Oregon over Oregon State, Colorado and Nevada. Dye’s collegiate career started amazingly, as he opened the season by earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after he totaled 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and a blocked field goal. While his production has obviously leveled off, partially due to injuries, he has already shown more than enough to get Ducks fans excited.
Farrell’s Take: The Ducks' defense is awful, but it’s not because of Dye, who has a bright future ahead of him. Dye was ranked as a big safety for us last season who could easily grow into a linebacker, and his versatility and length made him a high three-star for us. He struggled a bit in one-on-one coverage with smaller, quicker players, but working as a defensive back has allowed him to excel in coverage and his quick-twitch ability has not been hindered by added weight and muscle. He always had excellent football sense and was a sure tackler, but he’s exceeded our expectations as the first true freshman linebacker to start for the Ducks in more than 38 years.
The skinny: Initially many expected Davidson and his teammate at the time, Lyndell “Mack” Wilson, to head to Alabama together. But family ties were at Auburn, as well as an interest in becoming a key cog in a talented young defensive line. Davidson committed to Auburn in September of his senior season and despite a strong push from Alabama, Georgia and others he remained true to his word. He hit the ground running, beating out 2015 No. 1 overall prospect, Byron Cowart, and others for a starting job at defensive end. He has 17 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss early in his career.
Farrell’s Take: Davidson holds a special place in my heart among the 2016 recruits because he has gone through so much personally. From switching schools to losing his beloved grandmother, following his recruiting journey was a rollercoaster of emotions. Yet he always had a smile on his face, handled things with class and worked hard. That hard work paid off with his quick maturity in college, and we had him as a five-star from our second ranking until the end. We felt his future could be inside as a defensive tackle after a few years, but his elite pass rushing skills could keep him outside. He reminded me of J.R. “Ego” Ferguson, who is with the Chicago Bears.
The skinny: Buechele committed to the Longhorns almost a year before his National Signing Day and never wavered. After beating out Tyrone Swoopes in the preseason Buechele has shown great potential this season while occasionally also playing like a true freshman. The positives outweigh the negatives, though, as Buechele has passed for 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions, for the 3-3 Longhorns.
Farrell’s Take: Buechele always carried himself with a great sense of confidence and maturity, perhaps the result of being the son of a former Major League baseball player (Steve Buechele). His release was always compact and quick, he was an accurate passer who got better and he got into rhythm, and he could throw a nice long ball. He stood in the pocket well and felt the rush instinctively, but he could also move around as needed as evidenced by his stats in high school. We had him No. 5 at dual-threat just outside the Rivals100, but he’s been playing better than that.
