Farrell Postseason 50: Nos. 21-25
With the college football regular season over and bowl games underway, it’s time for the final installment of the Farrell 50, the top 50 college football players in the country for 2016. However, as usual here at Rivals.com, we take a quick look at how each ranked out of high school and if they are exceeding or simply living up to expectations. Today we look at Nos. 21-25, led by two elite quarterbacks.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
Farrell postseason 50: Nos. 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50
The skinny: Barrett committed to Ohio State in April of his junior year, approximately three weeks after he spent two days on campus during a visit. Barrett once again was the full-time starter with the Buckeyes this season after splitting playing time last season with Cardale Jones. Leading Ohio State back to the college football playoff, Barrett passed for 2,428 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing for 847 yards and nine touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: Barrett put up great numbers this year, but his inconsistency led to a drop from my mid-season list. Barrett’s senior season in high school was cut short due to an ACL tear, which hurt his dual-threat QB ranking because it led to some questions about his mobility. Even then, we ranked him as the No. 7 dual-threat signal caller, so it was clear we liked him quite a bit. I remember him at the Elite 11 the summer before his senior year and he made some amazing throws, especially on longer passes and during the more pressure-filled periods of the camp, but he also didn’t look overly comfortable as a pocket passer and has struggled in that capacity at times this year.
The skinny: Williams, who had offers from coast-to-coast, committed to Texas during the beginning of his senior season and held firm with his word. While Texas limped to a 5-7 record and saw Charlie Strong get fired, one of the bright spots was definitely Williams. Entrenching himself at left tackle, Williams was one of the more dominant offensive linemen in the country this season and should give Texas fans something to be excited about for 2017.
Farrell’s take: The best offensive lineman in college football perhaps should be ranked even higher. Williams was in our Rivals250, but wasn’t ranked as high as perhaps he should have been for a very good reason – he was a tight end until his senior season. A blocking tight end for sure, but he made the transition to tackle for one year of high school. The results were good enough to have him ranked so high and it’s clear the athleticism and footwork of have helped him in college. With many disappointing performances from big-name offensive linemen this year, Williams has emerged as the best.
The skinny: After waiting for an offer from Michigan for several months, Lewis jumped on the opportunity when the Wolverines finally pulled the trigger after his junior season. A couple of weeks after the offer came in, he committed. Lewis missed the first three games of the 2016 season due to an injury, but quickly regained his impressive form upon his return. Despite the missed time, Lewis still totaled 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions and eight pass break-ups.
Farrell’s take: It's hard to find a cornerback with better ball skills than Lewis and that, coupled with his instincts in coverage, make him an elite corner. We liked him quite a bit as a top-150 player, but of course his size was a concern in regards to handling bigger receivers. That hasn't been a problem, mainly because of his hops, his knack for getting his head around just in time, and he's been an effective tackler as well. He made some huge plays in high school and on the camp circuit, but he's taken his game to the next level in Ann Arbor.
The skinny: Trubisky committed to the Tar Heels during the spring over offers from Tennessee, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Northwestern. At UNC, Trubisky patiently waited for Marquise Williams to graduate so that he could take control of the offense. He responded this fall with 3,468 yards and 28 touchdowns, while only throwing four interceptions. He also added 270 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Farrell’s take: Trubisky’s high school career was epic as he was Mr. Football for Ohio and passed for more than 9,000 career yards. As a mid-range three-star quarterback, we took a lot of abuse from North Carolina fans, who felt his high school numbers should have translated to a higher ranking. As a big dual-threat, he could also move around, extend the play and gain yardage when he tucked and ran. He has had a very efficient year and has shown to other quarterbacks that sometimes it’s best to wait your turn, learn a system and then dominate rather than just transfer at the first sign of trouble.
The skinny: Cunningham took official visits to Vanderbilt, Auburn and Oregon in January before surprising some people with a commitment to the Commodores on Signing Day. While Vanderbilt does not get the publicity as many other SEC schools get, Cunningham quietly became one of the top defensive players in the conference this fall. He actually emerged last season with 88 tackles and 14 tackles for a loss, but took his game to the next level in 2016 with 119 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumble and four fumble recoveries.
Farrell’s Take: Cunningham was a tall, skinny linebacker who continued to rise in our rankings throughout his cycle. He started off as a three-star and ended up as a four-star outside of our Rivals250. He was a tackling machine during his high school career, especially as a senior where he nearly eclipsed 200 tackles. He was always in the backfield and made a living making tackles for a loss, but his thin frame was what kept him back from a higher ranking. Those tackling instincts have obviously continued in college.
