Farrell Postseason 50: Nos. 26-30
RELATED: Farrell Midseason 50 | Nos. 46-50 | Nos. 41-45 | Nos. 36-40 | Nos. 31-35
With the college football season in the books, Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell releases his postseason Farrell 50, the top 50 college football players in the country. This list is based on this year's performance balanced with the level of competition each player has faced and how they've fared when the pressure is on.
Today’s countdown: Nos. 26-30
No. 30 - CB Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida | Tampa (Fla.) Wharton (five-star, 2013)
The Skinny: No. 2 overall, the No. 1 cornerback and the No. 1 recruit from Florida in 2013, Hargreaves kept his recruiting process relatively open, but committed to Florida in July after a visit to Gainesville. With opposing quarterbacks well aware of Hargreaves’ abilities, he doesn’t see too much action on his side of the field. However, even with this, he has accumulated 22 tackles and three interceptions and one forced fumble for the impressive Florida defense.
Farrell’s Take: Hargreaves had a solid but not great year and there are some concerns about his ability to tackle and cover bigger players but in coverage there is no doubting his ability and instincts. Hargreaves is one of our highest-rated corners ever out of high school because of his ball-hawking ability and solo coverage skills so those attributes still stand out. Being ranked in this range might be lower than some expected heading into the season but watching the film he had an up and down year.
No. 29 - DT A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama | Fort Worth (Texas) Arlington Heights (five-star, 2013)
The Skinny: No. 33 overall, the No. 4 defensive tackle and the No. 2 recruit from Texas in 2013, Robinson was an early commitment to Texas before opening his process back up. He ended up taking official visits to Austin, as well as Alabama and USC, and committed to the Crimson Tide in the days leading up to National Signing Day. The 2015 season did not necessarily start off strongly for Robinson, but he showed all of his true abilities as the season progressed. He finished with 46 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery, which earned him an Outland Trophy nomination and consensus All-American honors.
Farrell’s Take: Robinson was a five-star freak out of high school who looked like a six-year NFL veteran but has had an up and down season. However, his second half he was much more the dominant player we expected. He not only stuffs the run but re-directs launch points by getting his hands up and disrupting the passing game. He and teammate Jarran Reed have flip-flopped on this list this season but I think Robinson allows Reed to be a much better player and not the other way around. Both could be first rounders though.
No. 28 - QB Jared Goff, Cal | Kentfield (Calif.) Marin Catholic (four-star, 2013)
The Skinny: No. 140 overall, the No. 8 pro-style quarterback and the No. 15 recruit from California in 2013, Goff always had a deep connection to Cal after his father played baseball for the Golden Bears. When Cal became his first offer, Goff only waited a few weeks to pull the trigger. Goff experienced a few ups and downs this season, but at the end still proved himself as one of the top pure quarterbacks in the country. He finished with 4,719 yards and 43 touchdowns this season, setting the Pac-12 record for most passing yards and touchdowns in a single season.
Farrell’s Take: I liked Goff a lot coming out of high school. I really liked the way he carried himself on and off the field, especially at the Elite 11, where I got to see how his relaxed personality would help him in stressful situations like the 1-11 freshman season. He bounced back well from an awful performance against Utah and his accuracy improved as the season wore on. His bowl game performance was flawless and he could still be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
No. 27 - DT Andrew Billings, Baylor | Waco, Texas (four-star, 2013)
The Skinny: No. 168 overall, the No. 12 defensive tackle and the No. 23 recruit from Texas in 2013, Billings committed to his hometown Bears a day before National Signing Day, despite serious efforts from both Texas and TCU. A majority of the attention at Baylor continues to go to the offense, but Billings has anchored an ever improving Bears defense over the last two years. This season, Billings was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after finishing with 39 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Farrell’s Take: One of the strongest players I've ever scouted, there was no doubt that Billings had the physical power to be dominant in college. The big question was about his quickness and ability to beat people off the snap. He's still sluggish at times with that first step, but he slices through blockers or overpowers them to change games in the middle and that power and explosion has been taken to the next level. He has to be accounted for on every play just like in high school.
No. 26 - LB Kentrell Brothers, Missouri | Guthrie, Okla. (three-star, 2011)
The Skinny: Brothers was a three-star, the No. 36 outside linebacker and the No. 8 recruit from Oklahoma in the 2011 class. Brothers took official visits to Missouri, Arizona State and Nebraska before committing to the Tigers in early November. Brothers was not an unknown coming into this season, as his 121 tackles in 2014 definitely put him on the radar, but his production this fall exceeded most expectations. He led the nation in tackles, finishing the season with 152, plus added 12 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
Farrell’s Take: Brothers is a tackling machine for Missouri with great instincts and a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He's not the biggest, he's not the fastest but he is one of the smartest. Out of high school, his lack of length concerned us, and we questioned his quick-twitch ability, but his high three-star rating was because he could tackle and get after the quarterback on the blitz. He will face the same scrutiny at the pro level and will probably overcome there as well.