How five-star CBs from past four recruiting cycles are performing
Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney take a look at the five-stars from the previous four recruiting cycles to see how they’ve performed so far. Today, we examine the cornerbacks.
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Recruiting: On National Signing Day, Marshall picked USC over Florida State, Michigan, LSU and UCLA. The Trojans were long considered the favorite.
Performance: Marshall had 48 tackles and nine pass breakups this season with no interceptions, earning him second-team All-Pac-12 honors. In four seasons, Marshall has totaled 218 tackles, 36 pass deflections and six interceptions with the Trojans.
Farrell’s take: Marshall has had a solid career at USC but it wasn’t as great as we expected. Out of high school he had it all – size, speed, competitive nature – and we expected him to be a future first-rounder. That won’t happen but he still has the skill set to be a very good NFL player.
Recruiting: McFadden had a little showmanship during a ceremony at his high school during his senior season. First, McFadden picked up a Florida State hat, only to put that down and pick up a Georgia hat. He then discarded that one and chose Florida State.
Performance: As a sophomore with the Seminoles, McFadden led the nation with eight interceptions. He had 30 tackle and 10 pass deflections but no picks in his junior season. He then decided to leave early for the NFL Draft but was not picked. In November, he was signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.
Farrell’s take: McFadden was an interesting prospect to evaluate out of high school because he had very good size and length but wasn’t a natural at cornerback. We decided to take a chance on his ceiling and it worked out at first when he led the nation in interceptions but he really regressed as a junior. He gets lost in coverage too often.
Recruiting: Toliver committed to LSU early in his high school career and stayed true to that pledge for more than 800 days before enrolling in Baton Rouge. Florida State made the most-convincing pitch to Toliver throughout his recruitment but he stuck with the Tigers. Ohio State and Virginia Tech also pursued him.
Performance: In three seasons at LSU, Toliver had 82 tackles, 16 pass deflections and only two interceptions. He was not selected in the 2018 NFL Draft and he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears.
Farrell’s take: Toliver was a super talented kid out of high school who could cover and tackle and had a great high school career. He’s caught on in the NFL after a solid college career but never lived up to that five star ranking.
Recruiting: In April of his junior year, Taylor committed to Florida State over Virginia, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Florida and many others.
Performance: In eight games this season, Taylor recorded 19 tackles, an interception and one forced fumble. As a sophomore, the former five-star had two picks.
Farrell’s take: The jury is still out on Taylor as he’s been up and down at Florida State as the team struggles to find an identity. He was a super quick corner who lacked great size out of high school so his ranking was debated often. He still has time to live up to being a five star.
Recruiting: On National Signing Day during an interview with Snoop Dogg, Jones committed to USC over Alabama, Texas A&M and others.
Performance: Jones left USC in May when he was ruled academically ineligible. In early October, Jones was sentenced to 90 days in the Ventura County Jail following his June arrest for breaking into a Panda Express.
Farrell’s take: This is a shame because this kid was a baller. He wasn’t the biggest cornerback in the world but he played bigger and was physical. He also had a chip on his shoulder and wanted to be challenged.
Recruiting: In December of his senior season, Wade committed to Penn State over Pitt, Ohio State, West Virginia, Tennessee and UCLA.
Performance: Wade played in 12 games this season and finished with 17 tackles but had no pass deflections or interceptions. He had three pass breakups in his freshman year.
Farrell’s take: Wade started off showing a lot of promise but hasn’t broken out yet as we expected. He lacks great height and length but he was always around the ball and had great ball skills. I’ll be puzzled if he doesn’t become a star next season.
Recruiting: In August before his senior season, Terrell committed to Clemson over his other finalists South Carolina and Clemson.
Performance: Terrell played more snaps than any other Clemson defender this season and he has 42 tackles, he’s tied for the team lead with two interceptions and he has six pass deflections. He was voted third-team All-ACC.
Farrell’s take: Terrell had great length and speed coming out of high school and was a dynamic athlete. He’s played very well for Clemson so far and appears to be on his way to living up to that five-star hype.
Recruiting: Wade was Ohio State’s first commit in the 2017 class as he pledged to the Buckeyes shortly before their game against Oregon in the national championship. But Florida and Alabama gave serious runs late in Wade’s recruitment although Ohio State held off all suitors.
Performance: Wade has registered 28 tackles this season and leads the team with three interceptions. He also has six pass deflections, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
Farrell’s take: Wade appears to be on his way to stardom which is not a surprise because he was so good in high school. He was fluid with good size and length and made things look effortless. I expect him to be one of the next first-rounders for Ohio State if he continues to develop.
Recruiting: At the Army All-American Bowl, Holmes committed to UCLA over Ohio State, Nebraska and USC. In a famous video from the event, a young family member kept pointing to the Ohio State hat and was visibly disappointed when Holmes picked the Bruins.
Performance: Holmes was fifth on the team with 48 tackles and he recorded a team-high three interceptions. He also had a team-high 11 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He was voted honorable mention All-Pac-12.
Farrell’s take: Holmes hit the ground running for UCLA right away and has been excellent for the Bruins. He wasn’t the biggest cornerback in the world but he was tough and very good at playing against bigger wide receivers. He has a chance to be a very good NFL player and it will be interesting to see how the NFL views him when he’s draft eligible.
Recruiting: In a National Siging Day surprise, Surtain committed to Alabama over LSU. The Tigers were considered the longtime favorite. Some point to the fact that Alabama interviewed Surtain’s father close to his decision day as one reason why the Crimson Tide won out.
Performance: In 13 games, Surtain has 33 tackles along with an interception, a forced fumble and six pass breakups.
Farrell’s take: Surtain has made an immediate impact and is going through some growing pains very well. He has a bright future for sure. Out of high school we liked his size, length and the way he played the ball in the air. He has a great future ahead of him.
Recruiting: An early commitment to Nebraska, Radley-Hiles backed off that pledge and made his final decision - Oklahoma - at the Army Bowl. Florida State, USC and UCLA were his other finalists. Playing in the Big 12 was a big factor for “Bookie” as he said right after his decision, “All you have to do is put the ball in the air and I’m going to do the rest.”
Performance: Radley-Hiles has 39 tackles along with five pass breakups and a quarterback hurry this season.
Farrell’s take: Radley-Hiles started off the season pretty well but regressed as the season wore on. Out of high school he was a ball hawk and great at covering bigger receivers despite his lack of size. He should be a key defender for Oklahoma in the years ahead and help improve the defense.
Recruiting: On National Signing Day, Griffin committed to USC over a hard push from Tennessee along with Alabama and Oregon in the final weeks.
Performance: Griffin played in eight games during his freshman season and he recorded eight tackles and one pass breakup.
Farrell’s take: Griffin showed some of that five-star promise this season and should be a good one moving forward. I liked his aggressive attitude and the fact that he liked to hit in high school and that should translate well to college and beyond.
Recruiting: On National Signing Day, Campbell picked Georgia over Alabama, Miami and others. He was the high school teammate of Patrick Surtain Jr., who surprisingly chose the Crimson Tide.
Performance: In 13 games this season, Campbell has recorded 43 tackles and one pass breakup.
Farrell’s take: Campbell had a very good freshman season and showed off the speed we liked out of high school. He was overshadowed a bit by Surtain but earned his fifth star with stellar play down the stretch. He will be a good one for the Bulldogs.
Recruiting: Like Griffin, Tennessee and Alabama made a serious run for Taylor-Stuart but he also committed to USC on National Signing Day. Texas A&M also intrigued the five-star because of his friendship with Aggies’ signee Leon O’Neal.
Performance: In his freshman season, Taylor-Stuart was mainly utilized on special teams.
Farrell’s take: Taylor-Stuart had good size and exceptional speed out of high school despite being a bit raw. He hasn’t had a chance to show much yet but his ceiling is very high.