How 10 former five-stars who needed a big season fared in 2018
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
At the beginning of the season we identified 10 former five-star high school prospects that needed a big year to live up to that lofty ranking. Here’s how they panned out this season…
The skinny: Campbell initially committed to Michigan, but with a coaching change looming in Ann Arbor, he decommitted and quickly made a pledge to Florida State. While most of his collegiate career had been marred by injuries, Campbell seemed healthy coming into the 2018 season but he was unable to translate that into on-field success. Finishing with only four receptions for 42 yards, Campbell’s opportunity to make his mark in Tallahassee passed him by.
Farrell’s take: Remember when Michigan fans were upset when he decommitted? What a waste of energy as Campbell has been an absolute bust in his career and never got on track. Injuries certainly held him back, but I remember when we were debating his five-star status. Many were against it and it appears they were right.
The skinny: Cowart initially seemed destined for Florida, but when coach Will Muschamp was fired, that opened the door for other programs. And when Muschamp found a new home at Auburn as defensive coordinator, the Tigers took advantage and grabbed his commitment on National Signing Day. However, it was not all smooth sailing, as Cowart delayed sending in his fax for hours, leaving both Auburn and Florida fans anxious.
A move to the interior defensive line in 2017 did not spark Cowart’s career at Auburn, so after two games and a total of 15 tackles in three seasons, Cowart transferred to Maryland in hopes of revitalizing his career. While Cowart did have his best collegiate season this fall, with 38 tackles, five tackles for a loss, three sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble, it is hard to say that he lived up to expectations considering he was the No.1 ranked player in the Class of 2015.
Farrell’s take: Cowart still hasn’t lived up to being the No. 1 prospect in the country, not even close. This year was obviously his best, but he still fell well short of expectations. It will be interesting how the NFL views his potential as I still think he’ll be a fifth- or sixth-round pick when he is drafted. But there is little doubt he has been a bust.
The skinny: With his father having played for Alabama, and growing up minutes from campus, the Tide were the clear favorite. And while he signed with Alabama, he did take long looks at Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Notre Dame before making his decision on National Signing Day. Davis was seen as a wildcard coming into the 2018 season, but now in December there are still more questions than answers. Having only seen action in two games this fall, he failed to make an impact as other players continued to pass him on the depth chart.
Farrell’s take: This is a head-scratcher because he had so much upside and talent coming out of high school. He had great size, lateral mobility and he was an excellent tackler in space as well as solid in coverage. I thought he was one of the safest bets in his class but I was certainly wrong about that.
The skinny: Hardman committed to Georgia over Alabama and Ohio State on National Signing Day. He actually named the Tide as his leader only a couple of weeks before his final decision. While Hardman’s numbers weren’t jaw-dropping this fall, he did establish himself as a reliable part of the Bulldogs’ offense. With 34 receptions for 540 yards and six touchdowns, he has given quarterback Jake Fromm a big-play weapon. Hardman should be a player-to-watch next season if he chooses to return to Athens.
Farrell’s take: Hardman probably had the best year of anyone on this list, but I’m still not sure he has lived up to five-star standards. He has established himself as a speedy deep threat for Georgia and had a very good year but has he been a consistent five star wide receiver? I’m not sure.
The skinny: Hayes made an early commitment to USC, which led to his move from Michigan to California. However, after a month he was back in Michigan and eventually re-opened his process. Hayes took official visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan State before committing to the Irish after his senior season. Hayes showed potential during the 2017 season, which once again seems to be the case in 2018. While he has totaled 30 tackles, six tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble, he failed to produce at a high level consistently. However, with a return likely in 2019, expectations remain high for Hayes and his future in South Bend.
Farrell’s take: He’s shown flashes at times but hasn’t lived up to the billing. He moved from a potential linebacker in high school to a defensive end in college, which could have something to do with it, but he needs to have a huge 2019 season to live up to the hype.
The skinny: Irwin was torn between Stanford and Arizona State for the majority of his process, but at the end he committed to the Cardinal in early January. Irwin did see his level of production rise from year-to-year in Palo Alto, totaling 60 receptions for 685 yards and two touchdowns in 2018. However, with only five touchdown receptions in four seasons, it is hard to say that he lived up to his five-star billing with the Cardinal.
Farrell’s take: I am surprised by this one as I thought Irwin would be a pass-catching machine in college. He never really established himself as WR1 and didn’t reach the end zone nearly as many times as I expected. We knew he was going into a run-oriented offense, but I still expected a lot more than he gave us.
The skinny: While he seriously considered staying in-state and playing for Texas, in the end Jamabo committed to UCLA on National Signing Day. There have been points of Jamabo’s collegiate career when he looked poised to break out, but that never truly materialized. After rushing for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first three seasons, Jamabo was suspended for the first two games this fall and then saw his season cut down to three games due to a concussion. During his time on the field he only totaled 12 yards on five carries.
Farrell’s take: This is a tough one to figure because Jamabo was so talented coming out of high school and had many chances to be the man at UCLA. He flashed signs of greatness here and there but never fully realized his potential. As a high school prospect he was dynamic and so electric that this is surprising.
The skinny: Jones was initially committed to Maryland, but after more than a year with being tied to the Terps, he re-opened his process and flipped to Ohio State after taking an official visit to Columbus. Through two seasons in Columbus, Jones totaled 19 tackles, while becoming a key player on special teams. His third season in Columbus did not change Jones’ fortune as he only saw action in five games while totaling nine tackles and one sack.
Farrell’s take: Jones has been a big-time bust and that hasn’t changed. He and Dwayne Haskins were the two big flips to Ohio State and Haskins ended up as a Heisman finalist while Jones has done nothing. This kid had a ton of talent coming out, so it’s confusing how he hasn’t made an impact at all.
The skinny: Phillips took official visits to Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU, and while the Rebels and Tigers looked to be the leaders for a good portion of his process, his last visit to Knoxville was enough for him to commit to the Vols in early January. Phillips followed up a productive 2017 season with his best collegiate season in 2018. Finishing with 55 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and an interception, which was returned for a touchdown, Phillips recently accepted an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl which will give him an opportunity to excel in front of NFL scouts.
Farrell’s take: Phillips had a good year and while his career didn’t live up to five-star standards, he did show a lot of improvement and has the NFL interested. He was moved around a lot at Tennessee so he never got to establish himself as a pure pass rusher until late in his career, so it will be interesting to see how the NFL views him.
The skinny: Richmond committed to Ole Miss at the start of his senior season after visiting Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama and others during the summer. However, when National Signing Day came around, he flipped to the Vols. Coming off of a 2017 season that saw him slowed by injuries, Richmond showed progress in 2018. While he did gain a reputation of picking up penalties at inopportune times, overall he proved himself to be one of the more consistent Vol offensive linemen, especially after the injury to Trey Smith.
Farrell’s take: Richmond can be solid at times but he certainly never lived up to the five-star status we expected. He had so much upside and talent coming out of high school it’s a bit surprising he was never able to pull it together. He had an okay year this past season and the NFL will still be interested, but he didn’t live up to our five-star standards.