Judge Farrell: Issuing verdicts on early entry decisions by five-stars
ENTER THE PORTAL: Rivals100 QB transfers from the last four recruiting cycles
The deadline for players to declare early for the 2019 NFL Draft came and went on Monday, with a few more names adding to the record number of players who are leaving school early for their shot at the pros. Among those names are several former five-star prospects, some of which have lived up to their high school rankings, and others who haven’t and probably could have used an extra year in school. Today, Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell gives his thoughts on the early-entry five-stars and issues a verdict on whether they made the right decision to go pro.
As a recruit: Gary’s recruitment was played out on the national stage as the former No. 1 overall player took official visits to Michigan, Clemson, Auburn, Ole Miss and USC. But the Wolverines and assistant coach Chris Partridge – Gary’s one-time high school coach – did enough to land Gary’s signature on National Signing Day in 2016.
College career: Gary lived up to his ranking from the early going in Ann Arbor and had 119 tackles and 9.5 sacks over three seasons. This season, Gary finished with 44 tackles (seven for loss) including 3.5 sacks, while battling various injuries and playing in just nine games.
Judge Farrell: GO. Gary is an exceptional athlete and very rare for his size so he will be a high pick in the draft and could probably only hurt his stock if he came back. His college career wasn’t as great as I thought it would be, but he still showed enough where it would make no sense for him to spend another year in college.
As a recruit: Lawrence was the No. 1 player in the country for long stretches in the 2016 class, but ended up finishing second behind Michigan’s Gary in the rankings. Despite his national profile, it was a regional battle for his commitment for the most part, with Clemson beating out North Carolina, NC State and several others to land his commitment.
College career: Lawrence made an instant impact upon arriving at Clemson and finished his Tigers career with two national championship rings to show for it. All totaled, he had 131 tackles, 10 sacks, three fumble recoveries and one interception. Lawrence missed this year’s College Football Playoff games after failing an NCAA drug test.
Judge Farrell: GO. Lawrence is a special talent and has shown enough to NFL scouts to make him a surefire first-rounder. His rare combination of size and agility will be too much for some NFL team to pass up and if he stayed he would only hurt his stock, especially after being suspended for the playoffs.
As a recruit: Little initially pledged to Texas A&M, where he was set to suit up alongside former high school teammate Kyler Murray. He would eventually change his mind and end up committing to Ole Miss over Alabama, Auburn and others.
College career: Little stepped right into the lineup at Ole Miss and earned a number of accolades during his career in Oxford, including freshman All-American honors in 2016 and All-SEC honors in 2017 and 2018.
Judge Farrell: GO. Little is an exceptional talent at offensive tackle and should be first or second at his position off the board. He’s filled out, has added strength and is ready to be an elite lineman at the next level.
As a recruit: A versatile athlete who played quarterback for his high school team, Hardman’s recruitment saw many twists and turns, but once Kirby Smart was hired in Athens, it was clear he was headed to Georgia. He picked the Dawgs on Signing Day over Alabama, Tennessee and others.
College career: After spending his first season at defensive back, Hardman was moved to offense and made an impact as a sophomore, catching 25 passes for 418 yards and four touchdowns while also making an impact in the return game. He improved on those numbers this past fall, catching 35 passes for 543 yards and seven scores. Despite being a dynamic weapon, Hardman finished his Georgia career with just 1,058 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns.
Judge Farrell: STAY. Hardman has had a solid career at Georgia and had a big year this past season, but he should have stayed another year and distanced himself a bit from some other receivers. He doesn’t have great size so that could hurt him in the NFL Draft, although he is very fast. I see him as a mid-rounder, but with another year he could have been higher.
As a recruit: Johnson always seemed destined for LSU and he waited until the Under Armour All-American to make it official, choosing the Tigers over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. After one season, he transferred to Oklahoma State.
College career: Johnson quickly realized he wasn’t a great fit in the LSU offense and made the decision to transfer to Oklahoma State. After sitting out a season, he worked his way into the rotation among a number of talented Cowboys receivers and finished his career with 80 catches for 1,288 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Judge Farrell: STAY. Johnson has a lot of talent and was a super competitive kid coming out of high school, but another year of college would raise his stock a bit especially in that offense. He should have stayed.
As a recruit: Simmons let his recruitment play out all the way until National Signing Day, when he elected to stay in-state and play for Mississippi State over Alabama.
College career: Simmons career got off to a controversial start after a video surfaced of him fighting with a woman. Simmon was charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor, and was suspended briefly by then-coach Dan Mullen. His play on the field was stellar from the start and he finished his Mississippi State career with 163 total tackles, including 33 for loss.
Judge Farrell: GO. Simmons is a physically gifted defensive tackle with the strength to play at the NFL level and who should be a first-rounder, so it’s time to go. He’ll have to answer questions about the video of him hitting a girl a few years back, but that won't kill his draft stock.
As a recruit: After picking up a number of major offers, Lamar’s recruitment came down to three schools: Clemson, Auburn and Alabama. After visiting all three programs during the spring of his junior year, it was the Tigers who landed his commitment prior to the start of his senior season.
College career: Lamar was a contributor from the early going at Clemson, albeit mostly as a reserve. As his career moved along he became a much bigger factor for the Tigers and capped up his career with 79 total tackles, three sacks and a pick-six during Clemson’s run to the championship this past season. He finished his career with 146 total tackles and eight sacks.
Judge Farrell: GO. Lamar is a big linebacker who does his best work downhill but he can also cover a lot of ground and is sneaky quick. He shows good anticipation and he can be a big middle linebacker in the NFL. I think he goes in round two and that’s good enough to come out.
As a recruit: Harry elected to stay close to home and play for the Sun Devils, committing to the school over Washington and Texas A&M during his senior season.
College career: Harry had an amazing career with the Sun Devils, putting up big numbers in each of his three seasons, despite the school taking a chance at head coach and offensive coordinator. He finished his college career with 213 catches for 2,889 and 22 touchdowns and was also a dynamic returner when called upon.
Judge Farrell: GO. Harry has done all he can do at the college level and is one of the top two receivers on the board, so why not start his NFL career? He’s tall, angular, has great body control and great hands and another year in college won’t help much.
As a recruit: Despite receiving recruiting attention from power programs around the country, Oliver elected to commit to his hometown school in May 2015. Other programs, most notably Oklahoma, pushed to flip him until the very end but he stuck with Houston.
College career: Oliver feasted on the competition in the American Athletic Conference from the get-go, recording a staggering 22 tackles for loss in his freshman season alone. While he never lived up to the Heisman hype pushed by several prominent national media members, Oliver did finish his career with 192 total tackles, including 53 for loss.
Judge Farrell: GO. Oliver is high on many draft boards and is physically developed and ready to play at the NFL level. Going back to Houston with a new coach and an average team might just lead to injury.
As a recruit: An elite recruit who kept a very low profile, Bosa committed to Ohio State early in his career and followed in his brother Joey’s footsteps.
College career: Bosa immediately filled his brother's shoes at Ohio State, stepping right into the lineup and recording 13.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss over his first two seasons. He played in his three games in 2018 before suffering an injury and electing to step away from the Buckeyes to start preparation for the draft.
Judge Farrell: GO. Bosa could be the No. 1 pick overall in the draft, so why not leave? I don’t like the way he left his team in the middle of the season, but that won’t matter to the NFL and he can be a rising star like his brother. His stock won’t get any higher if he stays.
As a recruit: Nauta initially made a commitment to Florida State and stuck by the Seminoles for quite a while but eventually he opened things back up and landed with the Bulldogs.
College career: Nauta and former Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason had quite the bond when each were true freshmen in Athens in 2016, with Nauta catching 29 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns. His production dipped as a sophomore in 2017, when he caught just nine passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. He returned to form in 2018, finishing with career-highs in catches with 30 and yards with 430.
Judge Farrell: STAY. Nauta has a lot of talent and can extend the field but he hasn’t shown enough of that at the college level to come out early. He can have a very solid NFL career with his skill set, but with another year of seasoning in college, he could improve his draft stock and hit the ground running a bit better.
As a recruit: A native of the south, Williams moved to California early in high school but when it came to recruiting his heart never left SEC country. He made an early commitment to Alabama over Georgia and Auburn and stuck with the Tide throughout the process.
College career: Williams stepped right in at right tackle during his true freshman season and once fellow five-star Cam Robinson headed to the NFL, Williams moved to left tackle and didn’t skip a beat. He ended up being a mainstay on the offensive line for the Tide and has a national championship ring to show for it.
Judge Farrell: GO. Williams is the first tackle off the board in the draft, so he should definitely come out and make his money. He’s done a great job proving he can be an elite left tackle at the college level and is ready for the next step.
As a recruit: Despite always seeming like he was bound for Alabama, Wilson kept plenty of drama in his recruitment, including an extended flirtation with Georgia after Kirby Smart took the job. In the end, the home state Tide won out.
College career: Wilson had to wait his turn behind some talented linebackers before he got his shot, but once he saw the field he never looked back. During his sophomore season he had 40 tackles and four interceptions and he capped off his career with a 65-tackle, two-interception season in 2018.
Judge Farrell: STAY. Wilson could end up being a high draft pick but he could use another year to add additional size, speed and power. He’s a big hitter and covers a ton of ground, but another year in college might make him a top-10 overall pick. I don’t think that happens this time around.